Let me tell you few words about this sloe. Since deadwood was not anywhere close to being finished I was working on it during the winter. It was carved all the way up to where live parts of the trunks were starting. I was trying to hollow the trunk from inside, give some structure to the top with some detailed carving. The surface was then burned with little flame as well. For some time I wanted to try a technique I was reading about from fellow bonsai artists. I bought can of freezing gas which is able to cool the surface of material down to -40°C. I soaked the cloth with water, wrapped a wet cloth around the deadwood and let it soak for few hours. Then, after removing it I was applying gas from the can. I repeated the process several times. Honestly, I was expecting more from it. I will most probably apply it few more times and I will see. Anyway, I think weather during next couple of seasons will give better results on the final appearance of the structure of the deadwood.
The tree was then left to recover after the winter. During repotting season in March tree was repotted, unfortunately, only back to same pot since there was no other suitable at that time. The tree was just turned by 45° in the pot to achieve better front.
During the repotting, I found that tree after some 8 or so years in the pot does not have any reasonable nebari as expected and generally roots were far from perfect. Since last repotting tree created one long root which circulated around the perimeter of the pot one and half times and feather roots were on the end. I cut that strange roots off and hoped all the rest of the root mass closer to the trunk will keep the tree alive.
After a couple of months, the tree is still doing well so it seems it made it. Fact is it produced almost no flowers this year, compared to last few years when it was flowering like crazy it was kind of unusual.
Maybe it is a result of repotting or winter weather, I don't know. I will see how it will do next spring. I hope to have a lot of flowers again.
 |
| 2011 |
 |
| 2009 |
Hi Maros, if the first three pics with green show the current status then I am green with envy my friend. The colour of the leaves could not be better I believe. Maybe warm wether in Jan and the very cold spell in Feb are to be blamed or the tree just enjoy a kind of sabatical year. btw what kind of fert do you apply? Or is there any hush hush method? Green paint perhaps?
ReplyDeleteSingle long roots with feeders just at the end. I am afraid that is what most blackthorns consider as the best possible root system. I have lost a blackthorn of my life due to that. After digging a hole more then 70 cm deep I have ended up with the end of the root disappering under the big piece of rock. No feeder on the visible part.
Hi Vlado, pictures are as of last weekend I guess. It is actually doing pretty good even after repotting. It was supplied with Osmocote when repotted, then Krystalon Gold 2x month and chicken granulated manure in May. I will try to apply Krystalon ľ-3 times a month, and granules at least once more this year, I hope end of August or so. Honestly, I had no idea they do this kind of strange roots, I was quite surprised. I have to repot it now every two years to bring roots more back and develop them. I screwed it a bit by neglecting repotting. You saw I was using your freezing method? I stopped when you wrote me you are no using it anymore. But, in this case dead wood is far from live parts mostly, I will use it few more times later.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maros, for the details re fert.
ReplyDeleteAgeing_ I have copied this method from an IBC guy...
I am sorry to say, but I do not think you will achieve something that will really please you. The wood of blackthorns is quite hard even if it is fresh. I guess the deadwood on your tree is well dried and it has been possibly treated against rot - this should make it even more harder and resistant to the aging...
It takes time to make it look old. That's clear.But wood is not treated yet. I bought wood hardener last year on Noelanders but fail to use it by now. I think, if I want aging I should not use it for some time.
Delete