Prunus Mume

[Brian Van Fleet]

Wow. That's early. We'll have to look at it when I come down later this month.

Definitely, looking forward to it!

I wonder if the early timing is due to a "watering system failure" a few weeks ago...fried 50-70% of each leaf's surface (this tree and a couple others). You can see how they desiccated from the outside-in...very interesting, and I probably got home with less than a few hours' window left before I could expect some real damage.

 

[Owen Reich]

Many Prunus species get "confused" easily. Hard to say. That is likely the cause. Some cultivars bloom early / late compared to the wild forms.

 

[Dan W.]

Do you guys feed these any differently from your other trees? I mean... do you keep feeding into winter since they are pushing flower buds the whole time?

 

[Owen Reich]

At Kouka-en not really. Just like Acer palmatum or others. I give mine a trace element more often than most I think (twice a year).

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Flower buds a-swelling..fa-la-la-la-la...la-la-la-la...

 

[discusmike]

That's one nice ume Brian, and the one in the ground has great potential and is growing like its on steroids.good stuff!

 

[youngsai]

I am really falling in love with ume, I'm trying to buy a few small ones to put in the ground for a present to future me any good idea to buy some on the cheap?


Stunning specimens btw, you've all convinced me, I now have four chojubai coming in spring, four ancient juniper being collected also, and now I'll be adding a few young ume, and my family just bought a house with five times as much yard which I can ground grow and plant whatever I want to yesssirr gonna be a good ole spring this year

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

any good idea to buy some on the cheap?

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/prunus.htm
And
http://www.internationalbonsai.com/files/1708315/uploaded/2014 SEEDLING CATALOG.pdf
And occasionally
http://stores.ebay.com/Muranaka-Bonsai-Nursery-1978?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

First bloom...

 

[fredtruck]

Nice shot, Brian. Happy Chinese New Year!

 

[Dav4]

All my Umes are back in the ground for health reasons or to grow out...I'm so jealous! Great tree, Brian.

 

[JudyB]

Nice night shot, so beautiful.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks, it's hard to get a good shot at this stage for some reason. Full bloom is a lot easier.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A few more blooms...

 

[JudyB]

I get the feeling that if you could do a time lapse of these flowers opening, it would look like popcorn popping!
Lovely.

 

[fredtruck]

I think it's easier to shoot at full bloom because those little flowers reflect a lot of light.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Does the bark on these darken with age or is it specific to a certain variety?

I want to say that the larger specimens I see in books from Japan, the bark almost looks black, but I'm only going off of a few pictures I have seen in books.

 

[fredtruck]

As it aged, my ume turned very dark. That's an interesting point you're making.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Does the bark on these darken with age or is it specific to a certain variety?

I want to say that the larger specimens I see in books from Japan, the bark almost looks black, but I'm only going off of a few pictures I have seen in books.

Yes, as it matures and becomes rough, it is very dark. I'll share a closer photo of the bark at some point. It's pretty sweet.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Ume at apogee...