Dec 29 2012

Tall Larch Restyling

I eventually got around to wiring up this larch yesterday. This is it before work.

This tree has fantastic old bark, as good as I’ve seen on a larch. It originated in Scotland and I’ve had it in my collection for many years. It’s not a WOW! tree by any means but I do like the formal image that can be produced from it. It got a year of little or no pruning to allow me to have some extra length to the branches that I could play with to increase the amount of different levels I could create.

In the 18 years that I’ve been playing with bonsai I have been using aluminium wire. This year I’ve gathered up enough copper to give it a go on my conifers. Yesterdays wiring saw me using only copper wire.

The final image saw me adjust the front slightly to the right.

For scale, I added myself to the image.

Side by side

Back in 2002

The bark

2003

Spring 2012

Other images here

Dec 23 2012

Cork Bark Elm Winter Image

Grown from a cutting, starting to look the part.

Dec 12 2012

Winter Protection

I held off as long as I could, but over the last few days have popped most of my trees into cover for the Winter.

Empty Display Benches

This is where everything is hiding.

Dec 8 2012

Tiny Snails!!

A few of you who have been following my tree exploits for a while will know I had issues with pest attack on some of my maples last year over the Winter months. A strange time for this to happen. I was surprised as I always spray before I tuck trees away for the Winter.

While inspecting my maples this year at this stage I found that many of them have a little cone shaped Snail tucked away under loose bark or in tight spots on the trunk.

Is this the culprit?

I will spray but will this be effective when they are in shell and tucked away?

Will systemic insecticide work better?

Will this even work now during the dormant season?

Anybody else have these?

Are they even the culprit?

Who won the 1986 Sheepdog trials?

So many questions!!! 🙂

Dec 7 2012

Trim and Tuck

Yesterday I did a little trimming back of Summer extension growth on a few deciduous trees before tucking them away in the green house for Winter.

I’m trying to increase the overall outline of this Trident maple and have therefore allowed for more extension than normal to remain.

Dec 6 2012

Next Step

Next Step for the Escallonia was carried out today. I applied the wood hardener to the inside of the trunk with a trusty tooth brush. This was followed up by a fresh coat of lime sulphur.

An hour or so later.

Lime sulphur was applied at 3:1 ratio. It’s very white for now but will fade over the Winter and will hopefully be the right colour come flowering next year. It’s now going into some winter protection.

Dec 3 2012

Escallonia Step by Step

I did a little more work on the Escallonia in November.

Peter Warren had suggested back in October that I remove a front branch. I did this and now this stump needed added to the deadwood on the tree.

When Mr Snart was here a few weeks back we had a look at it. Peter has excellent carving skills and I wanted his advice about opening up the trunk to allow me to reach the hollow centre. It had rotted at the base and was hollow inside, but I couldn’t reach this area to add wood hardener. Peter kindly offered to do a little carving on the tree to add the extra deadwood at the front and also open up the trunk to allow me to gain access.

This was the tree before removal of the front branch.

and after branch removal

Here is Peter doing a little carving.

On Friday I spent a little time washing out the remains of the sawdust and rotted wood. I did a little more carving and cleaning of the original deadwood to remove some algae. As you can see below there are now 3 opening added by Peter into the centre of the trunk that I can now access and apply hardener. The opening are small visually but allow room for a toothbrush to enter. The remaining heartwood is all solid and rotting seemed to have been limited.

I plan to treat the wood this week and apply a fresh coat of lime sulphur to the outside, perhaps darkened down a tad. I’ll keep you posted.

Nov 30 2012

Korean Hornbeam – Winter

Nov 28 2012

Ballot Prize

It a first for me to win something, but at the Willowbog School our club had a prize draw and I won this little Scots Pine in a delightful Ian Baillie pot. Long term for the tree but a nice little bit of material.