Pig's BC #1

[Pigskin Pete]

Now put some bark on top and cover those roots. They don't need to be exposed now in the summer, after you cut off their bottom.

Ok, tomorrow morning during my usual tree checking time, I will cover those roots with my left over pine bark and compost mix.

Just to be clear, I didn't cut, trim, or remove any roots from the bottom. Should i have?? Damn. I used my little root rake and teased them out a bit but that's it. I also teased the sides of the root mass gently. Honestly, I probably agitated the root ball less than I should have, if at all. This heat just has me fricking spooked.

One question about the roots and covering them. Won't that encourage small finer roots to grow off of the larger roots up to the soil line, so that later when I want to show off the nebari in a smaller pot, I will have to cut them off, potentially leaving unsightly cut wounds?

 

[Cajunrider]

Ok, tomorrow morning during my usual tree checking time, I will cover those roots with my left over pine bark and compost mix.

Just to be clear, I didn't cut, trim, or remove any roots from the bottom. Should i have?? Damn. I used my little root rake and teased them out a bit but that's it. I also teased the sides of the root mass gently. Honestly, I probably agitated the root ball less than I should have, if at all. This heat just has me fricking spooked.

One question about the roots and covering them. Won't that encourage small finer roots to grow off of the larger roots up to the soil line, so that later when I want to show off the nebari in a smaller pot, I will have to cut them off, potentially leaving unsightly cut wounds?

Don't fret. We'll deal with it in the spring.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 5.

Wee Beastie is doing well. Not much happening around his little swampy area. I recently did a slip pot and have noticed no negative side effects.

A leader has naturally emerged and so I've been massaging other lateral branches downward. I think I see the potential for a good taper with this leader, perhaps the beginning of an informal flat top some years down the road.

I'm wondering if I should top that leader or let it run. It's looking a little long and lanky...but thickening nicely. Thoughts? For that matter, should I give the lateral branches a gentle prune at this time?

Plans for the upcoming week include getting some mosquito dunks for the tank. Weather is looking to be mild so I'll let this tree sit and veg while I work on harvesting a hackberry air layer I've been managing of late.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 6:

Just stewarding, observing, and planning. Added a serving of osmocote and continuing with once a week fish emulsion feedings.

Shade settles in about 2 p.m. at this location. The heat has not been a problem. I'm wondering if another hour or two of sunlight will decrease internally length in new growth.

I'm also contemplating beginning pruning and wiring sometime in the next 45 days or so, near the onset of fall. Thoughts or opinions on that are welcome.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 7:

Temps remain the same, high as hell. Hoping for a September cooldown, October more likely.

Moved Wee Beastie one foot away from the house, which amounts to about an extra 45 mins-1hr of afternoon sun. My second BC is on the same sun line and doing well without a dunk tank, so I believe the extra sun will fuel growth without causing issues.

I trimmed one lage branch near the chop line because it looked like it would mess with taper in the future. I now have a leader and am seeing shapes and possibilities.

Next, I am considering gently pruning back all running growth to encourage more compact growth for the remainder of the growing season. I plan to cut it back only a few inches, just enough to signal to the tree and slow the leggings.

I am also considering adding wiring to introduce bends to my new leader and perhaps bring its height down a few inches in doing so. I haven't yet because of fear of wire bite as the thickening is happening at a quick rate.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 8:

We got a tiny bit of rain and temp relief here, and it lasted for about two days. The trees and I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Nothing doing here yet, just more observation and stewarding. I am still going to prune as mentioned above but have decided to wait til the beginning of September. It's just so damn hot right now. Maybe I can time it right and prune before the last flush of growth or consolidation when temps cool a bit.

The chosen leader is thickening nicely. I will need to purchase a dremel soon.
Loathsome heat again this week. Onward.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 9:

I need to work on better pictures to make this a better photo journal. Anyways, I gently pruned all the long running branches, cutting each back about 4-6 inches. I also pinched the apical stem of the leader, which is showing considerable thickness. Once I carve the chop spot, I think the taper will look good. I may need to introduce some bends in that leader as well. It's a bit straight. Just shy about wiring when it is thickening so quickly.

I am beginning to lean towards styling this as an informal upright. Boring, sure. But I think it's within my skillset.

Temps are brutal as all get out but my BCs are thriving inasmuch as a tree can in constant 100+ temps.

 

[johng]

I gently pruned all the long running branches, cutting each back about 4-6 inches.

**This advise assumes that you are happy with the trunk girth and ready to start building branches...if not, don't prune anything.

Given the fact that BC sprout new branch buds from the point where they are cut, or just slightly further back, it might be a better option to cut at the point you would like to see the first level of bifurcation on the branch...typically for me this is 3-4" from the trunk...ideally 2-3 new branches will result from the pruning...once they have extended, you can cut those back to a slightly shorter distance, 2.5 - 3" from the original cut. Rinse and repeat decreasing the distance each time...within two seasons you can build a well ramified branch. I note that leaving less than 1" when pruning usually results in the tree sloughing off that branch for a new one. Once you have reached 3 to 4 levels of ramification begin pinching new growth when it is very young and small...this will allow you to maintain your nicely ramified and tapered branches long term

 

[Cajunrider]

**This advise assumes that you are happy with the trunk girth and ready to start building branches...if not, don't prune anything.

Given the fact that BC sprout new branch buds from the point where they are cut, or just slightly further back, it might be a better option to cut at the point you would like to see the first level of bifurcation on the branch...typically for me this is 3-4" from the trunk...ideally 2-3 new branches will result from the pruning...once they have extended, you can cut those back to a slightly shorter distance, 2.5 - 3" from the original cut. Rinse and repeat decreasing the distance each time...within two seasons you can build a well ramified branch. I note that leaving less than 1" when pruning usually results in the tree sloughing off that branch for a new one. Once you have reached 3 to 4 levels of ramification begin pinching new growth when it is very young and small...this will allow you to maintain your nicely ramified and tapered branches long term

Excellent suggestion as always.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

My thoughts were that pruning would generate more interior growth and density. I honestly hadn't even begun to think about branch ramification yet. I appreciate your insight and will consider pruning this tree back even further.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 10, 11, 12:

Haven't been posting or doing much of anything. I lost a ton of drive and experienced some real heat fatigue that had me doing the bare minimum of watering my trees, nothing more.

But Wee Beastie is doing well and has been really thickening up above the original chop site. I see now that I will be going through a few chop/grow/chop cycles yet. I gave him one such chop today and removed another large branch near the original chop site to avoid inverse taper.

I will continue fertilizing until winter time, then let it rest until early spring, when I anticipate lots of root work and more chopping, along with putting a dremmel to the original chop.


We have finally gotten to some decent temps again, but this week we are back to 100+. Jeez.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly updates 13 and 14:

Fall has begun and my BC is still holding up well and moving right along. I have done very little since what was last mentioned. Water uptake has slowed a bit as temps have cooled slightly. New growth has emerged at the last cut sites. I've been using fish emulsion a little more frequently to give it a push going into this final season before fall, and replenished the osmocote as well. I may introduce some bend into the trunk but I don't anticipate a lot of work otherwise until Spring when I get at those roots. We shall see. I guess I feel like I'm in a staging process right now, just prepping this guy and gearing up for a big Spring.

I've mostly just been looking at it and enjoying it lately...

 

[Pigskin Pete]

Weekly update 15:

Nothing much new. I am eyeing the chop site and thinking about how I'm going to carve it down. Can I do that now?

I took my concave cutters to it, but I can see I will need a dremel to be more effective.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

I gave up on weekly updates because there wasn't much to report on a weekly basis. Still been trying to steward my trees, but lately i feel like im floundering with anything not a juniper. Should I leave it in the dunk tank all winter or remove it? Also, im not getting color change so much as parts of the foliage are crisping up or withering away. Thoughts? I added a pic of seesling Montezuma cypress for comparison, as it is showing what I consider to be more normal color change. Any insights are appreciated. This will be my first winter with a BC.

 

[coachspinks]

Patience. You have done something really well this year, not only did you keep this tree alive, it thrived.

My BC still have green growth from a cut back couple of months ago as well as some brown leaves that gave me a little fall color. I expect that in future years, when the tree is cut back less throughout the growing season, fall color will be better. I pulled mine out of the water about a week ago. I'm in 8b.