Defra - Forsythia #1

[defra]

This Forsythia has grown in my front garden for many years.
I live here for 10 years now and the preveous owners of the house planted this a long time ago before that i estimate its about 30 years old maybe even older!

The trunk used to be alive all the way to the top but two years ago that part died back.
i had plans to dig this one up years ago but never got to it but now i want to change my front garden and its in the wrong spot now
the tree was waking up so i dug it up today and potted it up!

the trunk appears to be hollow at the bottom, the roots are all around alive tough its free so i will see what i can grow out of this.
it will be put in a spot in the garden and will be left alone for now the long dead trunk has to be shortened at some point but for now i will let nature carve out the deadwood
and let the living parts get strong and healthy growing.



as i dug it up



Buds opening up


i cut of the big tap root and washed off the clay soil and a picture with my hand for scale i didnt measure the base but its a decent size trunk !





you can see that a part of the bark on the trunk is likely dead i will let nature do its thing and see what ill be left to work with in the future.

 

[defra]

this is how it is now in a plastic trainings pot.

 

[KateM]

Nice!

 

[Cadillactaste]

I believe this is a first for me. To see forsythia in anything other than a clump form growing in the ground. *Other than my neagari which was bonsai purpose and man made. What a unique piece you've got yourself. Growing up early years on the farm. I recall my uncle propagating these all over the place. They were always ending up clumps.

Hollow branches for mature branches is very common for these. The late Dale Cochoy warned me about them when I brought in my forsythia to my bench. That I needed to apply cut paste to the tips if I pruned and come across them. Or water gets in and rots the branch.

 

[defra]

I believe this is a first for me. To see forsythia in anything other than a clump form growing in the ground. *Other than my neagari which was bonsai purpose and man made. What a unique piece you've got yourself. Growing up early years on the farm. I recall my uncle propagating these all over the place. They were always ending up clumps.

Hollow branches for mature branches is very common for these. The late Dale Cochoy warned me about them when I brought in my forsythia to my bench. That I needed to apply cut paste to the tips if I pruned and come across them. Or water gets in and rots the branch.

Yeah im really Lucky with such a trunk!
I took some cuttings to see of those will grow the same way, i noticed the branches are Hollow indeed i can see a tiny hole in the died off trunk similar to cotinus also hollow branching thnx for the tip ill try to remember to apply cut paste on the branches if i prune!

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I came along to give similar warning about cut paste and also to protect any finished deadwood features down the line with plenty of wood hardener

The quick growing wood doesn't last very long!

 

[defra]

I came along to give similar warning about cut paste and also to protect any finished deadwood features down the line with plenty of wood hardener

The quick growing wood doesn't last very long!

Thnx, funny enough, the shari on the now dead tall trunk is been there ever since i own the house thats 10 years and no clue how long total its been there but its rock solid still, maybe the inside rots away faster due to moisture and the Hollow stems.
Ill let nature do its thing this year and once its established in the pot i will work the deadwood next year and see how i can preserve it!