Bargain projects
- Thread starter Victorim
- Start date
Victorim
Omono
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
thanks, and now I'll never forget!
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Still; you don't want that stuff mucking around on your bark it ruins it.
Victorim
Omono
A Snip it of info from @rockm from 2010 on another thread. Getting quite excited about the Dawn now 
"Treat it as a deciduous tree--as it IS a deciduous tree.
I'd eliminate the branches completely, down to the trunk--carving out the wounds to allow for thick callus tissue that these produce. They are completely unsuitable (and mostly unbendable) for a new apex. They will also look ridiculous if bent into a new apex...
I'd wait until buds start popping before refining the primary trunk cut. Choose a bud near the top and in a position that complements the roots before re-cutting at an angle away from the new apex bud.
Dawn redwood, like bald cypress, are pretty tough when in comes to pruning.
and FWIW, cutting branches on conifers is not the issue. Branches can be removed completely...even the lower ones. However, you cannot remove all green growth from conifers, as their needles act as "sap drawers" on limbs and twigs. If you cut all the green off of pine, it dies. That doesn't happen to deciduous conifers, though. Since they shed their needles naturally, they can be pruned as deciduous trees--all green growth can be pruned off and will be replaced...
Last edited: Mar 15, 2010"
"Treat it as a deciduous tree--as it IS a deciduous tree.
I'd eliminate the branches completely, down to the trunk--carving out the wounds to allow for thick callus tissue that these produce. They are completely unsuitable (and mostly unbendable) for a new apex. They will also look ridiculous if bent into a new apex...
I'd wait until buds start popping before refining the primary trunk cut. Choose a bud near the top and in a position that complements the roots before re-cutting at an angle away from the new apex bud.
Dawn redwood, like bald cypress, are pretty tough when in comes to pruning.
and FWIW, cutting branches on conifers is not the issue. Branches can be removed completely...even the lower ones. However, you cannot remove all green growth from conifers, as their needles act as "sap drawers" on limbs and twigs. If you cut all the green off of pine, it dies. That doesn't happen to deciduous conifers, though. Since they shed their needles naturally, they can be pruned as deciduous trees--all green growth can be pruned off and will be replaced...
Last edited: Mar 15, 2010"
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
The last tree you have looks like a Abies procera to me, aka noble fir. Nobles are native to my area and identifiable by hockey stick-shaped needles, among other characters. I wasn't aware they were common in landscape plantings, so it may be another for species. I can only identify those native here and the balsam fir, but there are many others around the world.
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
Oh I was going to suggest since the trunks are all so slender, either stick them in the ground for a time and try training them that way (depends if flexible), Or make a nice mixed species forest planting. The dawn redwood might not fit with the rest, but the cedrus specimen and the fir all look similar enough to me to be a match.
Victorim
Omono
Yes looks along those lines, thanks.
No multi planting.. Will begin in spring getting them in good soil, into boxes or baskets and reducing them.
Victorim
Omono
So popped back to the little nursary today, and glad to find my hunting eyes are well attuned. There was not much else there worth getting, but hidden behind a hedge was a few bits I had missed, that included these two Alnus. Fiver each.. worth a punt. The bigger one is approx 6-7" at the base.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Nice fat trunks on the alders. Alders are not super common as bonsai, but have been used. I recall seeing a few images of alders at bonsai shows.
They will have large leaves, they should reduce, but won't get as small as an elm for example. They will reduce to a size good for medium and larger size bonsai. In terms of handling the leaf size, look to the Tilia species, the size and reduction will be similar.
They may also have the habit of producing suckers from the roots. Easy to manage, just prune them as they appear. Don't leave them more than a season or two, as they will compete with the older trunk for resources from the roots.
Early spring is a good time for the repot and chop low. So think about what size tree you want, and chop to a height about one third or less of your final vision for tree size.
They will have large leaves, they should reduce, but won't get as small as an elm for example. They will reduce to a size good for medium and larger size bonsai. In terms of handling the leaf size, look to the Tilia species, the size and reduction will be similar.
They may also have the habit of producing suckers from the roots. Easy to manage, just prune them as they appear. Don't leave them more than a season or two, as they will compete with the older trunk for resources from the roots.
Early spring is a good time for the repot and chop low. So think about what size tree you want, and chop to a height about one third or less of your final vision for tree size.
Victorim
Omono
KiwiPlantGuy
Omono
Cheers Leo, that's the plan
Hi Victorim,
I don’t know whether you want the extra plants from doing any air-layers but if you are planning to trunk-chop the dawn redwood down to 30-40 cm you could air-layer top off first (eg. 2 for the price of 1 etc).
Many will disagree with me here as air-layering just for having more trees to work with is not their idea of “air-layering trees for good trunk section” etc.
As @rockm says, treat as deciduous as they grow wherever you chop them.
My 2 cents worth, especially like the Cedrus libiana?
Charles
Victorim
Omono
Cedrus Libiana is my best guess. Slow chase chops on these. Dunno about layering the dawn.. have time to ponder it though.
Handsome John
Mame
One on the left is for sure a carving project, dont give out the name of that nursery! keep all the good finds for yourself muhahah! awesome score!
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,341
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- USDA Zone
- 5b
Dawn Redwood and Alder will most likely respond well to air layering when done in spring or summer. It may take more than 12 months, but it could happen quickly, say 3 months.
Cedrus is not known to air layer, at all. Don't bother trying the technique on them.
In general if a tree can be propagated by cuttings, it can be air layered. If it is known to be difficult or impossible from cuttings, it will not air layer.
Cedrus is not known to air layer, at all. Don't bother trying the technique on them.
In general if a tree can be propagated by cuttings, it can be air layered. If it is known to be difficult or impossible from cuttings, it will not air layer.
Victorim
Omono
And layering cedrus was one of the first things I looked up on the trip home... Sods law.
Victorim
Omono
Here's the prep on three of these:
The bigger of the two Alder was chopped and sealed a while ago, root work today. Old and pot bound, thick wood roots filling the nursary pot drainage. Had to cut away the pot, lots of fun, even the reciprocater came into play. Sorry no working pics but about 2 hours later it was in is new container.
The Dawn. Again chopped some time ago, and repotted a few days ago. What I will say is how nice dawn roots are to work. Like butter easy.
And last one of the cedars.. top sniped and dead branches cleared. This wasn't in the prime of health anyway, tucked away in long grass In the nursary, but this was the worst roots I've seen yet. Spiralling, choking and fused. I wasn't going to basicly bare root this but it was so fucked it was an all in play. We'll see if it has the will to live :/
The bigger of the two Alder was chopped and sealed a while ago, root work today. Old and pot bound, thick wood roots filling the nursary pot drainage. Had to cut away the pot, lots of fun, even the reciprocater came into play. Sorry no working pics but about 2 hours later it was in is new container.
The Dawn. Again chopped some time ago, and repotted a few days ago. What I will say is how nice dawn roots are to work. Like butter easy.
And last one of the cedars.. top sniped and dead branches cleared. This wasn't in the prime of health anyway, tucked away in long grass In the nursary, but this was the worst roots I've seen yet. Spiralling, choking and fused. I wasn't going to basicly bare root this but it was so fucked it was an all in play. We'll see if it has the will to live :/
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Cedars need serious sun ASAP. Weak down low. Last tree is true fir Abies. Do not believe Noble but no help otherwise. May have been to impatient too drastic butcher job of Cedars!
. May have been to impatient too drastic butcher job of Cedars!
Victorim
Omono
Picked up 3 maples.. £6.50 each!.. Be rude not to.. The smaller two are 'Kotohime'. The third is unknown. Twigging and buds are small and I cant see a graft on it. The Koto's grafts arnt bad but probably will layer off after they have bulked up.
