Ninebark experiment update/progression

[Trigobontree]

My Ninebark experiment is going well! First photo is right after the initial hack and before ground planting it. Dug it up today and gave it a trim. Second photo before the trim, third and fourth after a little trim and wire.
Note: I did trim it occasionally last summer while it was in the ground.

Open to any and all feedback and suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Trigobontree]

For the 0 people following or commenting on this post haha. Here’s an update on the Ninebark. He’s doing great in a lime green tortilla pot now.

 

[TrimmyWhimmy]

Looks good. I have one and found this on a "can it be a bonsai" search.

 

[B-funk allstars]

For the 0 people following or commenting on this post haha. Here’s an update on the Ninebark. He’s doing great in a lime green tortilla pot now.

I’m trying one out too. It had awesome movement in the trunk and when repotted it has great roots for when I eventually move it to a pot. For now I just wired some branches to set the main structure and am growing a sacrifice branch off the base to thicken the trunk a little more. It’s going to be planted more upright after growing it for a bit in the Anderson flat. Unfortunately nature decided to partially defoliate all my trees with a terrible hail storm. But new buds developed so I think it’s a good sign that it will back bud when needed.

 

[KateM]

Would be interesting to see how it goes...
I have one in the landscape and it seems to be short lived in a way that the branches when they get to be 5-7 years old tend to die off and it renews itself from the suckers at the base.
Not sure if it's the nature of the species or the lack of something in the surroundings... It does not get any supplemental watering...

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

Every branch that i wired died on my otherwise vigorous ninebark

 

[B-funk allstars]

Every branch that i wired died on my otherwise vigorous ninebark

What time of year did you wire? I guess I’ll find out next year if any perish from the wiring. I only heard one crack and that was towards the end of one of the branches. I wonder if it will have to be a clip and grow technique only. I really only wanted to set the basic structure first and then start doing that anyway.

 

[Trigobontree]

What time of year did you wire? I guess I’ll find out next year if any perish from the wiring. I only heard one crack and that was towards the end of one of the branches. I wonder if it will have to be a clip and grow technique only. I really only wanted to set the basic structure first and then start doing that anyway.

I have always clipped and grown mine. Branches are too brittle and prone to dieback I’ve only ever wired one branch and repositioned it very slightly in a direction it felt like it wanted to go and even then it cracked. Was able to save the branch by tightly wrapping the cracked area with small gauge wire.

 

[Trigobontree]

Would be interesting to see how it goes...
I have one in the landscape and it seems to be short lived in a way that the branches when they get to be 5-7 years old tend to die off and it renews itself from the suckers at the base.
Not sure if it's the nature of the species or the lack of something in the surroundings... It does not get any supplemental watering...

Yes, it feels like every spring/summer I’ve gotten a new canopy haha. I got mine as a bush from a nursery, hacked it to bits and then popped it into the ground for 2 years, trimming it once a year in early/mid summer. This year I didn’t get any suckers on the trunk, only new shoots randomly along the primary branches.

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

What time of year did you wire? I guess I’ll find out next year if any perish from the wiring. I only heard one crack and that was towards the end of one of the branches. I wonder if it will have to be a clip and grow technique only. I really only wanted to set the basic structure first and then start doing that anyway.

I don't remember when I wired it. Probably winter or spring. I expect to go with clipngrow from hereabouts.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Big Box stores in my area have their plants marked 50% off during this time of year, so I just brought a Ninebark home yesterday. I planned to work on it next spring, and I will be careful of the branches for sure.

 

[Gollum169]

I picked one up from the nursery 1/2 off this fall as well. It was wildly overgrown so I did clip it back. The leaves had already fallen off so we'll see what it looks like in the spring. Mine is still in the nursery pot because it has been cold here already for awhile (NE South Dakota).

 

[Trigobontree]

First time flowering!! I repotted her earlier in the season to comb out the roots. She thanked me with flowers.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Lookin' mighty fine!

 

[Trigobontree]

It’s towards the end of the 2024 growing season so I wanted to post an update. She’s doing great! Albeit some spotty leaves (more on that in a moment).
Some lessons learned this year:
-I wasn’t getting the growth I expected on the full sun bench so I moved her to morning sun/afternoon shade and her growth exploded
-Her leaves were more affected by black/brown spots in the shadier location. It doesn’t seem to be impacting her overall vigor though.
-She’ll tell you when she needs water. The leaves are very responsive to water and lack thereof. I’d notice significant leaf droop while the soil still appeared and felt slightly damp, would water and they’d bounce right back within an hour. Note I don’t necessarily recommend using this method. I work from home and can check on my trees several times a day. She also does fine when watered on a schedule. She’s not too picky.