Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
This one's going in a pot this week...
Corylus avellana 'Contorta'
- Thread starter ConorDash
- Start date
Well that looks funnily familiar!
Looks like I have Contorta growing buddy! Lol. It'll be great to see how our 2 trees progress as we are both at the same stage of their development. Our trees seem to be similar in trunk size too, yours seems to have somewhat of a nebari though, whereas mine does not.
What kind of pot and substrate will you use with it?
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I didn't want to post earlier because I didn't want to steal your thread. I love these trees. I have seen one in a landscape that was easily 12-15' and it looked amazing - like a gnarly old witch tree.
I have a very specific problem in Southern California with deciduous trees because of our hot winds and salty water. This year I am going to try a setup with shade cloth and hope for the best. If I continue to burn up deciduous in the summer I will move to a greenhouse and RO water. I say all of this because I had one of these trees in the past... and I watched it dwindle over several years and eventually die on me. Symptoms were similar to Japanese Maples that I tried to keep - they would be really hardy in the Spring and early Summer, and then the first big Santa Ana winds would blow for 3 days, and all their leaves would dry up. They would drop the leaves and push a second growth... and so it would go until the tree weakened and died.
With this tree I will be planting it into a grow flat (I said pot - but I should have said "repotted") in a mix of about 50% pumice and 50% bark. I might also add some moss into the mix. Because it is coming out of a nursery pot, I will move it into a grow flat and do primary styling on it when it is still in the grow flat before I move it into a bonsai pot (over the course of perhaps two years). First year repot and let it rest. Second year primary styling and let it rest. Third year move it into a bonsai pot.
I have a very specific problem in Southern California with deciduous trees because of our hot winds and salty water. This year I am going to try a setup with shade cloth and hope for the best. If I continue to burn up deciduous in the summer I will move to a greenhouse and RO water. I say all of this because I had one of these trees in the past... and I watched it dwindle over several years and eventually die on me. Symptoms were similar to Japanese Maples that I tried to keep - they would be really hardy in the Spring and early Summer, and then the first big Santa Ana winds would blow for 3 days, and all their leaves would dry up. They would drop the leaves and push a second growth... and so it would go until the tree weakened and died.
With this tree I will be planting it into a grow flat (I said pot - but I should have said "repotted") in a mix of about 50% pumice and 50% bark. I might also add some moss into the mix. Because it is coming out of a nursery pot, I will move it into a grow flat and do primary styling on it when it is still in the grow flat before I move it into a bonsai pot (over the course of perhaps two years). First year repot and let it rest. Second year primary styling and let it rest. Third year move it into a bonsai pot.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Very nice! I see the nebari so on its own roots.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Sorry newb here, what's a grow flat? I even looked it up and google wasn't telling me much. It kept telling me about growing parsley?!
So you would repot and wait for a year before touching the tree again for any styling? I didn't think the waiting period after repot is so long..
I could follow that, but I just wouldn't want to do any reverse taper damage to it by leaving branches that I should be removing.
I was also going to use a fully inorganic mix, as is my norm at the moment. It is currently living in a very organic mix though, so I don't know if that big change will stress the tree either. Hmm a lot of questions and uncertainties.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
We had one of these out here on the ranch for a few....four?.....years. We call it the "Spinach Tree"
Leaves are ok in early spring, lustrous in fact....but then swell up into a spinach/kale canoe paddle!!!
Lottsa' wire work that doesn't always seem to hold, tree has a mind of it's own.
It got "retired" to a nice senior-lady for her landscaping.
Leaves are ok in early spring, lustrous in fact....but then swell up into a spinach/kale canoe paddle!!!
Lottsa' wire work that doesn't always seem to hold, tree has a mind of it's own.It got "retired" to a nice senior-lady for her landscaping.
We had one of these out here on the ranch for a few....four?.....years. We call it the "Spinach Tree"
Leaves are ok in early spring, lustrous in fact....but then swell up into a spinach/kale canoe paddle!!!
It got "retired" to a nice senior-lady for her landscaping.
Yeh I guess cos of it's natural twisting formation, wiring it might be a pain in the ass.
Interesting thing, that natural twist in its branchs is due to a virus in the tree. It does no harm to anything else but makes it so the cambium forms unevenly, making it so the branchs bend on sides that didn't form as much as the other side.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I guess they are known in the trade as "propagation flats". I get mine here.
These are the heavy duty commercial ones that are intended to be used for years. They are normally used with seed inserts or small grow-out inserts, but I just use them as really big growth containers - at 15.75" inches per side they are much larger than my largest pond baskets.
Here's an azalea already potted up in one. Lot of room to grow without being too deep. Plenty of drainage.
Isn't that similar or same as a grow box?
Box, usually wide and not deep. Loads of drainage at the bottom.
I am making one for my Maple, probably tomorrow. Got the wood cut to measurements, just gotta put it together.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Yes, except I can't build a grow box 16" square for less than $4
Plus the plastic won't rot or split or splinter. I bought 25 of them years ago and I never have more than 25 trees in them.Yes, except I can't build a grow box 16" square for less than $4
Good point
. I think If can find a supplier in the U.K., I'd quite like to buy some of them instead of making more boxes. I look forward to seeing how your contorta progresses.
I thought I would take some better pics and observations, for future styling purposes. Also for record in the thread and to see if others have any styling advice for me.
This is a pic highlighting the very strong and abundant growth it has coming through the soil. All been cut back except 1 little shoot/sucker. I don't know if all the cut down growth is a good sign for me or bad? (I quite like the long "grass" coming out of the moss too but re-potting will remove all moss any way)
The next 4 pics are better quality pics of all 4 sides of it.
This is a close up of the crown, which I would imagine is going to have some major work done to it, if it is going to make a good looking crown for the main trunk of this future tree.
Plus I really like the shape and size of the trunk, Im quite excited about turning it in to something in the future.
Now, this is the first of the virts I put together, for opinions. (Its been a while since I used photoshop, try not to judge me). I've not idea whether this is realistic but it is a good idea of what I would want from it.
This is the original:
This is a pic highlighting the very strong and abundant growth it has coming through the soil. All been cut back except 1 little shoot/sucker. I don't know if all the cut down growth is a good sign for me or bad? (I quite like the long "grass" coming out of the moss too but re-potting will remove all moss any way)
The next 4 pics are better quality pics of all 4 sides of it.
This is a close up of the crown, which I would imagine is going to have some major work done to it, if it is going to make a good looking crown for the main trunk of this future tree.
Plus I really like the shape and size of the trunk, Im quite excited about turning it in to something in the future.
Now, this is the first of the virts I put together, for opinions. (Its been a while since I used photoshop, try not to judge me). I've not idea whether this is realistic but it is a good idea of what I would want from it.
This is the original:
That would be leaving mostly, or all 4 main big branches in the crown though. And I would like to air layer 1 or 2 off to make some literati style.
These 2 branches, I think, seem to be a good choosing for it:
Or even this thinner, horizontal branch.
And lastly just little pic of the buds with very nice red colour peaking out! The colour is quite lovely.
And I've no idea whether this big natural scar would make a literati look better or worse. I kinda think it looks really cool! Going from definitions of literati (definition used loosely), it should be showing extreme conditions and life scarring.
Ok im done now, no more pics! Was gonna do a virt of chopping out of those branchs out of a pic, find a nice pot pic and put it in the pot. But maybe later.
These 2 branches, I think, seem to be a good choosing for it:
Or even this thinner, horizontal branch.
And lastly just little pic of the buds with very nice red colour peaking out! The colour is quite lovely.
And I've no idea whether this big natural scar would make a literati look better or worse. I kinda think it looks really cool! Going from definitions of literati (definition used loosely), it should be showing extreme conditions and life scarring.
Ok im done now, no more pics! Was gonna do a virt of chopping out of those branchs out of a pic, find a nice pot pic and put it in the pot. But maybe later.
CasAH
Chumono
What you are calling a little red color is actually the female flowers. The catkins are the male flowers.
Looking like a good plan.
Looking like a good plan.
Timbo
Chumono
Sorry if I hijack ConorDash but I was interested in those pots and found a little cheaper I might order from. https://www.stuewe.com/Good point
I look forward to seeing how your contorta progresses.
No idea if they are reliable or not, if they ship oversees....still might be cheaper than buying pots.
Thats good to know, thank you
.Sorry if I hijack ConorDash but I was interested in those pots and found a little cheaper I might order from. https://www.stuewe.com/
No idea if they are reliable or not, if they ship oversees....still might be cheaper than buying pots.
Not sure which pots you mean, I didnt find any pots which looked like they had fully holed bottom?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
The clump may be hard to find a good place to layer....
Might have to remove a branch, prefererably one of 2 that are the same size and in a good position to use the scar as a continuation of your layer girdle.
But here is my FV.
Maybe remove the clump branch between the U and M.
The one starting at the bottom left....the thinner one.
Sorce
Might have to remove a branch, prefererably one of 2 that are the same size and in a good position to use the scar as a continuation of your layer girdle.
But here is my FV.
Maybe remove the clump branch between the U and M.
The one starting at the bottom left....the thinner one.
Sorce
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Just remember...THESE ARE VERY SLOW GROWING! It's a shrub that breaks the rules in bonsai. I still think...if you chop off all the interesting features this tree has to offer. You will later regret it. Because the time you will have to invest...will be disheartening...getting it to thicken and look natural from the cut off areas. But...that's just my thought process.
But I can see it worth trying a literati if you went that route. At least you're keeping some of the character of the tree from the get go.
I suggest if you haven't already. Read other ones posts elsewhere (there are other forums that a Google search sends you.) Learn from their mistakes...and their success.
But I can see it worth trying a literati if you went that route. At least you're keeping some of the character of the tree from the get go.
I suggest if you haven't already. Read other ones posts elsewhere (there are other forums that a Google search sends you.) Learn from their mistakes...and their success.
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I don't get the "funk" part lol but maybe you did just that for fun.
I never thought of cutting the whole clump off to be honest. I was thinking more air layering 1 or 2 of the big branches off, to be potted by themselves for literati. The rest being cut down to be in proportion with the trunk size. The side branch probably have to be cut off and wound smoothed down to the trunk, can't see what I would do with that. If I could bend it up to meet a future canopy, I would but its too hard for that.
What route would you go with this tree from this point? I certainly understand it is a slow grower, I want to keep as much of it as possible, as I really like the shapes and directions of it.
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