Hemmy’s 2018 JBP Crop

[River's Edge]

Updated pics, just shy of 13 months after germination. I repotted a few to larger containers last fall and they seem to have put on more growth or elongated the candles faster than the cut seedlings left in the small containers. The candles have elongated and opened on most all the seedlings and I decided to repot 3 yesterday to see how these young plants would respond. The April ‘19 repotted plants have spoons in them. For comparison, the clumps are loose seedlings with no root work, just because I couldn’t bear to throw them out. The 3 small single pots next to the larger pots are showing the size range of the seeding cut plants not potted up since cutting. The flats are the bulk of those cut seedlings.

Nice progress, well done.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Looking good!

 

[hemmy]

July 7th pics. Midsummer update. No pruning or decandling. Gave and sold away some, so down to 2 flats and a few pots. The Sp’19 repots to larger containers are on the taller end of the spectrum with the other vigorous trees. I’m getting a 2nd flush, some which appear juvenile. From what I’ve seen from our southern contestants, the May grey/June Gloom/July No-Sky has set me back somewhat. Fertilizer has been Gro-power granules, EB Stone all purpose organics, and occasionally some generic blue miracid.

 

[sorce]

Makes me want an Ice cream sample.

Sorce

 

[hemmy]

Pics from Dec. 16th. I didn’t get to fall up-potting on any of these, but they’ll get repotted this spring. Also need to get them wired for movement soon.

 

[hemmy]

On Feb. 26th, I repotted most of the remaining ones that hadn’t been root worked since seedling cuttings. About 10% had good nebari (4 or more roots from main stem). Definitely not the way to do it, my 2020 seedlings this year will get fall root work.



The Fall 2019 repots in square gallons aren’t the biggest but hopefully will have better roots. I think the fall repot to the gallons might have been too large of a shift.

 

[hemmy]

I also repotted the last flat of 18 about a month later in March 2020. Long after the candles were out and some needles forming. Too late, but we have mild weather and I wanted to see what happened. I lost 3 (probably soon to be 5) of these 18. Most were due to obvious root damage in working the nebari.

Here’s the late repots and bottom are probably not long for this world. These were the scraggliest that probably should have been culled.

 

[hemmy]

March 7th pre-repots

Average diameter is 1/2” with largest at 3/4”. Trees arranged similar to above pics.

 

[hemmy]

March 7th-11th repot. Labeled A,B,C for nebari quality. “A” is 4+ roots with good distribution and equal size, “B” is 4 roots with equal spread, “C” is 3 roots usually with gap on one side, and those with only 2 roots were culled. Kept 20, culled 6. Went hard on some roots and already see some with extended candles going limp and drying needles. It looks like ~3 are going to die.

(Note the magic blue colanders)

 

[hemmy]

Last of the 20 repots. And just to prove how addictive this is, a 2020 crop! They got planted late and really didn’t grow after the seedling cut.

 

[hemmy]

Wow, big time losses on the repots. 12 of 20 died, including the last 5 that were repotted. There were a couple a decent trunks and curves I there.

 

[hemmy]

I went pretty hard on some of them with bad rootage. But others I left a decent rootball. So I don’t have a clear explanation why some made it while others didn’t.

 

[hemmy]

After talking to a Pro, my best guess as to my large losses this year where late repotting and the white fleshy roots were unable to keep up with with the transpiration needs of the increased needle mass. Maybe this didn’t bite me in previous years since the trees had less needle mass (although it seems like the root to needle mass would have been similar). I probably kept them too dry after the repot, since I was worried about overwatering. It didn’t help that we had some dry, windy Santa Ana days after the repots.

 

[jason biggs]

and the moral of the story is:
stick to tropicals

 

[hemmy]

and the moral of the story is:
stick to tropicals

Ha! My baobab is just starting to show some green, but I’m probably still a month away from full bud break.

My Bougainvillea and a few ficus need repotting. Temperatures next week are going to warm up above average with overnight lows above 60F (15.6 C). But no way to tell if they are going to stay above average which is 58F (14.4C) or drop back back cooler.

 

[hemmy]

I was down to 8 after last years repotting. I sold 3 with the least potential for the contest, leaving the 5 pictured here. The colanders, got an extra colander under them this spring. The thickest is close to 1” diameter and is in the Rootmaker pot (ID 2-12) . It has some tiny low branches, but probably not low enough for the contest. Cutting back the leader will speed the lower branch development, but I can’t see them getting to the contest image goal by Dec. ‘24.

The next in double colander (2-1) is 3/4” dia and 44” tall and with some weak low branches.

 

[hemmy]

Of the next two in double colanders, (2-6) is 3/4” dia but no wired movement and poor low branching. The next (2-8) is 3/4” dia has wired movement and a low next leader with side branch off the main.

On the contest trees, I’ll be needle thinning, shortening the leaders and decandling all branches.

 

[hemmy]

And the 5th, an exposed root or root over rock (I can’t remember). Not a contest tree anymore. Again, about 3/4” diameter.

Next post will be post-work (hopefully soon). I want to get it done and give it the next 2+ weeks to recover, before the stress of moving them halfway across the country to our new home.

 

[hemmy]

On the contest trees, I’ll be needle thinning, shortening the leaders and decandling all branches.

Yup, that didn’t happen!

Next post will be post-work (hopefully soon). I want to get it done and give it the next 2+ weeks to recover, before the stress of moving them halfway across the country to our new home.

I thinned some needles. But didn’t get to any pruning. I’d prune now in my old climate, but they are tucked away in the cold frame and aren’t coming out.

Edit: I guess they have to come out for pictures! So the next “warm” spell, I’ll pull them for photos. There is really only one with any potential (2-8) above.

 

[hemmy]

Edit: I guess they have to come out for pictures! So the next “warm” spell, I’ll pull them for photos.

It turns out that warm spell didn’t come until April! Winter, who knew!

Similar to @Bonsai Nut, I moved away from SoCal during this contest. Although we only stopped at halfway across the country!

The thickest is close to 1” diameter and is in the Rootmaker pot (ID 2-12) .

The next in double colander (2-1) is 3/4” dia and 44” tall and with some weak low branches.

Not much thickening since June of last year.

2-12 on right in Rootmaker will probably go on for larger informal upright.

2-1, got repotted and on the heat bed. It will get chopped and decandled this summer. All these operations so close will probably kill it.