Colorado’s Japanese Lilac

[Colorado]

This Apple spent many years in a Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society club member’s wonderful collection. Recently, his collection was sold. I now have the honor and the privilege of caring for this Apple in its next chapter!




The tree is in an Anderson flat. It appears to have been in this container for many years, with a very thick mat of roots on the underside of the flat. The root ball is rock solid. The foliage appears healthy enough, but it is not producing vigorous growth.

Here are a few goals I have for the tree:

1. Reinvigorate the tree. I have begun fertilizing with Biogold and fish emulsion. It’s currently in morning sun and afternoon shade.
2. Compact the existing branching substantially. I did a light prune just to get it to fit into my bonsai garden a little better. I will prune further later in July once the fertilizer has had a chance to start doing its thing. I’m not going to prune back to bare branches, however. Hopefully I’ll get some back buds.
3. Repot. I’m going to look for a large training pot for this Apple. I’ll probably plant in a ~70-30 mix of akadama-pumice.
4. Regrow new branches. Once the tree has recovered and is growing vigorously, I will do a hard prune and regrow the branches from there.
5. Enjoy flowers and fruit (fingers crossed)

Any suggestions or advice about growing apple as bonsai are welcome!

 

[bonhe]

Congratulation for your new project. It is very nice specimen. I don’t have experience with apple tree but crabapples! However, your plan is sounding good for me.
Do you know if this apple already had flowers in the past? The reason I ask is that crabapple seedlings take years to get flowers!
Thụ Thoại

 

[BobbyLane]

Nigel saunders did a couple of cool vids on an Apple. I would probably work with the lower portion of the tree. cant see the top properly to make judgement.

 

[Colorado]

Congratulation for your new project. It is very nice specimen. I don’t have experience with apple tree but crabapples! However, your plan is sounding good for me.
Do you know if this apple already had flowers in the past? The reason I ask is that crabapple seedlings take years to get flowers!
Thụ Thoại

Thank you! I do not know if it has flowered in the past. Unfortunately, I am not able to ask the previous owner, so this will remain a mystery

 

[Colorado]

Nigel saunders did a couple of cool vids on an Apple. I would probably work with the lower portion of the tree. cant see the top properly to make judgement.

Agreed! The top has a couple of very straight “stovepipe” sections that I think I will prune out, eventually.

 

[bonhe]

Thank you! I do not know if it has flowered in the past. Unfortunately, I am not able to ask the previous owner, so this will remain a mystery

You are welcome. I got it! I wish you could see its flowers next spring
Thụ Thoại

 

[LanceMac10]

This Apple spent many years in a Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society club member’s wonderful collection. Recently, his collection was sold. I now have the honor and the privilege of caring for this Apple in its next chapter!

View attachment 445266View attachment 445268View attachment 445269
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The tree is in an Anderson flat. It appears to have been in this container for many years, with a very thick mat of roots on the underside of the flat. The root ball is rock solid. The foliage appears healthy enough, but it is not producing vigorous growth.

Here are a few goals I have for the tree:

1. Reinvigorate the tree. I have begun fertilizing with Biogold and fish emulsion. It’s currently in morning sun and afternoon shade.
2. Compact the existing branching substantially. I did a light prune just to get it to fit into my bonsai garden a little better. I will prune further later in July once the fertilizer has had a chance to start doing its thing. I’m not going to prune back to bare branches, however. Hopefully I’ll get some back buds.
3. Repot. I’m going to look for a large training pot for this Apple. I’ll probably plant in a ~70-30 mix of akadama-pumice.
4. Regrow new branches. Once the tree has recovered and is growing vigorously, I will do a hard prune and regrow the branches from there.
5. Enjoy flowers and fruit (fingers crossed)

Any suggestions or advice about growing apple as bonsai are welcome!

1. Plenty of vigor. It just can't express itself via extending growth. Look at all those fine roots. These should be re-potted in 1-2 year intervals, vigorous root-ers. Way over-due for a re-pot here.
1b. I'd go for more sun and less fert. It's a tree, it can grow just fine with sun and water. Do feed, but with diluted mixes at reasonable/convenient dosing's. Too much shade invites bugs and such.....
2. Don't worry about compacting branches for now. At least not beyond fitting it into winter storage. Even those cuts should be made sooner rather than later. A good fert scheme shows in the next years growth, if at all. If only fert worked that easy. We'd see a lot more "bush" than all the "stick" we see if it was that easy.
2b. Backbud? Not a problem. More aggressive, more response....this species likes to grow new green shoots, too much cutting gives "root suckers", find the balance between the two faces of thiss pecie
3.Oh man, in the worst way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The deeper the better. Your mix sounds ok, good gas exchange and such......but expect three a day waterings.
4. New branch choices should come pretty easy.
5. Flowers will come with properly timed pruning, reasonable fert program, and adequate watering during the previous growing season timed with flower bud set. Aggressive watering late winter/early spring as buds swell to feed flowering spurs. Water even more to promote fruiting and to retain same......how you deal with pilfering wildlife is your own quest then.....


Even out/reduce heavily at your next repot. Same up top. Be aggressive but calculated. Plant in the middle of the new container to establish an even/symmetrical root-ball.

 

[Shogun610]

I think it would be okay in the sun as well but very thirsty .. it will allow foliage to stay dryer since apples are no-no notorious .. for fungus I spray during dormancy and before bud break and even before a long period of rain is on forecast. Mirai had a good video on styling apples that helped me atleast. Also when Building ramification, it’s better to focus on the future for ramification before flowers, I let mine flower then cut the apples to not lose any strength. Nice tree brochacho I’m sure you’ll have a great vision

 

[sorce]

Worth the Honor.

Sorce

 

[Colorado]

1. Plenty of vigor. It just can't express itself via extending growth. Look at all those fine roots. These should be re-potted in 1-2 year intervals, vigorous root-ers. Way over-due for a re-pot here.
1b. I'd go for more sun and less fert. It's a tree, it can grow just fine with sun and water. Do feed, but with diluted mixes at reasonable/convenient dosing's. Too much shade invites bugs and such.....
2. Don't worry about compacting branches for now. At least not beyond fitting it into winter storage. Even those cuts should be made sooner rather than later. A good fert scheme shows in the next years growth, if at all. If only fert worked that easy. We'd see a lot more "bush" than all the "stick" we see if it was that easy.
2b. Backbud? Not a problem. More aggressive, more response....this species likes to grow new green shoots, too much cutting gives "root suckers", find the balance between the two faces of thiss pecie
3.Oh man, in the worst way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The deeper the better. Your mix sounds ok, good gas exchange and such......but expect three a day waterings.
4. New branch choices should come pretty easy.
5. Flowers will come with properly timed pruning, reasonable fert program, and adequate watering during the previous growing season timed with flower bud set. Aggressive watering late winter/early spring as buds swell to feed flowering spurs. Water even more to promote fruiting and to retain same......how you deal with pilfering wildlife is your own quest then.....


Even out/reduce heavily at your next repot. Same up top. Be aggressive but calculated. Plant in the middle of the new container to establish an even/symmetrical root-ball.

Thanks for the Apple advice!

So it sounds like these can handle quite a bit of sun. I will make sure it gets plenty of sun and lots of water!

 

[Shibui]

Do you know what sort of apple this is? The leaves and bark don't look like any apple species I'm familiar with down here. I'll be keen to see the flowers next spring to find out what it is.

 

[LanceMac10]

Do you know what sort of apple this is? The leaves and bark don't look like any apple species I'm familiar with down here. I'll be keen to see the flowers next spring to find out what it is.

It does look a bit like Prunus-type variety. Maybe the bark is damp, but the rounded leaf seems Apple.

You'll need to see the flowers and fruit. Prunus leaf a bit "furry" on the underside?

 

[Colorado]

Do you know what sort of apple this is? The leaves and bark don't look like any apple species I'm familiar with down here. I'll be keen to see the flowers next spring to find out what it is.

It does look a bit like Prunus-type variety. Maybe the bark is damp, but the rounded leaf seems Apple.

You'll need to see the flowers and fruit. Prunus leaf a bit "furry" on the underside?

I do not know. I was told it was an apple. However, the leaf edges are smooth…and preliminary research says that serrated edges are an identifying characteristic of apples.

@Leo in N E Illinois what do you think?

 

[Crazy Diamond]

It gives more Prunus sp vibes than Malus sp, but only wating for flowers abd fruit would get things more clear

 

[Dav4]

Could be a pear/Pyrus, too. All are great in bonsai culture.

 

[Colorado]

It gives more Prunus sp vibes than Malus sp, but only wating for flowers abd fruit would get things more clear

Could be a pear/Pyrus, too. All are great in bonsai culture.

It does look a bit like Prunus-type variety. Maybe the bark is damp, but the rounded leaf seems Apple.

You'll need to see the flowers and fruit. Prunus leaf a bit "furry" on the underside?

Well now I am thoroughly confused. I have no idea what kind of tree this is! I just returned from out of town, and upon closer examination, the leaves are actually in opposing pattern, not alternating:




@rockm @bonsainut any ideas?

 

[Colorado]

I used a Colorado State Extension landscape tree identification algorithm and it suggests that this is a Japanese Tree Lilac, syringa reticulata:



I then looked up the leaves and bark on Google images and it looks pretty accurate:


What do you guys think?!

 

[Hartinez]

I don’t know if I agree with that

 

[Colorado]

I don’t know if I agree with that

I don’t know if I do either! Ha

Any other ideas?

 

[Shogun610]

I don’t know if I do either! Ha

Any other ideas?

Lol oh damn… I’d say some type of flowering / fruiting at least… it could be pear or a crab apple imo..I hope you find some answer , reach out to original owner if that’s possible.