Anyone with Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) experience...

Cadillactaste

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That's looking really nice, I need to find one of these. I pulled some common ivy that I found growing in the yard, but the trunk at 1/4" caliper didn't grow at all even after putting out 4-6 feet of growth. So, my guess is that I'll need to dig something more established, that maybe has grown up a tall tree and has some caliper to it. Reminds me of porcelain berries - I dug some a couple of years ago, and even with extensions of a good 20-40 feet (these were growing across a fence, storage shed, other shrubs, etc.), the trunks were only about an inch and a half caliper.

This might be a little off topic, but over the weekend I was flipping through "Four Seasons of Bonsai" by Kyuzo Murata. It's a really great book with pictures of close to 200 trees/vines/grasses/ornamentals from his garden. In a day when collected Rocky Mountain trees that are hundreds of years old are all the rage, it was a good reminder that "bonsai" can mean lots of different things, and that one can have an equally nice collection using a variety of native plants of varying sizes and in different compositions.

Thank you...

I have always been drawn to unconventional...not wanting what the neighbor has. So repurposing and such. So I find these quirky at best one must appreciate the species they are working. Though ones do have these as bonsai. So not out of the norm really...just not as many I see done. If they intrigue you...then do it!

Think smaller trees...if you can't find the caliper size trunk you wish. This one again is 3 1/2" tall naked. It was a cutting put into an oversized grow pot. The trunk...just over 1/2". (It was a shock to open the box...wasn't the one I thought I had bought. But now that it's relatively naked...I can work with it.

The books sounds very interesting indeed!!! What a great way to pass time. I am such a book lover. May have to add it to my collection at some point.
 

Cadillactaste

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Why do you need to wear gloves?

When it arrived...touching it made my hands ITCH! Unsure if it was a mental thing because I thought of poison ivy...or...when the young foliage is tender it makes my skin sensitive to it. Will find out come spring...mature foliage didn't bother me later.
 

Cadillactaste

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:cool:

Got some direction from Scott Lee...as to characteristics of the species to know how to proceed. (Cut back or remove) Cut back harder...two vines that looked like vines. Trimmed and...:oops: yes...wired those two limp pieces. VERY PLEASED with the front. Back vines are in line with form of tree now...and resemble branches.

Can't wait for repotting into new shoes and sharing the tree. No photos until contest photos next reveal...sorry.

So anticipated hating it out of leaf...again wish I had taken photo of all the limp vines before removing. BUT...The photo of the two I shortened...represents the tree's vines I removed. Which...I will show here after the reveal photo of it in its pot happens.

Feeling blessed!! :D
 

Cadillactaste

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This may not have been a good thing...to state I am happy with my material...maybe I am seeing it through rose colored glasses...when I was expecting the worst...by not getting the tree I thought was being sent. Anyways...anyone reading this...and is in on the mame contest...HAVE FUN!!!
 

Cadillactaste

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Getting my ducks in a row for spring. Unsure if the knee root will work for a ROR once removed and replanted. But in the off chance it can be. Found a cool rock from a contact in my circle. 4 1/2" tall...4 1/2" wide rock from Wyoming. Scott Lee always delivers. :cool:

image.jpg image.jpg
 

M. Frary

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Looks like petrified wood.
I have a bunch my greatgrandparents collected long ago.
 

Cadillactaste

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Here's a little one I've been playing with...


View attachment 164657
:cool:Very nice indeed!!! Thanks for sharing. :D

I have a love of these...to the point I can't believe I am not going to toss the knee root off the main tree. But work it as well. One of my favorites on the bench...actually. Just a great little project. It currently has nothing for canopy structure. Where as the root cutting had vines galore to choose to cut back. Will be fun developing it.

Any photos of yours in leaf as well? Though naked is lovely...allows one to visually see its bones. Which I must admit...is one of my favorite seasons...is when a deciduous goes dormant.
 

MichaelS

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:cool:Very nice indeed!!! Thanks for sharing. :D

I have a love of these...to the point I can't believe I am not going to toss the knee root off the main tree. But work it as well. One of my favorites on the bench...actually. Just a great little project. It currently has nothing for canopy structure. Where as the root cutting had vines galore to choose to cut back. Will be fun developing it.

Any photos of yours in leaf as well? Though naked is lovely...allows one to visually see its bones. Which I must admit...is one of my favorite seasons...is when a deciduous goes dormant.
I don't think I do have a leafed photo but I will take one this fall. The tree looks 3 times bigger at that stage. I friend of mine says he has a miniature variety - leaves only a couple centimetres across! I have yet to see it but I have already given him a crab apple for a few cuttings of it.
 

Cadillactaste

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I don't think I do have a leafed photo but I will take one this fall. The tree looks 3 times bigger at that stage. I friend of mine says he has a miniature variety - leaves only a couple centimetres across! I have yet to see it but I have already given him a crab apple for a few cuttings of it.
Yes...mine in dormancy is shockingly much smaller of a tree. Would be curious to see a photo of your friends tree. Though, sounds like a great deal to get cuttings of it. Good deal!
 

MichaelS

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Yes...mine in dormancy is shockingly much smaller of a tree. Would be curious to see a photo of your friends tree. Though, sounds like a great deal to get cuttings of it. Good deal!
I don't think he has a ''tree'' of it, just climbing up a wall. I'll post a pic when (if) I get some.
 

Cadillactaste

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Love how it hints at its structure...with healthy foliage. It's a vine...and soon will be going CRAZY hiding the structure. So here is my Mame contest tree in all its glory. When we get to posting photos I will have all year to choose one I have taken of this tree. But so far...my favorite.
Love this little tree. Thanks @defra for creating the Mame contest and tempting me at this piece of material. Kick myself I didn't get a shot of all its crazy wildness before I pruned. Was in the heat of the moment designing. Being bold with my cutbacks. I had one when partially designed was seen.
image.jpg
 

defra

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Nice !
You set the bar high
Amazing love the pot !

Thank you im flatered that my idea to set up this contest helped you improve and apriciate a piece of material in your collection !

I hope that you, me, and all people that joined the mame contest have fun developing small tree's!
if every contestent is as motivated and serious with this as you darlene we going to get to see some pretty mame tree's!
 

Cadillactaste

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Nice !
You set the bar high
Amazing love the pot !

Thank you im flatered that my idea to set up this contest helped you improve and apriciate a piece of material in your collection !

I hope that you, me, and all people that joined the mame contest have fun developing small tree's!
if every contestent is as motivated and serious with this as you darlene we going to get to see some pretty mame tree's!

You are to kind...lipstick on a pig. ? that pot is from Japan. I made the purchase and secured a mailing company that the site linked. It was a headache...resizing font along with a different language. Mind blowing! Michael Ryan Bell encouraged me to do the transaction myself...and save money from a third party buying it for me. Thought the deal was done...got to Honduras for our mission trip...and had to log back in. (Password back at home in my iPad not on my phone) Such a difficult process without my password for logging back in...and my notes at how I did the font change size all at home. But...got it done while away...and the pot is gorgeous! So an experience in and of itself.

Pot is a Masako Kunii Bonsai pot from Japan.

Boston Ivy, look alien out of leaf...but a dream in leaf. Pruned back shockingly hard...lost the longer cascading vine during removing the knee root from the root ball. But...it still has potential...just had to change the angle and front...from initial thought process. But I am embracing this new direction.

I hope all...find a love for their contest trees...if so...then they all are winners. But...This was not on my list of wants...a cutting...with crazy limp vines everywhere. Was not the initial tree I thought I bought either...but end of the day...this one had more potential.
 
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