Maros Bonsai Blog: Prunus

Showing posts with label Prunus. Show all posts

Prunus domestica

Usually, I show you how it ended, with nice flowers (sometimes) and polished pot (sometimes). Now let me show you how it starts. This is most probably Prunus domestica or Mirabelle plum. This particular one was collected in spring 2018 by myself. New branches grown ut to one meter long during 2019 season, cut back once.

It is rough, there is a long way to go, usually about 5-10 years. A lot of works, a couple of repotings, rootwork, wiring every year during the next 5 years. Obviously, stumps need to be carved, and it will be done next week.

Despite it is rough on pictures now, the pot is dirty and its future is uncertain I know what needs to be done and I have a vision of its better future. It will require a lot of work and the patience and grain of luck as well, but it could be done. It will be a much better picture in a few years from now. I promise.

March 2019

A couple of new projects

As I wrote in one of my previous posts I caught collecting bug last spring and had an irresistible feeling I haven't collected enough trees in the last few years. I thought I have enough space for a few new projects, which obviously proved terribly wrong. Nevertheless, I managed to bring a few new trees last year.

In desperate attempt to make my shelves look decent this spring, I was repotting everything that was possible to be repotted into ceramic pots from plastic bowls. So did I with two trees on pictures below. Both were collected in March 2018. Both were very vigorous so I repotted them. Not that I'm recommending it as a standard approach with freshly collected trees. It is still better to wait 2-3 seasons and than disturb trees again. In this case, trees were Prunus mahleb and second is Elm, which is both vigorous growers. I had almost no doubt they will do just fine.

For mahleb, I see its future with a round, rather wide crown, with upward branches. Trunks need to be carved for sure. I hope the tree will create nice even nebari all around the trunk.

March 2019 after repotting

April 2019

Summer 2018, a few months after collecting from wild

The second project is Elm. Also with strong roots, already nice even distribution. Even if it was not true they tend to improve nebari themselves by growing a lot of roos on all sides. I decided this will be traditional (!!!) broom project. I know, I know what you are thinking. That I'm not doing a lot of traditional shit and so on. But As I was looking at the trunk I saw it there, I promise. I'm following one interesting thread on BonsaiNut about crating broom and I think I can try to do it along these lines. It will be extremely challenging, and it will take two decades to bear fruit but I'm going to give it a try. Now, tree pushed a lot of growth from the cut in late spring, I cut off absolutely nothing. It pushed two branches from below the cut but I should have removed them but was not sure where I'm going with it. And those two branches were there much earlier than growth on cut. So, now everything is cleared, all excess growth was cut out and only 5-6 upward shots were left. They were shortened on two-three buds in March during repotting. Month later growth is strong again many new shoots emerged. I will leave it like it is to let the tree gain more strength after the repotting stress and thin out branches in about month time.

Prunus spinosa in winter

I took picture of prunus spinosa just before it went to winter storage. Still a lot of work have to be done, especially on dead wood carving but start to look promising to me.

December 2014

Prunus spinosa

Tree collected in spring 2010. Showing a lot of vigor all the time. This spring it is second reduction. Trunk looks bit boring by my plan is to do some decent carving. Personally I do not feel I can make it without support of skilled artist so I'm leaving it for some workshop or so. Or for day when I decide I will risk failure and do it myself.

Strom vykopaný v na jar roku 2010. Je stále veľmi vitálny a veľmi dobre rastie. Zasadený takmer v čistom zeolite 2,5-5mm. Túto jar je to druhá redukcia. Kmeň vyzerá na prvý pohľad trocha nudne ale plánujem to vyriešiť nejakým mŕtvym drevom a dutinou. Ešte sa necítim na to že by som to dobre zvládol tak to nechávam na nejaký workshop alebo inú vhodnú príležitosť keď by mi s tým pomohol niekto skúsený. Alebo kým sa jedného dňa nerozhodnem to risknúť sám.

Prunus spinosa, signs of life

Black thorn collected about month ago, some pictures here. Since few days it shows it wants to survive. About 30-50 buds, like ones on pictures, are all over. whole tree. After collection roots were washed in stream right on site. So tree is siting almost in pure zeolith with very little peat. I use to leave peaces of moss around some roots, usually brought from collection place. Seems to work. I have collected much smaller sloe one year ago and left a lot of original soil on it when potted. Tree survived, this spring grows very vigorously but start was not so fast as this one, I guess.

Trnka vykopaná ani nie pred mesiacom, nejaké foto je tu. Už niekoľko dní dáva najavo ako veľmi chce prežiť. Asi 30-50 pukov, ako sú tie na fotkách, sa objavilo po celom strome. Po vykopaní boli korene umyté v potoku priamo na mieste, v lese. Odstránil som tak toľko hliny, koľko len šlo. Takže strom je posadený takmer v čistom zeolite s trochou rašeliny a zvyškami ílu z lesa. Zvyknem nechávať okolo niektorých koreňov mach do ktorého ich pred transportom balím. Vyzerá to tak, že to funguje. Na rovnakom mieste som vykopal pred rokom oveľa menšiu trnku, ktorej som nechal mnoho pôvodnej zeminy. Strom prežil a túto jar rastie veľmi dobre, ale jeho štart minulý rok nebol až taký dobý a rýchly ako u tejto, aspoň sa mi to tak zdá.