Fourth year of work on this cuspidata 'nana'... not as far along as it should be, but it has had some tough root work which I have been taking very slowly (probably too slowly)... I think I underestimated the strength of the yew root system...
The tree has been ground layered twice... once in the ground during 2007, and is currently being 'layered' again in its present pot as I have girdled the remaining taproots below the new roots from the first ground layer. I probably could have cut them off instead of girdling, but I was paranoid so took it slowly.
2007 in the ground after a hard pruning... unfortunately it didn't bud back on the trunk as I hoped it would.
2008 Summer in its training pot. The depth of the pot indicates how deep the taproots still go.
Current state of the yew... had another hard pruning this spring, and some new shari work (just bark peeling no carving). The new shari are indicated with arrows... they are hard to see because they are covered in a black fungus... I don't mind, it should help age the freshly exposed wood. Dashed lines show where heavy branches will be carved off next year. There is a new apex I have been forming below the top cut, which will balance the tree more to the right. The heavy branch on the left which will be removed also has a 'lighter' replacement branch. Both of these are hard to see among the jumble of foliage.
A thick back branch which I recently hollowed out to make it possible to bend it down... damn yews take alot of coaxing to move thick branches. I had to hollow the entire branch just to pull it down about 15 degrees.
Trunk detail (before new shari)... this is how it came from the nursery.
Next spring it should be able to go into a bonsai training pot.
This yew is interesting for me... I love the character of the trunk, but it is lacking branches in some important spots, lacking three-dimensional movement, and has a straigh section in the middle (the new upper shari is to help distract from that)... nevertheless, I really like it and I have come to realize that it will be beautiful even with its faults. I am surprised that I have not been able to get it to bud from the trunk. Maybe I haven't cut it back hard enough, or maybe I haven't let it get strong enough in between insults. Probably will be another 2-3 years before it starts to look like a bonsai.
Cheers
The tree has been ground layered twice... once in the ground during 2007, and is currently being 'layered' again in its present pot as I have girdled the remaining taproots below the new roots from the first ground layer. I probably could have cut them off instead of girdling, but I was paranoid so took it slowly.
2007 in the ground after a hard pruning... unfortunately it didn't bud back on the trunk as I hoped it would.
2008 Summer in its training pot. The depth of the pot indicates how deep the taproots still go.
Current state of the yew... had another hard pruning this spring, and some new shari work (just bark peeling no carving). The new shari are indicated with arrows... they are hard to see because they are covered in a black fungus... I don't mind, it should help age the freshly exposed wood. Dashed lines show where heavy branches will be carved off next year. There is a new apex I have been forming below the top cut, which will balance the tree more to the right. The heavy branch on the left which will be removed also has a 'lighter' replacement branch. Both of these are hard to see among the jumble of foliage.
A thick back branch which I recently hollowed out to make it possible to bend it down... damn yews take alot of coaxing to move thick branches. I had to hollow the entire branch just to pull it down about 15 degrees.
Trunk detail (before new shari)... this is how it came from the nursery.
Next spring it should be able to go into a bonsai training pot.
This yew is interesting for me... I love the character of the trunk, but it is lacking branches in some important spots, lacking three-dimensional movement, and has a straigh section in the middle (the new upper shari is to help distract from that)... nevertheless, I really like it and I have come to realize that it will be beautiful even with its faults. I am surprised that I have not been able to get it to bud from the trunk. Maybe I haven't cut it back hard enough, or maybe I haven't let it get strong enough in between insults. Probably will be another 2-3 years before it starts to look like a bonsai.
Cheers
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