Here's another

[wireme]

Yet another rmj, hope your not sick of them yet I just happen to have some time this week for tree work and picture taking. I just went through this one and pruned out most of the interior crotch growth. I also wired out the branches, not to style but to open the structure for the health and future density of the tree, should have done this last year really. It's just going into year 3 and is growing well but still somewhat lanky. Nice silvery blue foliage. It's always appeared to be a bit complicated design wise but now it's opened up it is at least possible to see inside and imagine potential forms. Probably the next repot will expose another 6-8'' of coolness at the base. Very cool lifelines, twists and turns and deadwood. A fun tree to get lost in, hope you enjoy.
Mp

 

[wireme]

A bit of detail.

 

[monza]

That has tons of character, great tree.

 

[wireme]

We've taken the first stagger down the road to bonsaidom..

 

[wireme]

Just looking at pics and saw a before pic from the same angle. I envision quite a bit of simplification down the road. But it is now I think nicer to look at in the meantime and easier to plan the future look.

 

[Cadillactaste]

We've taken the first stagger down the road to bonsaidom..

Nice piece to look at, this one will be a joy to work with. Have fun with it.

 

[wireme]

Thanks I will and have been, I'm really looking forward to next spring repot of this one.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks I will and have been, I'm really looking forward to next spring repot of this one.

Picking out a pot for this one...should be fun! Good luck with that.

 

[wireme]

Pots! Yeah no worries there, I can't afford pots, a wooden box and imaginary pot for me!

I wish I had a photo prior to planting, I covered all the live roots to help survival but I think a lot of the lower tree can be exposed next time. Much of the space in the box is taken up with old bricks and rocks, roots and substrate I can't clearly recall anymore.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Pots! Yeah no worries there, I can't afford pots, a wooden box and imaginary pot for me!

I wish I had a photo prior to planting, I covered all the live roots to help survival but I think a lot of the lower tree can be exposed next time. Much of the space in the box is taken up with old bricks and rocks, roots and substrate I can't clearly recall anymore.

The tree can stand alone with or without a pot. Better to own a tree...than a pot any day. Well...from the sounds of it. I am looking forward to its reveal come spring!

 

[wireme]

Root shots, I love getting a chance to check out some roots, first transplant out of collection box is always something I look forward to.

Not bad, soil was almost entirely crushed granite, smallish about 1/8.

 

[wireme]

More and after cleaning.

 

[wireme]

I was expecting to change the angle a bit but wasn't expecting this much, anyway I like it, even found me a pot, hairline crack and half price, $25, sweet.

 

[wireme]

Views of the other sides, I'm really liking the new planting angle.

I'll be rearranging the surface a bit and mossing this one, lots of fine roots near the surface need protecting, it's in the misthouse till I get that done and may stay in there for a few weeks weather dependent.

 

[fore]

Very nice rmj Wireme. Good job on the potting, but, the pot seems a bit large for the tree.
Funny too, I have a very similar one that I'm styling now. Unfort., the branches are brittle as bones from a 90 y/o woman. Snap here and there. So this will be my first grafting project next yr I assume.
Anyway, cool tree!!

 

[Giga]

gonna be a fantastic tree!

 

[wireme]

Very nice rmj Wireme. Good job on the potting, but, the pot seems a bit large for the tree.
Funny too, I have a very similar one that I'm styling now. Unfort., the branches are brittle as bones from a 90 y/o woman. Snap here and there. So this will be my first grafting project next yr I assume.
Anyway, cool tree!!

Thanks Chris, call me Monte if you like BTW.
I agree the pot is large but here's the thing. I'm teaching myself in my backyard here, #1 priority is not killing these trees and root reduction on old conifers is scary! This was a clean and stuff, almost no root reduction from the giant box to this pot. The longest roots were laid out over the entire bottom over the drainage layer, soil added on top then the rest folded over. The area right of the trunk in the first pic is really stuffed, barley room to work media in. To the left of the trunk there is empty soil to be colonized in the upper 2/3rds. Three distinct narrow live veins means removal of the wrong roots can result in loss of an upper portion of tree.
I have lots of repotting/root work questions we should talk about someday.

 

[fore]

Totally agree Monte, damn nice to meet ya! Thanks, I always felt awkward writing to "wire me" hehe. Sounds like you did exactly what you were supposed to do, preserve as much roots as possible in the first repot. I learned from Ryan, to be a bit more confident about mounting up the tree and root mass, to accommodate the smaller pot. We crammed some huge masses, into amazingly small pots. And they the thrived. Myself, I'm on my third repot where I mounted quite a bit. All three are doing great. Give yourself time, so you'll get the confidence to pot smaller, which means more a powerful tree. Any other argument to "do it right" in the first place, is to give yourself a leg up in the overall evolution of the trees development.

 

[wireme]

I've noticed some massive trunks in amazingly small containers or stone planters done by Ryan, cool stuff. Actually I was sure I was just going to build another box, had all the tools and wood ready. I was happy to go into a pot at all, I wonder if I had a smaller pot around if I would have gone for it? Maybe, not sure. Finding the new planting angle pleased me though, I always found this tree difficult to envision, I had come up with a plan but that's out the window and forgotton now. I like this angle much better and it just happens to be easier to pot this way too. Anyways thanks for the comments and sharing repotting experiences, I hope to see your similar tree when you're done.

Oh, and mounting? Mounding maybe?

 

[fore]

DohL!!! I could say something, but I'll refrain I'll see if I can shoot some pics of some of the repots that I've used this mounDing lol
And, either way, if the tree stays healthy and vigorous post repot, and you've brought out the tree to it's best potential. Congrats Monte