field grown prunus mume material .. a few questions on how to continue development.

[Brian Van Fleet]

Brian, with the ume you had planted in the ground did you have problems with just a few roots growing too big? I have several in grow beds, that were grown in colander a year or two before out planting, but it seems some have formed large roots anyway. I think they have been in the ground 2 years, with no root work. Possibly 3. Really wanted to get them growing good. I plan to chop hard and dig them out this spring, but am trying to figure out how to tackle the larger roots.

No

 

[Trueblackpercula]

Came across this photo this morning on Instagram and thought of your tree immediately.
Enjoy

michael

 

[Malix]

If I do pruning of trees with the aim to get backbudding, I in general do not do rootwork, for any species.

That being said.. This one was pruned back to the core in summer in the field. In fall pulled from a field. Cleaned the roots, trimmed back and planted in this fairly small pot:
View attachment 343443


Early summer:
View attachment 343444

If I do pruning of trees with the aim to get backbudding, I in general do not do rootwork, for any species.

That being said.. This one was pruned back to the core in summer in the field. In fall pulled from a field. Cleaned the roots, trimmed back and planted in this fairly small pot:
View attachment 343443


Early summer:
View attachment 343444

Nice Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Malix]

I have grown out one over the last 10-12 years and found that at this stage, they will bud back on “old” wood. They will not as they get older, I have found, with a much older one growing in a bonsai pot for the last 10 years.

My Ume that is similar in age to yours is here:

Prunus mume stock from Evergreen Gardenworks

Here is an ume I bought from Brent in a 1-gal can in January 2010. It was planted deep, and I potted it higher when I transplanted it to that terra cotta pot (bottom of the photo) a couple months later, somewhere around a 1/2" thick trunk. The tree after 4 seasons in the ground. The tag is...

www.bonsainut.com

@Dav4 has one similar in age too that he has moved into a semi cascade pot and started training.

Root pruning: I do very little root pruning, and more “soil changing” each spring. If a root or two gets particularly heavy, I will remove it, but I try to leave as much of the finer roots as possible. I skipped repotting my older one this year for the first time in a decade, and this year’s growth was a bit stunted as a result.

My older one is here:

Prunus Mume

Looks like the ume may flower this year. I worked on it with Peter in April, let it grow out all spring, then wired it mid-summer. After the leaves fell, the buds just kept swelling; the thing just doesn't go dormant. The flower buds are the swelling buds, flanking the smaller leaf buds...

www.bonsainut.com

Timing to repot: after maples. My Ume bud out later...around the same time as zelkova, and just before beech. Repot as the buds are swelling, but be careful not to dislodge any. If you can keep it above freezing, I’d cheat and repot earlier to prevent this.

Nice looking Ume you have there, and a double trunk to boot! Enjoy and good luck with it!

This is good stuff. Thanks Brian!

 

[Malix]

Also, you didn’t ask, but I’d be tempted to prune it at these lines...next summer.
View attachment 343459

Thanks for the virtual Brian! I did some sketches on paper to feel out future cuts. So analog, right?

Here is your proposed cuts more or less. Don't mind my stationary.

Below is what I had been planning in my head. I had not fleshed it out on paper or digitally until now. But I had been planning on removing the trunk line you had me cutting back to the lowest branchlet. And Keeping and shortening the trunk line on the right you had me removing.




I still plan on this move next. I like the movement of the main trunkline and the daughter trunk to follow each other in direction somewhat on a double trunk tree generally. And after sketching it out I still like this more. Both trunks moving toward the right together rather than there main trunk line going toward the left and the secondary trunk toward the right. Although If I make your cuts and whip he new top back toward the right. Maybe that would ultimately be are more interesting. I'll have to play with it a bit more..

I also may remove the lowest branch on the right side of the main trunk as its shooting right towards the viewer. unless I can get a bud to break or can graft a branch in place to get it moving toward a better direction. For the sketches, I have left it in so far..

Finally here is a sketch where I kinda used all the trunk lines on the main trunk going upward. I just freehand drew who felt good. Don't know how feasible it is. Its got branches in a few places where non exist now and taper I'm not sure I could realistically shoot for. additionally Mume branches don't ever look this tidy.. but its just what came out while I was sketching away.




Thanks again for your suggestions! I really appreciate it.

 

[Malix]

Came across this photo this morning on Instagram and thought of your tree immediately.
Enjoy

michael
View attachment 343534

Thanks for the example!

Here are 2 more I like. This first one has some rough similarities to my tree. Namely I like how the two trunks kind move together in the same direction somewhat..Like what I was saying in my post about the sketches I did. Maybe this image will serve a a rough guide of sorts one the years of development with my tree.



Heres another double. i just think it a cool tree.

 

[Malix]

update. Buds are pushing and the weather is good so i decided to transplant today. The original soil was pretty bad. It had trace amounts of pumice and lava but was mostly just a sopping wet mess of organic matter. the bottom half of the pot was just wet soil. The upper half held the rootball. i barefooted the tree and did as thorough of a root pruning as I dared. The rootball had lots of fine roots as well as a good amount of thick roots. I reduced the thick as much as I could. And got a good start on removing large roots / knobs from the underside of the roots. Figure I got out 97% of the old soil.

I made a box and filled it with 50/50 small sized pumice and DE. I transplanted several trees into 30/30/30 of DE/lava/pumice( and a bit of pine bark) last year for some of my trees in development. I transplanted a trident maple again this year that was put into that mix last year. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent growth and explosive canopy/root development on that tree with that mix. Trees in refinement will get the akabama but the DE is giving great result so far and its easy to find and cheap.. Since Mume take good amount of water I used sifted shohin sized particle 1/8-3/16". I also increased the ratio to 50/50. With the bottom half of the mix having some 3/8 inch lava mixed in for added drainage. I also threw a bit of pine bark in there to get the micro-orgs going and the nutrient exchange boost.

I was thrilled to see the the nebari on this tree! Its pretty damn great for a tree the never had its roots worked on. it was just field grown then moved into a large pot. the trunk and branches were worked on but the nebari really made me happy once I was able to see it. I know p.mume are not known for having great nebari but this one has great start so far. these trees seem to develop a lot of deadwood so I'l enjoy the nice root spread while I can and hope part of it doesn't die off any time soon..

I will prolly just let one sit for the rest of the year.. just feed and water.



after repotting.


midway thru working on the roots..




backside of roots. i left the root that is crossing over and will address it next time. too much had been removed and i decided to leave it for now.



underside of roots partway thru the root work. I will shorten thick roots more in the future.

 

[Trueblackpercula]

Outstanding thus far. I am so looking forward to your progress and updates. It’s an amazing tree and I am so happy for you.
Thank you for the motivation and please keep the pictures coming.
Michael

 

[discusmike]

Nice material

 

[leatherback]

going places!

 

[Malix]

progress update:

The tree grew very well this season after the transplant. . Plenty of water, sun, and fertilizer gave it up to 6 foot whips of growth. Some update pics of fall pruning. I have some large wounds I am trying to heal so I have several sacrifice branches going. Will remove them in time..

 

[Scorpius]

Thats gonna have some wicked nice nebari as they thicken up. Nice tree you got there.