Corylus avellana 'Contorta'

[Clorgan]

I would love to post a picture but for some reason my computer is not storing the photos. Hope my wife can figure out why this weekend.

Would love to see a photo! Do you know if there's a way to make a rough guess of their age? I'm just curious!

 

[ConorDash]

Winter project, the original first Contorta I got, had multiple trunks die off (I suspect vine weevil).
Needs potting up in Spring and initial work done. Will be upright or broom form, something like that.
Its got wood to work with, will need some years after the heavy reductions to put on more growth as it will also be root pruned same time, so will expect nothing spectacular this coming year. Heavy fert, good fresh substrate. Left to grow. Or maybe reduced and put in the ground...

DSC_2640 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_2641 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_2645 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

 

[Clorgan]

How's this one doing Conor? Was looking at mine earlier, such a weird little thing

 

[ConorDash]

How's this one doing Conor? Was looking at mine earlier, such a weird little thing

Oh this one... Nothing much, just cracking away. It was a winter project tree this year but didn't get round to it. Ideally, I should repot it (Ive not looked at or changed the soil since I purchased it, just treated it for weevils after something killed most of the tree and its trunks). Then it needs first work, removal of branches, cut back, wiring etc. I look forward to doing it, just new house work keeping me busy and other higher priority trees + weather still kinda sucks.

But I do think this thing has a nice trunk on it and I could turn it in to something very cool. All the while, its still fattening up which is nice. Ill take some pics and post soon. This week we have some nice weather coming, but I have 3 other trees that need repoting. Thanks for asking though

 

[Clorgan]

Oh this one... Nothing much, just cracking away. It was a winter project tree this year but didn't get round to it. Ideally, I should repot it (Ive not looked at or changed the soil since I purchased it, just treated it for weevils after something killed most of the tree and its trunks). Then it needs first work, removal of branches, cut back, wiring etc. I look forward to doing it, just new house work keeping me busy and other higher priority trees + weather still kinda sucks.

But I do think this thing has a nice trunk on it and I could turn it in to something very cool. All the while, its still fattening up which is nice. Ill take some pics and post soon. This week we have some nice weather coming, but I have 3 other trees that need repoting. Thanks for asking though

I was just curious Yeah mine definitely wasn't a priority for repotting either! Nice to hear it's ticking along though

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Here's mine... I defoliated it a couple of weeks ago so it is looking a little sparse...

 

[ConorDash]

Here's mine... I defoliated it a couple of weeks ago so it is looking a little sparse...

View attachment 444214

Very cool. You've been blessed with a nebari of some sort.. which is more than what any of my guys gave me. I've one which is kinda in development, windswept. I've still got.my first one, pictured above, still in the same big pot for 4 years. It's actually a cool trunk and a chunk, about double the girth of your one here and it has a wiggle.. One day might get round to doing something with it.
I stand by it's a cool species.

What behaviour have you observed with defoliating, what were you aiming to achieve? Do tell.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

What behaviour have you observed with defoliating, what were you aiming to achieve? Do tell.

When I defoliate, the second push of growth is weaker:
(1) leaves are smaller
(2) internodes are shorter
(3) growth is finer and tighter

Here is the same tree about two weeks later...