SU2
Omono
I was very happy a couple weeks ago when, after some time in dormancy, a collected ruby loropetalum began showing buds swelling on its branches - it began budding so quickly & profusely that I cut it back hard since spring growth is starting quickly here (it's been hitting 80deg and real sunny), anyways my problem is that, when I collected it a couple months ago while it was dormant, I found that not only was the top half 'bad stock' but the roots were just a mess, a spiraling mess of lignified thick roots before many of the feeders :/ I've tried collecting loropetalum before, did my best and spent a while watching it slowly die, I didn't dare root-prune too much on this, I just used a regular 6" black plastic 'nursery container' to contain its massive root system (wish I'd taken pictures after cutting the roots, I probably removed a third at most from how I'd collected it / how it's pictured)
I know that now, while it's budding (actually now it's got several shoots with 2-3 leaves, the attached jpg is ~1wk old), wouldn't be a smart time to root-prune it - but I've got no clue when the right time would be and am 1 for 2 with this species so far and really don't want to lose this one, no idea when I'd find another w/ any decent trunk-girth! Any guidance on when (and why), and/or how (1 heavy root-pruning, 2 or 3 over time, etc?), to do this would be real appreciated!! And any info, however general, in regards to this specie as a bonsai would be helpful of course ;D
Thanks for anything on this neat species! Too bad it's such poor stock, but it's the only spot I've ever found to collect it so it was more for the sake of having one (like the ~5" wide Laurel Oak I finally got to take, thankfully its roots aren't monstrous!) Figure that, over time, I'll be able to make something out of it
(also, I can't help but think that, with it growing so vigorous, it may be smarter to cut-back harder right now early in the season, instead of letting it put a lot of energy to redundant branches...that picture ^ was actually several days after its first/main hard-prune, the thing had budded / they were swelling so fast that I figured it made sense to cut back to 'sets', but left all the buds along the bottom - can't help but think I should prune-off a majority of those, I mean leave some for a place for it to pump energy/grow/photosynthesize, but that can be done w/ a smaller mass down below (which'd eventually be removed anyways) so more resources go to the higher buds...keep thinking this but it's growing so well that I don't want to be too risky!)
I know that now, while it's budding (actually now it's got several shoots with 2-3 leaves, the attached jpg is ~1wk old), wouldn't be a smart time to root-prune it - but I've got no clue when the right time would be and am 1 for 2 with this species so far and really don't want to lose this one, no idea when I'd find another w/ any decent trunk-girth! Any guidance on when (and why), and/or how (1 heavy root-pruning, 2 or 3 over time, etc?), to do this would be real appreciated!! And any info, however general, in regards to this specie as a bonsai would be helpful of course ;D
Thanks for anything on this neat species! Too bad it's such poor stock, but it's the only spot I've ever found to collect it so it was more for the sake of having one (like the ~5" wide Laurel Oak I finally got to take, thankfully its roots aren't monstrous!) Figure that, over time, I'll be able to make something out of it
(also, I can't help but think that, with it growing so vigorous, it may be smarter to cut-back harder right now early in the season, instead of letting it put a lot of energy to redundant branches...that picture ^ was actually several days after its first/main hard-prune, the thing had budded / they were swelling so fast that I figured it made sense to cut back to 'sets', but left all the buds along the bottom - can't help but think I should prune-off a majority of those, I mean leave some for a place for it to pump energy/grow/photosynthesize, but that can be done w/ a smaller mass down below (which'd eventually be removed anyways) so more resources go to the higher buds...keep thinking this but it's growing so well that I don't want to be too risky!)