Winter view

[Anthony]

Moss only for exhibits and photographs - W.P

Very sensible

 

[Paulpash]

"The hard work is done now" - as in cuttting off poor structure and detail wiring or just leaf removal? Does this go one all through the dormant season - I think you have just a 'few' trees to do this on maybe ask Santa for a wiring elf?

 

[jriddell88]

still moe

Like a boss .

Trees and pots are beautiful

 

[discusmike]

Very,very nice trees! Thanks for showing

 

[Tycoss]

I don't think a more inspiring collection than Walter's exists anywhere.

 

[Rambles]

Mr Pall, I have been a fan of your fairytale and naturalistic style of trees for years and have been particularly inspired by your hornbeams. I just wanted to say thank you.

 

[Walter Pall]

more



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[music~maker]

Very few trees have naturally lost all their leaves here yet. At this time of the year I start to take off all foliage of some broadleaved trees which have been photgraphed with fall colors and seem to loose the foliage very soon. I only have a couple weeks left to do this work on about 300 or so trees before they will be stored in a greenhouse or outisde on a semi-protected spot. This is the only time of the year when I work on every single good broadleaved trees in DETAIL. During the summer I do mainly hedge pruning - also with my most valuable trees. The fine work is done NOW.

Hi Walter - I have a few quick questions regarding what you said here.

Could you elaborate on why you choose to do detail level work now vs. in late winter/early spring as the buds swell? This topic comes up periodically, and I'd be curious to get your take on it. Related question - when do you do major structural pruning? Obviously going to be somewhat species-dependent, but just curious what you generally do.

Is winter die back a concern for things you do in the fall, or is that why you winter worked-on trees in the greenhouse? Have you experienced any issues with putting wire on certain species before winter?

I've settled into a rhythm where I do most of my work in later winter/early spring, then let things run into the summer and lightly prune to a canopy (ie, hedge prune) in the summer. By fall, if I cut anything, it's typically just a bit of re-balancing in preparation for the spring. Am I being overly cautious here? The reason I started doing it that way was to avoid winter die back, which I had definitely experienced a decent amount of before I started doing it that way. But I had less overall experience back then too, so it's possible I inadvertently associated die back with the wrong thing, or maybe wasn't taking enough precautions with wintering at the time (which I've gotten much better at over the years).

I guess what I'm trying to suss out here is what potential advantages are there to doing work on trees as they're about to go dormant vs. right as they're waking up. Your trees speak for themselves, so it obviously works. Just curious as to your philosophy on why it works. =)

Thanks!

 

[Walter Pall]

Hi Walter - I have a few quick questions regarding what you said here.

Could you elaborate on why you choose to do detail level work now vs. in late winter/early spring as the buds swell? This topic comes up periodically, and I'd be curious to get your take on it. Related question - when do you do major structural pruning? Obviously going to be somewhat species-dependent, but just curious what you generally do.

Is winter die back a concern for things you do in the fall, or is that why you winter worked-on trees in the greenhouse? Have you experienced any issues with putting wire on certain species before winter?

Thanks!

Because during the active vegetation period there is way too much foliage to see detail. And I leave on branches even if I don't like them to help the tree to gain strength. The more strength the more ramification after hedge pruning. I do hedge pruning mostly for all broadleaved trees including my very expensive specimen trees. The pictures I show her are after detailed work which I only do after all foliage is off. As you can see the ramification is exceptional on most trees. You never get this ramifcation within a few years with methods as we were lead to believe to be the right ones.

I do detailed work and also structural cutting from now to end of March as the trees get onto my workbench. I have to work on several hudnred trees from now on.

Winter die-back is a concern, but not much. If I cut now and will not give winter protection in a greenhouse to this tree then I tend to leave small stumps to avoid die-back. Most of the time I don't and have not problems. I think this die-back thing is over-rated. At least in my garden and climate it is not a problem.

I will NOT put on wire now on any tree. From end of October to end of March there is no wiring in my garden. Very often exactly the branches that were wired and bent will become weak or die altogether. To just put on wire and not bend now is OK. But I don't bother. I do now use guy wires though as you see quite often even on my 'finished' trees. I will avoid pulling too much at this time of the year though.

 

[AlainK]

Very often exactly the branches that were wired and bent will become weak or die altogether.

A very good observation, very useful.

I find it interesting to have the point of view from someone who has much more experience than I have.

Of course, learning is often a matter of trial and error, and we all learn from our mistakes.

Except when playing Russian roulette.

Thanks for your advice Walter.

 

[Cable]

Wonderful trees, some of them truly amazing

Mr Pall, I have been a fan of your fairytale and naturalistic style of trees for years and have been particularly inspired by your hornbeams.

One thing I've noticed is the wide variety of tastes in the bonsai world. I was watching a youtube video the other day of someone I don't know but who was apparently a big deal based on the comments and he was critiquing this gorgeous tree and said he didn't like it because it was "too natural". Personally, I love the natural look. I do like the crazy, whimsical shapes as well but I'm a big fan of a bonsai that looks like something you'd commonly see in nature. A true miniature tree and not just an artists impression of one.

 

[augustine]

Wonderful, thank you.

 

[Walter Pall]

endless

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

View attachment 165610 View attachment 165611 View attachment 165612 endless

That clump is sick!!! How big is that?

 

[Victorim]

That clump is sick!!! How big is that?

Looks about 100 foot

 

[JudyB]

If I may ask, when do you wire if not when the tree is bare?

 

[Walter Pall]

If I may ask, when do you wire if not when the tree is bare?

Judy,
I wire broadleaved trees from end of March to end of April and very litle during summer. Conifers I wire from middle of June to middle of September, larches at the end of March. Very rarely I wire outside of this time frame. Guy wireing is done all around the yeasr. Strong pulls are avoided from middle of October to end of March. I do this stagewise then.

 

[JudyB]

Thanks for the clarification Walter. I have done lots of winter wiring, and have noticed no issues from doing this, but do have very good winter protection.

 

[It's Kev]

I like the photos of the more skinny trunks, it gives hope to the bunch of us who still have seedlings.

 

[Walter Pall]

will this ever end?