Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Well, dang, I had a couple of nice branches that I could have layered. Too, late now.
Thanks,
John
Thanks,
John
Contorted Camelia
- Thread starter Mellow Mullet
- Start date
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Got a chance to work on this one earlier this week. It had really branched out since its trimming last year. I hope to get it out of the nursery pot later this spring.
This is where I started. Since this is a contorted camellia, the branches already have a lot of movement. All that needs to be done is just some positioning for shape.
After two days of wiring, here is the result.
This is where I started. Since this is a contorted camellia, the branches already have a lot of movement. All that needs to be done is just some positioning for shape.
After two days of wiring, here is the result.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
A close up of some of the wiring. I have been trying to work harder on making my wiring neater, still a ways to go.
Now the base, not the prettiest on this one. I will have to decide what to do with it. Does anyone know if camellias ground layer easily?
The carnage, I struck a bunch of cuttings, maybe I will have a few to share.
Also, tried out a new beer. It is pretty good, really dark with coffee overtones.
Now the base, not the prettiest on this one. I will have to decide what to do with it. Does anyone know if camellias ground layer easily?
The carnage, I struck a bunch of cuttings, maybe I will have a few to share.
Also, tried out a new beer. It is pretty good, really dark with coffee overtones.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Today I decided to see what the roots looked like and try to get this one on its way to bonsai pot, or at least a shallower one. The roots weren't all that great, in fact, terrible. I took some measures to try to get some new ones, we will see if it works. Does anyone know if a camellia will ground layer?
Start
These two roots really need to go.
Raking the soil out. It was a good mix and came away easily, unlike the usual nursery stuff.
As it turned out, it was just a I feared. No roots close to or up high on the root mass. So I will have to go with plan B, as soon I come up with it. I decided to reduce the lower root mass by 1/3 to 1/2 and just pot it up. I wounded the upper area where I need roots and applied rooting hormone then covered the area with sphagnum moss. I have had some success with this in the past. Maybe it will work. I hope I did not kill it.
Awful roots
Roots reduced
Does anyone know what these are? They, and a dozen or so of there friends, had taken up residence in the soil. They look sorta like yellow jackets, but are about five times the size of any I have seen. Luckily, it was cool out today and they were not very lively.
Potted up in a cut down plastic pot that I got at Home Depot.
Start
These two roots really need to go.
Raking the soil out. It was a good mix and came away easily, unlike the usual nursery stuff.
As it turned out, it was just a I feared. No roots close to or up high on the root mass. So I will have to go with plan B, as soon I come up with it. I decided to reduce the lower root mass by 1/3 to 1/2 and just pot it up. I wounded the upper area where I need roots and applied rooting hormone then covered the area with sphagnum moss. I have had some success with this in the past. Maybe it will work. I hope I did not kill it.
Awful roots
Roots reduced
Does anyone know what these are? They, and a dozen or so of there friends, had taken up residence in the soil. They look sorta like yellow jackets, but are about five times the size of any I have seen. Luckily, it was cool out today and they were not very lively.
Potted up in a cut down plastic pot that I got at Home Depot.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
The colors on that guy look kinda weird, but it looks like a European Hornet.
Definitely not a Cicada Killer, looks too big to be a Yellow Jacket Hornet.
I see them, Bald Faced Hornets (black and white ones) and big Cicada Killers around here....got em all!
Lucky you didn't take a sting....
Can be painful .
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Yeah, I dodgedon't a bullet on the sting. I saw the one crawling around on the potting bench and smashed it. When I was scooping up the old soil, with my hands, I found the others.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Update:
I removed all of the wires and gave it a light trim, probably won't trim much more this year as it is full of buds.
I removed all of the wires and gave it a light trim, probably won't trim much more this year as it is full of buds.
Velodog2
Chumono
I like this tree! I have a few dwarf camellias of a couple of varieties kinda unknown as they were started from "cuttings" I broke off from a couple of plants at Lowes and stuck in my pocket a couple years ago. That successful experience would lead me to believe this would layer very well.
From your first pruned pic I've had my doubts about keeping that right hand trunk tho. The left one has a great shape and movement. The right one seems too similar in thickness to be either a secondary trunk (it also starts a little high up for that, maybe) or a branch and may just be distracting, although I admit the movement is quite sympathetic with the left. Maybe another layer? Just a thought.
From your first pruned pic I've had my doubts about keeping that right hand trunk tho. The left one has a great shape and movement. The right one seems too similar in thickness to be either a secondary trunk (it also starts a little high up for that, maybe) or a branch and may just be distracting, although I admit the movement is quite sympathetic with the left. Maybe another layer? Just a thought.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Yeah, I kinda agree. I am kinda waiting on drastic changes to the top until I see what I can do with the top. It has a very bad nebari, I am trying to work on that. If I get what I need I may go with a single trunk, if not, I hope to have a lot of foliage up top to make up for it.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Uggggg! I really need to quit typing when I am tired, that first sentence is supposed to read, "....drastic changes to the top until I see what I can do with the bottom".
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I blooms in the late fall/ early winter. I left it out on one of the few frost nights that we had and it caused all but three buds to fall off. The year before it escaped the frosts and bloomed like crazy. I is loaded up again this year (the are just starting to form) and hopefully I can protect it show it will put on a good show. I have about a dozen or so cuttings that have taken.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
There might be two in the batch you sent me off with, look contorted with similar leaf. Cuttings are tough to tell sometimes though so could be Quince
Grimmy
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I think they are quince, I have a contorted quince that I may have stuck cuttings from in it. It has nice blooms though, white that slowly turn pink as the flower ages. If the leaves are real shinny and thick, it is the camellia.
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Cool, never had a Quince that offended me
I only replaced a couple since loosing all in 2015 so these will be my only contorted. I believe the Camellia would need a gentler acclimation as well so win win! Thanks!Grimmy
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
UPDATE:
I wired this one out the other day. It is moving along, just needs to fill in some more. Attempts to improve the nebari have been futile, I re-scored the base and added rooting hormone, maybe it will happen this year. I hoping to get it into a training pot this year.
Before:
After a haircut and wire:
I wired this one out the other day. It is moving along, just needs to fill in some more. Attempts to improve the nebari have been futile, I re-scored the base and added rooting hormone, maybe it will happen this year. I hoping to get it into a training pot this year.
Before:
After a haircut and wire:
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,435
- Reaction score
- 23,639
- USDA Zone
- 5b
If the cuttings you took in 2017 rooted, then this camellia should ground layer fairly easily. If the 2017 cuttings did not root, the possibility exists that ground layering might not be successful. The trunk and branch structure is coming along nice, the roots have a long way to go. I would bury the point where the ground layer is to occur at least an inch under the surface of the media. I found mounding media above the point where the ground layer is to occur is not as effective as burying the point where the layer is to be deeper in the media.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Thanks, Leo, for the advice. I have about 90% of the cuttings root with no special care, just stuck them in a pot of old soil under the bench.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
Do you think it is too late to try?
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
In just this thread and the azalea thread, I have seen you say:
I am starting to see why they call you "Mellow"
and now:
I am starting to see why they call you "Mellow"
