Malus sargentii

[Javaman4373]

I have a Malus sargentii in our landscape that over the years has resulted in a dozen or more new trees propagated by transplanting root suckers. A few of those root suckers I started to train in situ for future collecting to be prebonsai. One of the preliminary steps I have taken is to sever the root from the parent plant that the sucker sprouted from to stimulate its own root system. One of these candidates had an accident, my wife hit it with the lawn mower. I chopped off damaged parts and continued to work with it. I think it is now ready to collect next spring. My plan is to dig it in the spring and probably alter the angle it grows some in its first pot. I had one other candidate like this that I air-layered, it had good roots when severed, and I stored it over the winter in the garage. Apparently it didn't like that and in the spring it never recovered. Too cold in the garage is my guess. Its stump is still growing and might be a future candidate for potting too.Anyway, any comments on this one shown in the photos and the plan to collect it next spring?

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Awesome bark! Spring is the time to collect. Put in grow box before bonsai pot so it can make all the fibrous roots and recover. The air layer may have been severed too late. Also the tree should be near finished before bonsai pot. So the branches you intend to keep should be in place.