Growing a twin trunk 'Mother Daughter' style American Hornbeam

[BonsaiMatt]

I acquired this collected American Hornbeam (Carpinus carolina) from fellow Bnut member @lordy around 7 years ago. Below are the pics when purchased back in 2018.

It had a nice curving trunk that was interesting, and a large spreading nebari that I thought (at the time) was nice.

Spring 2018

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2019

I didn't really have any plans for it the first year, so I just let it grow. Here it was after a year growing under my care:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2019

I chopped some stumps back in the upper canopy and did some rough structural wiring. Still no real idea of what the design will be.

 

[The Barber]

You may have mislabeled this thread, I only see a single trunk hornbeam. Are there 3 branches coming out of the same point? If so I'd go ahead and choose 1 branch now before it develops inverse taper. Plus the 2 branches at the same level doesn't look great. It should backbud down the trunk after the hard pruning anyways and end up with branches in more preferable spots. My American Hornbeams always do anyhow.

 

[BonsaiMatt]

You may have mislabeled this thread, I only see a single trunk hornbeam. Are there 3 branches coming out of the same point? If so I'd go ahead and choose 1 branch now before it develops inverse taper. Plus the 2 branches at the same level doesn't look great. It should backbud down the trunk after the hard pruning anyways and end up with branches in more preferable spots. My American Hornbeams always do anyhow.

Good ideas!

I have more to post, but the site won't let me post images ...

 

[The Barber]

Good ideas!

I have more to post, but the site won't let me post images ...

I use my cell phone, and it never has an issue posting photos. Weird. Can't use the attach files function?

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2020

Another year of growth, getting fuller, and after looking at it for a couple years in the garden, I started to like this front:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

I let it fill out a bit and as of September 2020, it was looking hairy and happy:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2021

In 2021 decided to remove the branch marked below - it was a bit leggy, and was an ugly bar branch. Good call Barber

This branch had an interesting bend and some bifurcations, so I decided to air layer it off the tree (April 24 2021):



Stripped a ring of bark:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Summer 2021

A few months later (July 24 2021), I removed the air layer:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Early Spring 2022

I fully wired the tree:




Back:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2022

Cool shot of the tree on a foggy morning lit up by the neighbor's flood light:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Mid Spring 2022

The main feature of this tree is the sinuous, curving trunkline, and I thought it would be best displayed in a shallow pot. The oversized nebari would never let that happen, however. It was too large, and if you dug down, there was a massive nest of snakes under the soil.

I decided to ground layer the main tree to so I could one day get it into a shallow container. This was done in May 2022.

Removed a ring of bark:






Buried in soil:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Fall 2022

Showing some fall color on Halloween in 2022:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2023

You may be wondering about the title of this thread ... Where is the twin trunk?!?

It was around this point that I decided that I would try to create a twin trunk 'Mother Daughter' style tree out of the air layered branch and the main tree. The bend in the main tree somewhat matched the bend in the air layer, so I went with it.

The air layer spent all of 2023 tipped on its side and tucked under the mother tree to acclimate to the new planting angle:




The ground layer was still going at this point - there were some roots, but it will only get stronger if left another year ...

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2024

In early 2024 I repotted both trees and planted them together. At that point, the ground layer had been going for almost two years (started May 2022, removed April 2024).

Before the operation:



Separated the ground layer, and screwed the main tree to a board:






Used another screw to attach the daughter to the mother tree:

 

[BonsaiMatt]

Spring 2025:




Future plans for this tree:

• tilt the tree 5-10 degrees clockwise during the next repot (I don't like that the trunk exits the soil at 90 deg)
• reduce some of the heavier branches in the upper canopy and refine the apex
• grow out a leader on the daughter tree to thicken the main line
• build ramification and an apex on the daughter tree
• in 2026 I will hopefully repot into a shallow oval

 

[ForrestW]

Nice work! I am looking forward to seeing it potted up in a few years-- thanks for sharing.

 

[The Barber]

Spring 2023

You may be wondering about the title of this thread ... Where is the twin trunk?!?

It was around this point that I decided that I would try to create a twin trunk 'Mother Daughter' style tree out of the air layered branch and the main tree. The bend in the main tree somewhat matched the bend in the air layer, so I went with it.

The air layer spent all of 2023 tipped on its side and tucked under the mother tree to acclimate to the new planting angle:


View attachment 590063

The ground layer was still going at this point - there were some roots, but it will only get stronger if left another year ...

Ahh, makes sense now, plus you had already taken care of the bar branch. Looking good!

 

[BobbyLane]

Great work! This should be more popular, airlayering bits off and enhancing the whole image, with new ideas. The tree is more interesting with the small trunk.

The ramification is pretty decent for AH, I mean I'd be happy with that level