Pyracantha Air Layer

[ConorDash]

Just getting set up in the new rain shelter. I'll shoot the pyra tomorrow.View attachment 116561

One thing that is a stark difference between pics of American owned gardens/bonsai, and English (at least), is the MASSIVE gardens that you guys have. That kinda area of land here would be the cost of the house its next to! I wish I had such room to do things like that, humidity tent, rain/wind shelters, poly tunnels...
My garden is quite big for average, but still putting up one of those things would be the whole garden lol.

Anyways, yes certainly don't shoot it, agree with @aml1014 but a pic would be great .

 

[Shima]

Wish I needed a rain shelter.....

Wish I had a million dollars, wish I had a Cadillac. Use to know a guy who'd always say that but now it'd probably be a , I don't know, Tesla? Sherman tank?

 

[Vin]

One thing that is a stark difference between pics of American owned gardens/bonsai, and English (at least), is the MASSIVE gardens that you guys have. That kinda area of land here would be the cost of the house its next to! I wish I had such room to do things like that, humidity tent, rain/wind shelters, poly tunnels...
My garden is quite big for average, but still putting up one of those things would be the whole garden lol.

Anyways, yes certainly don't shoot it, agree with @aml1014 but a pic would be great .

Having spent quite a few years in England I would agree. Many Americans really have no idea just how fortunate we are. I'll leave it at that before I start a rant.

 

[ConorDash]

Having spent quite a few years in England I would agree. Many Americans really have no idea just how fortunate we are. I'll leave it at that before I start a rant.

Lol, I'm glad someone can sympathise and see the difference .
We are a tiny island and you guys... Just.. Have so much space!! Lol.

 

[Shima]

OK here it is coming into berry time. Not as many or as large as last year. Probably should repot next year. That's all I do. With an open mix and no harsh weather everything grows too fast. And I'd rather the pot was cream. I think Yamafusa still makes this one.
Hoping the pheasants don't discover it so it won't have to live in the cage this year.

 

[ConorDash]

OK here it is coming into berry time. Not as many or as large as last year. Probably should repot next year. That's all I do. With an open mix and no harsh weather everything grows too fast. And I'd rather the pot was cream. I think Yamafusa still makes this one.
Hoping the pheasants don't discover it so it won't have to live in the cage this year. View attachment 116697 View attachment 116698 View attachment 116699

Gorgeous looking tree. By the others behind also, you seem to have a particular taste in rock/trunk designs . Great looking.
The berries and leaves on the pyra, I really like, so if I can spend a few years on getting a good trunk and branches, I think it will easily look great.

 

[Shima]

Thanks Conor. Most are not on rocks but since this is an island of nothing but rocks I could see putting everything on rocks. One could cement a few together to form a a "pot." Here's a few more rocks.
I've plucked at least 50% of the leaves to reveal more berries.

Bruce Winter

 

[Vin]

Here's a few more rocks.

Is this one for sale?

 

[Shima]

Is this one for sale?

View attachment 117009

I wish I could. Do you know about the hex Madame Pele puts on anyone taking a rock off island? Google it. It's BS made up by 2 rangers to prevent visitors from doing it but every year hundreds of pounds of rocks are returned to Hawaii Volcano's National Park by people who've said their life went downhill since bringing a rock home and they apologize and return the rocks. So I don't dare do it. Otherwise I could ship a container to mainlandia and sell them piece by piece and be sitting pretty.

 

[Vin]

I wish I could. Do you know about the hex Madame Pele puts on anyone taking a rock off island? Google it. It's BS made up by 2 rangers to prevent visitors from doing it but every year hundreds of pounds of rocks are returned to Hawaii Volcano's National Park by people who've said their life went downhill since bringing a rock home and they apologize and return the rocks. So I don't dare do it. Otherwise I could ship a container to mainlandia and sell them piece by piece and be sitting pretty.

WHOA! I'm out

 

[ConorDash]

I guess that's a successful air layer, ladies and gentleman. Nice new green growth.



Ill have no comments on my socks. Weird as they may look, they are comfortable.

So, next question is, what to do.. I don't think there is anything to do at this point. It is not a very potential filled tree. Its pretty straight, no taper, branches are as thick as the trunk. Its more for learning, but I still need a next step.

I think I gotta let it keep growing for at least another year, see what branches pop up, what opportunities it gives me, also let its root system grow strong. Being an air layer, its roots do need a good bit of time!

If anyone has any comments, suggestions, please do share. I love talking about suggestions and hearing what other, more experienced people have to say.

 

[ConorDash]

Well, its been 216 days = 7 months and 4 days (no I didn't count, I used a calculator online, cos I am a geek).

Here's how he looks today, all them just had a watering.




That little off colour leave in the middle of last pic is just one of the old winter leaves, hanging on. All the rest fell off.

Love its nice thick green growth, looks nice and healthy, to my eye. It is still one of the least potential, stick in a pot trees that I have seen lol. The trunk is still rather loose in its pot, not wired in apart from the wire on top you see.

So question is, what next? All I can think of is chop down low, quite low. It is COMPLETELY taperless at the moment. And I think I'd quite like a shohin out of it, nothing grand, this was all just experience and experimenting. But, Im aware I'll probably have to wait till Autumn or spring next year before touching it. It could probably still use more time to establish and get stronger.

So please do tell me your thoughts.

 

[Shima]

Nice to see the flowers/berries to come but that's not your concern just yet. The problem as I see it are straight branches. If it were mine I'd cut them back, wait for new branches and wire them. Unfortunately, these don't put on girth much at all even if grown in the ground for years. I much prefer to find a trunk or fat branch with some movement and layer it. Good luck!

 

[ConorDash]

Nice to see the flowers/berries to come but that's not your concern just yet. The problem as I see it are straight branches. If it were mine I'd cut them back, wait for new branches and wire them. Unfortunately, these don't put on girth much at all even if grown in the ground for years. I much prefer to find a trunk or fat branch with some movement and layer it. Good luck!

Yeah I wasn't planning on keeping any of it, to be honest. I wanted to chop it down low to a stump and just grow something small from it.
What do you think of that idea?
I'm thinking of air layering another bigger branch from the pyracantha this spring, maybe few days..
Bigger the branch, more of the tree it'll take though and it's my mums tree so I gotta get the ok to do it lol.

 

[Shima]

What do you think of that idea?

Sounds good to me.

 

[ConorDash]

Sounds good to me.

What do you think to chopping down to one of these lines? I feel completely in the dark about what to do with it to be honest.

 

[Cadillactaste]

That's very daring of a chop. I guess if your dead set on it I would chip above the tiny branch. You could create a but of a jaunt for a new leader. Which is what they did with mine.

 

[ConorDash]

That's very daring of a chop. I guess if your dead set on it I would chip above the tiny branch. You could create a but of a jaunt for a new leader. Which is what they did with mine.

I would think given the thickness that, if done correctly, it could achieve a smooth transition to a new leader?
Tell me what you would do please Cadillac. I'm at a bit of a loss really.
This tree has 0 potential in my eyes so I'm happy to do anything and everything to it. I'll push the boundaries for the sake of learning and experience.

 

[Cadillactaste]

@ConorDash ... I'm new at the pyracantha...but...can see where Jason did chop it lower. I've a place later to carve out on the back.

The back


Because these shoot out canes like roses...I'm treating mine a bit differently than one normally would. And building up one branch as the canes come out...will fill in the bare areas. The leader I actually left long bending forward toward the viewer and making it a branch...and have a cane in the ideal spot at the top which I think will create a nicer apex. Once it grows out. The tree leans toward the viewer which is ideal...I plan on when the canes grow out. Adding movement and filling in the bare areas as well as developing the back side. I'm winging it along the way. There is a section of straight in the leader before it bends toward the viewer. But, I'm not overly concerned. When the canes come I will add fluid movement...and realize that...it will never be a perfect. But what tree in nature is perfect. (I need to clean the hard water stains off the base. But...doesn't seem to worry it none.)

Where it's at now...it looks like this from viewing from the pub table.


But if I step back...and stoop to look directly on it. You can see the areas needing developed yet. (Which is why it's on my pub table...it looks better at that height. lol)




You have more character farther up though...where the trunk bends. Gives movement to the trunk. Something to chew around. But this is an air layer...so I'm not sure how wise it is to air layer one recently air layered. You don't have enough foliage to sustain it I would imagine. @Brian Van Fleet you know Pyracantha better than myself for sure. Any direction for this young man?

 

[Shima]

This tree has 0 potential in my eyes

Then why not chuck it and invest in material that inspires you?

Bruce