William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Im looking at this Yew that a local seller has in stock, however im not so sure. Do you guys believe it has potential with some years development, or am i wasting my money?
Does this have potential?
- Thread starter William Dinitzen
- Start date
thatdirtykid
Yamadori
From my newb, hardly any personal experience, perspective; I am seeing quite a bit of potential there despite the need to get creative with the deadwood to lighten the visual weight of the trunk at the top. I am thinking shortening and jinning one of the two trunks so it doesn't look like a trunk as much as a failed leader. There's a lot of interest in that base. I am a fan of yew in general and would love to see that tree get some love. Following to see what the people who know more than me think.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Yeah as you said, what i was most attracted by was the base, it is quite impressive, especially considering the pricepoint of 200$. Im thinking if i can find some way to improve the apex it could come out beautiful in the long run, and i think im at the point were trust myself enough to invest in a slightly less massproduced tree
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Has potential , roots look to be a mess, though. Also needs to have that dual apex addressed in the coming couple of years as the trunk is already developing reverse taper. I would also be a bit worried about the back branch that has raffia on it. Whoever wired the tree wasn't all that great at it and raffia usually indicates someone was trying an extreme bend. That can wind up killing the branch if done inexpertly...
Depending on the price though, could work into a decent tree with some basic care and shaping.
Depending on the price though, could work into a decent tree with some basic care and shaping.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
200$ is this reasonable?
BrightsideB
Omono
I think the price is good considering you are also getting what looks like a nice pot. You should know what kind of pot it is before purchasing. So you can evaluate the difference and what you are actually paying for the tree. The tree has potential but I think it could be challenging for someone who doesn’t have experience with the specie. But experience and practice is how we get better. I think at 200 it is worth it. Specially if you like hemlocks and want to add more to your collection in the future. You can get experience for a good price with the specie. Plus the pot if it parishes.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
You can pick up better or similar material from a landscape nursery that sells hedging plants, then you have the chance to search for one with decent roots.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Im getting mixed opinions on this, are you being extra critical or are the others being too positive? Since i really dont have any experience in this regard idk who to listen to here
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Not for $200. Its a $30 plant in a $30 pot at best.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
What should i expect to get for 200? Could you give an example, since im going to the nursery on friday and i want to know what to look for.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
You would be lookin for a substantial trunk, lots of branches, including low ones and a fairly decent nebari. Not much different from the tree above really, the one above has a poor base though. Show us some pics when you get there and I wouldnt buy anything without first inspecting the root base/flare
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Alright, ill see what i can do, however should i not be able to trust the guy who runs the place aswell? Ill link his store here, perhaps you have seen it before.
Cmd5235
Chumono
Plus, this one looks funky with that wrapped branch. It looks like it’s curving completely behind the tree and extending out to the right side to fill it. When that thickens and matures, it’s going to look weird.
BrightsideB
Omono
I didn’t look that close and thought this was a hemlock. Even with the bark being much different. Hemlocks are more expensive at least in my area. I did find a yew at nursery that had been neglected with a 6-7 inch nebari for $20. It is still recovering from the work I did 2 years later. It takes a while to develop nursery tree’s usually.
@BobbyLane has good advice about nursery tree shopping. Can’t stress enough to reveal the nebari before purchasing. When I started I bought an elm with a bulge slightly under soil level. I thought it was the nebari and thought I scored for $17. Well when I went to repot I found the elm trunk was buried 4 inches further and looks terrible… this is common with nursery tree’s.
@BobbyLane has good advice about nursery tree shopping. Can’t stress enough to reveal the nebari before purchasing. When I started I bought an elm with a bulge slightly under soil level. I thought it was the nebari and thought I scored for $17. Well when I went to repot I found the elm trunk was buried 4 inches further and looks terrible… this is common with nursery tree’s.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Esbjerg, any help would be greatly appreciated.
I sent you a PM right away
Deep Sea Diver
Masterpiece
As always, buying trees is fraught with risk.
Not being in Denmark and not having access to nursery plants in the are, totally not sure what a fair price is.
Here’s my considered reply. Sure, if there is a nursery yew that has a thick trunk decent nebari and that’s what you want to do, go for it.
Yet this a great practice tree and if handled well can be a really good tree. But to do this one has to not look at what’s there to detract from the tree as others often do, but what’s there that can be used to create a better tree.
Trunk show great promise if handled off the beaten path of Japanese bonsai and move into the realm of Penjing. Foliage is green all the way to the trunk. Both good things. Nebari needs work… not uncommon.
Yet promise means you’ll have to work for it and be willing to take a five year journey. (Also if there’s help be sure it’s not a mainline vanilla bonsai person.)
So if you choose this tree, here’s my thoughts…
cheers
DSD sends
Not being in Denmark and not having access to nursery plants in the are, totally not sure what a fair price is.
Here’s my considered reply. Sure, if there is a nursery yew that has a thick trunk decent nebari and that’s what you want to do, go for it.
Yet this a great practice tree and if handled well can be a really good tree. But to do this one has to not look at what’s there to detract from the tree as others often do, but what’s there that can be used to create a better tree.
Trunk show great promise if handled off the beaten path of Japanese bonsai and move into the realm of Penjing. Foliage is green all the way to the trunk. Both good things. Nebari needs work… not uncommon.
Yet promise means you’ll have to work for it and be willing to take a five year journey. (Also if there’s help be sure it’s not a mainline vanilla bonsai person.)
So if you choose this tree, here’s my thoughts…
- The keys are to maximize the twin trunks, push the foliage in and attend to the nebari. This split trunk smacks of an ancient Chinese style, pictures of which elude me at the moment.) None of these items are all that technically difficult Here’s a few thoughts.
- …
- In Spring pull the tree out of the pot. Not for a regular repot, but for an uppot into a pot 1 1/2” wider all around the root ball and at least 2-3x as deep. Arrange the roots as best as possible. Remove dead roots. Spilt large ones at the ends - put sphagnum between for now. Then raise the media to barely cover the nebari. Finally moss deeply and completely, tucking the moss into the nebari end of the pot and into the media. (Please do not let anyone tell you mossing this deep is a bad thing. I’ve tested it for 3 years running… absolutely not true… just keep moss off the trunk.)
- Water and fertilize well.
- Push foliage back conservatively once hardened off. Once when hardened off, Again in late fall.
- imho Get rid of the pot . The tree should never go back in that pot
- ….
- Next fall take a saw and split the two trunks down further. All the way to perhaps 7-9 cm above the media.
- Then carve into what’s left to create difference in height, taper and shape. Each trunk should be different then the other.
- Avoid being too regular. Maximize deadwood view, but don’t bent the trunks away from each other it will ruin the effect.
- lower each trunk down to just above its highest branch
cheers
DSD sends
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
FWIW, the advice to get cheaper nursery stock is rather misleading for a beginner. It's true, but it doesn't make it all that useful, or effective, for you.Im getting mixed opinions on this, are you being extra critical or are the others being too positive? Since i really dont have any experience in this regard idk who to listen to here
It ignores the root reduction effort required that comes with nursery stock--particularly of this size. Looks to be a ten gallon nursery container-sized tree by the trunk. Someone has already done the reduction work on this tree and it is already established in an actual bonsai container. That process, from a nursery tree can take a few years (or more). Trunk chopping is another process this tree has already undergone. It has made it through both and looks relatively healthy.
$200 is not unreasonable for this tree. It's got some issues, but it's well down the road from raw stock.
William Dinitzen
Yamadori
Hey thanks for all this advice, i did actually end up purchasing the tree, and ill be noting down all this advice you gave me. Firstly i suppose i shouldnt attempt anything before spring, except maintainace and winterprotection. Im thinking i should move this tree into a square pot of some kind right, or is the style better suited for round pots?As always, buying trees is fraught with risk.
Not being in Denmark and not having access to nursery plants in the are, totally not sure what a fair price is.
Here’s my considered reply. Sure, if there is a nursery yew that has a thick trunk decent nebari and that’s what you want to do, go for it.
Yet this a great practice tree and if handled well can be a really good tree. But to do this one has to not look at what’s there to detract from the tree as others often do, but what’s there that can be used to create a better tree.
Trunk show great promise if handled off the beaten path of Japanese bonsai and move into the realm of Penjing. Foliage is green all the way to the trunk. Both good things. Nebari needs work… not uncommon.
Yet promise means you’ll have to work for it and be willing to take a five year journey. (Also if there’s help be sure it’s not a mainline vanilla bonsai person.)
So if you choose this tree, here’s my thoughts…
Anyways, just a couple thought
- The keys are to maximize the twin trunks, push the foliage in and attend to the nebari. This split trunk smacks of an ancient Chinese style, pictures of which elude me at the moment.) None of these items are all that technically difficult Here’s a few thoughts.
- …
- In Spring pull the tree out of the pot. Not for a regular repot, but for an uppot into a pot 1 1/2” wider all around the root ball and at least 2-3x as deep. Arrange the roots as best as possible. Remove dead roots. Spilt large ones at the ends - put sphagnum between for now. Then raise the media to barely cover the nebari. Finally moss deeply and completely, tucking the moss into the nebari end of the pot and into the media. (Please do not let anyone tell you mossing this deep is a bad thing. I’ve tested it for 3 years running… absolutely not true… just keep moss off the trunk.)
- Water and fertilize well.
- Push foliage back conservatively once hardened off. Once when hardened off, Again in late fall.
- imho Get rid of the pot . The tree should never go back in that pot
- ….
- Next fall take a saw and split the two trunks down further. All the way to perhaps 7-9 cm above the media.
- Then carve into what’s left to create difference in height, taper and shape. Each trunk should be different then the other.
- Avoid being too regular. Maximize deadwood view, but don’t bent the trunks away from each other it will ruin the effect.
- lower each trunk down to just above its highest branch
cheers
DSD sends
