Stewartia Monadelpha

[BrierPatch]

That looks gorgeous! I love Stewartia's bark, stunning!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A shot with the last of the leaves, and one more after a little light pruning.

 

[cmeg1]

Very natural transition from tree to soil surface and container.
Moss and container color.

 

[Colorado]

The increase in ramification just since the first March 2020 photo is nuts! Love the shape of the canopy.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The increase in ramification just since the first March 2020 photo is nuts! Love the shape of the canopy.

Yes! 2 growing seasons separates the two photos below.

 

[Mayank]

Yes! 2 growing seasons separates the two photos below.
View attachment 410496

Thanks for the side by side pics! Really helps. Thanks.

 

[n8]

Really nice, Brian. Stewartia is high on my wish list.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Really cool tree. I just bought a Stewartia myself. Why did you opt not to chop the trunk down and increase the taper? Was this an aesthetic choice or something specific about the species that made growing a new leader less practical?

 

[Malix]

Very nice..

 

[BrierPatch]

I always wondered how a Stewartia would look as a bonsai, we have a very large one as landscape material. Now I know, Fabulous! Nice job!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Really cool tree. I just bought a Stewartia myself. Why did you opt not to chop the trunk down and increase the taper? Was this an aesthetic choice or something specific about the species that made growing a new leader less practical?

Chop it where?

 

[dbonsaiw]

Chop it where?

My question was really poorly worded. After coming across your "Maple Contest" thread and that awesome trident, the development of this tree came across as strikingly different. I wish my Stewartia comes along half as good as yours and was not offering any suggestions on how to refine yours (Greenthumb tells me mine is coming this week so I will be looking to you). Rather, my question was simply in respect of the nature of the Stewartia and if there is anything about the species that would prevent say a cut and grow method or otherwise treating it similarly to a maple.

P.S. please don't chop this Stewartia. If you feel the need to chop one, I can trade you for mine. LOL

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

My question was really poorly worded. After coming across your "Maple Contest" thread and that awesome trident, the development of this tree came across as strikingly different. I wish my Stewartia comes along half as good as yours and was not offering any suggestions on how to refine yours (Greenthumb tells me mine is coming this week so I will be looking to you). Rather, my question was simply in respect of the nature of the Stewartia and if there is anything about the species that would prevent say a cut and grow method or otherwise treating it similarly to a maple.

P.S. please don't chop this Stewartia. If you feel the need to chop one, I can trade you for mine. LOL

Tridents and Stewartia are strikingly different trees. I wanted a chunky trident and a tall, elegant Stewartia.

I did reduce the trunk on the Stewartia by about half over a couple different cuts, but am definitely treating it differently than the trident because I want it to have a different look.

Can you chop Stewartia, yes. They end up looking more like this:

And I am going for this:


I did chop one back that I have been growing for a few years and the second trunk section is a bit awkward-looking.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

New pot. Slightly oversized, but the white one was really shallow. One day maybe it will go back in the white pot, or maybe it will grow into this one. It’s a very different look for sure.

 

[dbonsaiw]

New pot. Slightly oversized, but the white one was really shallow.

I think I like this one more than the previous. Can I ask what you observed that convinced you to go to a deeper pot?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I think I like this one more than the previous. Can I ask what you observed that convinced you to go to a deeper pot?

It’s growing on me too. The tree could grow into that pot in a few years.
The shallow pot was always dry, and I mean always. It was in the shadiest place in the garden, watered twice daily. This winter it stayed wet, which was concerning. When I unpotted it, it had almost no roots left in the top of the soil. I guess they withered, and then there’s nothing left to pull the moisture out. Hopefully a deeper pot will improve the roots by leveling out the moisture.

 

[roberthu]

New pot. Slightly oversized, but the white one was really shallow. One day maybe it will go back in the white pot, or maybe it will grow into this one. It’s a very different look for sure.
View attachment 423131

I like the color but the shape feels a bit off. I like the wall being straight and line up with the lip.

 

[roberthu]

It’s growing on me too. The tree could grow into that pot in a few years.
The shallow pot was always dry, and I mean always. It was in the shadiest place in the garden, watered twice daily. This winter it stayed wet, which was concerning. When I unpotted it, it had almost no roots left in the top of the soil. I guess they withered, and then there’s nothing left to pull the moisture out. Hopefully a deeper pot will improve the roots by leveling out the moisture.

I have had the same experience with shallow pots and always questioned how the Japanese keep trees in those super shallow pots that are basically a curved board. Then I started hearing that they actually repot the trees into those pots right before the shows and repot again into bigger and deeper pots right after…
Wish I knew it earlier so I didn’t kill that many trees in my early years…

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I have had the same experience with shallow pots and always questioned how the Japanese keep trees in those super shallow pots that are basically a curved board. Then I started hearing that they actually repot the trees into those pots right before the shows and repot again into bigger and deeper pots right after…
Wish I knew it earlier so I didn’t kill that many trees in my early years…

Some species are more tolerant than others of growing in shallow pots. But it is common practice to have show pots and grow pots.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It’s been cold since repotting, so the trees are moving slowly. Cool shot of leaves emerging while the branch structure is still visible.