Projects from Kanorin's backyard

[Kanorin]

1. 1 dollar Japanese Black Pine seedling - Won this at my local club raffle last fall, so I'm guessing it's 2-3 years old.
The funny thing about this tree is that I initially couldn't have cared if this tree survived or not, but among the 5-6 trees I've carried over from last year, this one is probably growing the strongest. I tend to enjoy deciduous trees more, but while some of his deciduous brethren have not thrived there, this guy says bring on the sun!

This is what it looked like in April


And here it is now


I'm thinking of using the central "trunk" coming out of that main whorl of 4 as a sacrifice and the branch on the left as the future trunk.

Think I should cut off 1 or 2 of the other branches that come out of that central whorl? If so, when.

The central trunk is prepping for a massive whorl of candles next spring


Also planning to put some wire on it later this month.

 

[Kanorin]

Picked up two new projects at the nursery yesterday.

First, an Ulmus 'Jaqueline Hillier'


It's already got a 1.5" trunk and some nice movement in the basal trunk.
I'm thinking about air-layering the two branches at the two blue lines and then chopping to the orange lines next spring/summer.

The leaves are quite tiny and I think this can make a nice ~8-12" specimen with the current trunk size.

 

[HorseloverFat]

You guys are lucky... with your “yards”.

 

[Eckhoffw]

You guys are lucky... with your “yards”.

Hey man, my yard is your yard. Come on over and plant whatever you want!
Naw, but really, if your ever in the twin cities...
Stop by!

 

[FreeFlyer]

Timberwinds? I picked up one of these too a few weeks ago. I'm thinking of air layering and chopping mine as well. can't wait to see what you do with yours.

 

[Kanorin]

Timberwinds? I picked up one of these too a few weeks ago. I'm thinking of air layering and chopping mine as well. can't wait to see what you do with yours.

Indeed!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The nursing home we have my parents locked up at (for the protection of society, LOL) is at Clayton and Clarkston Roads, so Timberwinds is not far at all from there. I'll have to check the place out the next time I visit my folks.

 

[Kanorin]

Here's the other neat thing I picked up from that same nursery
Hinoki Cypress 'Maureen'

I'm trying to figure out this almost weeping-like foliage pattern that it has. The guy at the nursery said that they were discounted due to some sunburned foliage, which I removed prior to taking pictures, but I wonder if that is making it appear more weepy this year since the upper part of branches would have gotten it worse. I kinda like it, but just don't know if this is what it normally looks like.

Trunk has lots of character (2.5" at the base), but not too great branch selection on the right side from this angle (and too many on the left)
Might have to bend some branches around from the back and/or graft eventually if this will be the front.


Here's a side view


I already took about 5 inches off the top where there was a thick taperless branch and got rid of another 2-3 small branches. That'll be the extent of work I do on it this year. Next spring I'll reduce roots by about 30% if I haven't already killed it.

I'll have to be careful with this one as I'm not used to working with a species that rarely backbuds. Send tips and/or grafting lessons!

 

[Kanorin]

And then there’s the 17 bags of Various seeds from local streets and parks that are cold stratifying in my fridge. Hope you guys like forest plantings!

 

[Kanorin]

Earlier in the year, a generous local club member gave me this 'Seiju' chinese elm that he grew from a cutting. The trunk is only about 1/2 inch thick, so I'll just be growing it out to thicken it over the next few years. Two quick questions.

1) There's a few places where there are 3-4 branches coming out of a single level of trunk. It seems like Seiju are pretty quick to throw a bulge at those points. Should I prune off the extras so that there's only a single branch coming off the trunk at each spot?
2) Most of those lower branches are not going to be part of the final design - For this fall, would you leave them as is, prune to within a few inches of the trunk, or prune them back all the way to the trunk line?

Thanks!

 

[HorseloverFat]

What a cool tree!

If it were mine, regarding the branch question, I’d eliminate what I KNEW i wasn’t going to use now... smaller scars.. AND if I changed my mind on lower branches... Ulmus (That I have worked with) will throw buds real easy.

But I am not experienced in parvifolia at all...

And am quite the nimrod.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Earlier in the year, a generous local club member gave me this 'Seiju' chinese elm that he grew from a cutting. The trunk is only about 1/2 inch thick, so I'll just be growing it out to thicken it over the next few years. Two quick questions.

1) There's a few places where there are 3-4 branches coming out of a single level of trunk. It seems like Seiju are pretty quick to throw a bulge at those points. Should I prune off the extras so that there's only a single branch coming off the trunk at each spot?
2) Most of those lower branches are not going to be part of the final design - For this fall, would you leave them as is, prune to within a few inches of the trunk, or prune them back all the way to the trunk line?
View attachment 341092
Thanks!

1. Yes, where you have 2 or more branches from a single point, you should reduce to just a single branch, to avoid lumps and bumps. However, Seiju is a cork bark variety, it will always produce lumps and bumps. A "lumpy" trunk with short areas of inverse taper, narrow spots and lumpy wide spots is all par for the course. They become fairly uniform and "shaped right" when they hit the age where the cork development is "complete" for most of the trunk, this will be about 25 to 40 years from now. Until then, lumpy and bumpy is pretty normal. So yes, remove multiple branches from single points. But don't make yourself crazy worrying about inverse taper. As long as you are in the process of increasing trunk diameter, you can fix zones of inverse taper by encouraging branches in the narrow zone or the zone just below, and the apex.

2. The total area of leaf surface is what drives trunk thickening. More leaves supported by the trunk, the quicker the diameter of the trunk increases. The rate of growth of the apex has a strong effect on thickening trunk. The growth of side branches, low branches has a slightly less strong influence, but it is clear, the more low branches, the more leaf surface area supported by the low branches, the quicker the low portion of the trunk will thicken. Length of the branches is not important, the more leaves they support, the more leaf surface area, the more photosynthetic surface, the quicker the trunk thickens.

2.

 

[Kanorin]

Malus snowdrift that I got from Evergreen Gardenworks last fall. Repotted 2 weeks ago, flowers incoming!

 

[Kanorin]

Japanese Maple ‘Mikawa Yatsabusa’
Still adding caliper and not sure where the best front is yet. Probably going to keep this shohin or chuhin size

 

[Kanorin]

Gave this shohin trident maple root over rock a haircut!

 

[Kanorin]

One of the first three trees I bought was this spartan juniper off the clearance rack at Lowe’s. Despite trying all kinds of bad ideas during the wrong seasons, the thing is still alive and thriving. In keeping with tradition, I put it on a slab yesterday. It was 90 degrees.

 

[Kanorin]

I didn’t purposefully Jin this Jacqueline Hillier elm - it was an air layer that i guess I didn’t provide good aftercare for and it died back to the base. In any case, it’s a neat little tree. I might attempt to preserve the deadwood - anyone have recommendations on that?

 

[misfit11]

I didn’t purposefully Jin this Jacqueline Hillier elm - it was an air layer that i guess I didn’t provide good aftercare for and it died back to the base. In any case, it’s a neat little tree. I might attempt to preserve the deadwood - anyone have recommendations on that?

I personally wouldn't try to preserve the deadwood. It will always be a losing battle. D-trees, like Elms, don't typically have deadwood. In the wild, these features would just quickly rot away. You can create hollows, or uros, to decent effect on these kinds of trees, though. Jins and shari are typically reserved for resinous trees, like Junipers, as the deadwood is naturally rot-resistant. Boxwoods are some of the rare broadleafed exception to this. The wood is incredibly hard and doesn't rot.

Hope that helps.

Cory

 

[Kanorin]

The larger “Jackie Hill” elm got its second haircut of the season. Wounds are starting to roll over too.

 

[Kanorin]

This is a landscape piece inspired by rocky desert terrain.