ghues
Omono
@mattspiniken, Some great specimens you've got there, they have lots of age and very characteristic of ancient Thuga.....looking forward to seeing there progress.
I wonder why Thuja gets a bad rap....
- Thread starter mattspinniken
- Start date
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Aye,yi,yi! Some fine trees indeed. Suspect most American Masters not such mentioned snobs favoring only easy Japanese trees. However on internet BN site are some few know it all snobs who call you fool and discourage American trees innovation if at all possible
This anyone out make can?
Masters he snobs is calling American?
I don't really like these trees. Because of the foliage but I am contemplating digging one up anyways and see about grafting hinoki cypress on it.
I know where there are some in a limestone quarry in Alpena. They are all over growing out of the sides of hills and crawling across the ground.
Well see.
I'm after pines anymore but I'm thinking if I feel like it next spring I'll dig some of these up to sell.
mattspinniken
Omono
fair enough, to each his own. As the devils advocate, Consider this, in Michigan we have some potential worldclass Thuja growing on the rocky shorelines. Pines are a different story, the best potential Yamadori Pines are unfortunately not growing in Michigan (someone please prove me wrong because I would love to collect some amazing Pines). So many benefits to working with natives as you know.
I'm not trying to change your mind, I lovvvveee pines too. Please try to graft some Hinoki, I have been thinking of trying the same.
Giga
Masterpiece
I just ventured into the thuja relm too - I think as long as you know what your doing, they make a great species. Those are great collections!
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
I wouldnt say that. I just haven't brought them home yet.
They're there I just need to make sure they can live after collection. It isn't there are no decent pines to be collected here. It's getting them to survive after collection. Most are growing just in sand and makes it tough.
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
mattspinniken
Omono
Thanks for taking the time Ryan, I love the wildness of Dan's trees. If the main goal is to make an old looking believable tree I think he is nailing it. Does EWC grow in Washinton?
I was told yes. they have no problem. grow like weeds.
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
Yeah, they are a popular landscape plant here. People prune them into hedges. I got one for free earlier this summer off Craigslist.
Fonz
Chumono
I got myself a nursery stock juniper a month ago for practice purposes only. The foliage is something different indeed. I think I pruned it a bit too much but it seems to be back budding ok.
defra
Masterpiece
I bought three thuja trees this year
Nothing special just garden center tree's
This one i slapped some wire on to practice my wireing
I styled what i had on there to work with its some kind of broom styled thuja its cool practice plants for me and they look like to be tough as nails not sure if i will be able to tame the foliage into somthing decent tough but i have tree to experiment and practice with
Edit:
Looking at the pic it sure looks like crap lol it looks better in real tough but still maybe go for round two with it soon and try to take some beter pics
Nothing special just garden center tree's
This one i slapped some wire on to practice my wireing
I styled what i had on there to work with its some kind of broom styled thuja its cool practice plants for me and they look like to be tough as nails not sure if i will be able to tame the foliage into somthing decent tough but i have tree to experiment and practice with
Edit:
Looking at the pic it sure looks like crap lol it looks better in real tough but still maybe go for round two with it soon and try to take some beter pics
f1pt4
Chumono
Once that airs, there will be less haters.
It's a challenging species for sure. It does need to be pruned back and opened up in order not to have interior dieback, esp. in the fall.
Good news is.. wait for it... it buds back.
As someone mentioned here, at the Toronto Bonsai Society we have some members with awesome specimens. A couple, including Aarons got into the Nationals last year.
I have a couple that are being worked on. One by myself, one by my wife.. yes I'm lucky... she's an enabler. If I get some time to photo them, I'll post them here. They were part of a Bjorn workshop. He seemed to love the species fwiw. Some real doozies were styled. In 2-3 years the club should have a few more excellent examples of badass EWC's if the trees survive in members hands.
@M.Frary don't be dissuaded in collecting these bad boys. They collect very well in the spring. Give them a month or so in the shade after collection. Push the growth back, and then start wiring out. If I wire mine in May/June, by mid August even the thickest of branches are set and wire is biting in. esp. if extreme torques and bends are put into place. They're very resilient species. They love water and fert. They can get away on you, so require 2 prunes a year from my experience. Spring and late summer.
Less fungal/bug problems than pines too IMO.
go thuja!
f1pt4
Chumono
So stop promoting them, or else those Thuja's will be snapped up quicker than a bottle of water 2 days before a hurricane!
f1pt4
Chumono
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
Lol this quote is practically all you need to know about pruning cedar fronds.
mattspinniken
Omono
good info, definitively interested in seeing the ones you worked with Bjorn on.
f1pt4
Chumono
Alright. Here's mine.
Sept 2015 as acquired.
Repot April 2016 roots.
July 2016
Start of Workshop with Bjorn May 28 2017
Apres Workshop May 28 2017
Lotsa growth in 3 months. Aug 20/17 - Before unwiring workshop wire. Wire biting in hard on thicker branches.
A couple weeks later, in September after slight thinning, and applying a couple pieces of wire to apex. Will re-wire whole tree spring 2018. Now just water, fert and sun.
f1pt4
Chumono
Here's another.
This Thuja was collected by a fellow TBS member. My wife found it in the corner of the sales area at our fall 2016 show for $40. Here's it after being repotted spring 2017. I can't find a pic of it's original state.
Post Bjorn workshop May 28/17
After unwiring, and slight thining Sept/17. The plan is to rewire and prune Spring 2018
This Thuja was collected by a fellow TBS member. My wife found it in the corner of the sales area at our fall 2016 show for $40. Here's it after being repotted spring 2017. I can't find a pic of it's original state.
Post Bjorn workshop May 28/17
After unwiring, and slight thining Sept/17. The plan is to rewire and prune Spring 2018
f1pt4
Chumono
This one is for @M.Frary to show how well they grow and collect in our climate.
Collected April 2017 - Planning on making a lil' shohin Thuja with this one.
Beginning of Sept 2017 - 4 1/2 months after collecting.
Plan is to remove long left branch Spring 2018. Apply wire and start setting structure for a wee tree.
Here's another. Collected same time as the above one. April 2017. Hardly any roots, planted into shallow pot. Probably not wise, but it survived. Porous mix.
And Sept 2017.
And last but not least.
This one isn't mine, it belongs to a TBS member. Thuja in training. It's friggin huuuuuuge.
Still no likey them thuja?
Collected April 2017 - Planning on making a lil' shohin Thuja with this one.
Beginning of Sept 2017 - 4 1/2 months after collecting.
Plan is to remove long left branch Spring 2018. Apply wire and start setting structure for a wee tree.
Here's another. Collected same time as the above one. April 2017. Hardly any roots, planted into shallow pot. Probably not wise, but it survived. Porous mix.
And Sept 2017.
And last but not least.
This one isn't mine, it belongs to a TBS member. Thuja in training. It's friggin huuuuuuge.
Still no likey them thuja?
Ry2Tree2
Yamadori
Holy crap, that 40 dollar one is a steal! The weird thing is out here in the west, no other than Dan and his students really use Western Red or Alaska Yellow cedars as far as I know. I wish they were as abundant in bonsai form as the white cedars are.
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