Yew out of storage and cleaned up

[Vin]

That's just a great looking tree! Can you give us a view from the top?

 

[october]

That's just a great looking tree! Can you give us a view from the top?

Sure

Rob

Top



Right side

 

[Vin]

Thank Yew!

 

[fore]

Looking good Rob. So you pinch instead of cut back...I thought pinching per say though was not used as a technique these days?

I just cut back the runners on my small yew yesterday. Trying to encourage more back buds.

 

[october]

Looking good Rob. So you pinch instead of cut back...I thought pinching per say though was not used as a technique these days?

I just cut back the runners on my small yew yesterday. Trying to encourage more back buds.

Pinching is necessary with yews after your silhouette is built and it is ramified. So when the tree is in it's final stages of developement, the new growth is managed by pinching. You should not cut new growth on yews in the final stage unless it is to be removed completely. The new growth is very tight, and is not really suitable for cutting.

Rob

 

[fore]

So you just pinch to incr. back buds -=> beginning of ramification via bud selection?

 

[october]

So you just pinch to incr. back buds -=> beginning of ramification via bud selection?

You pinch mostly to keep the shape. Also, to open up the tree a bit. When you are at the pinching stage, the tree is already pretty well structued, so back budding is not really needed. You will get back buds no matter what you do. Also, you will get them when you cut back a branch or even cut off a branch. If you remove a branch from the trunk, many times, the tree will bud all around that area on the trunk to replace the branch. If you cut the end off of a branch it will back bud as well.

Feel free to post a pic of your tree here or post a thread of the area you are talking about. It is always best to see what someone is talking about before specific advice is given.

Rob

 

[RKatzin]

Most excellent work Rob! Hope I'm not too old or to late to join the fan club, I really like how you handle trees. Another fine example of your artistry.

I could picture you like Braveheart, screaming, 'FREEEEDOM!', as you hold up your bonsai for all to see. Thanks, man, I needed that. Wouldn't that be a great avatar!?lol

Have you ever tried a T. brevifolia? If you would like to, boy have I got some yew for yew! They're still in the ground on the mountain, just waiting for some expert hands. I've cataloged about a dozen so far, from shohin size up to two or three man carry out. Say the word and I'll put a tag on one for you, my treat. I'll even ship it to you just to see what you can do with it.
Sincerly (no joke), Rick


But, hey! Doesn't a road trip to Oregon to collect wild yew (on private property) sound like a good way to waste a weekend?

 

[amkhalid]

Looking good Rob! I just pinched my yew yesterday. Pic below of it in a show two weeks ago with its pretty spring growth before pinching.

Fore - I've been working on my yew for 9 years and just pinched it for the first time last year. As Rob is saying it really is a refinement technique. Even still, there are areas of my tree I am not pinching as one or two branches still need to develop.

My understanding is that after several years of pinching the tree will become too dense and will need to be thinned dramatically with scissors. Then the process begins again.

-Aaron

 

[october]

Most excellent work Rob! Hope I'm not too old or to late to join the fan club, I really like how you handle trees. Another fine example of your artistry.

I could picture you like Braveheart, screaming, 'FREEEEDOM!', as you hold up your bonsai for all to see. Thanks, man, I needed that. Wouldn't that be a great avatar!?lol

Have you ever tried a T. brevifolia? If you would like to, boy have I got some yew for yew! They're still in the ground on the mountain, just waiting for some expert hands. I've cataloged about a dozen so far, from shohin size up to two or three man carry out. Say the word and I'll put a tag on one for you, my treat. I'll even ship it to you just to see what you can do with it.
Sincerly (no joke), Rick


But, hey! Doesn't a road trip to Oregon to collect wild yew (on private property) sound like a good way to waste a weekend?

Hi Rick, your analogy made me smile, thank you. I am not an expert. I just think I have a rapport with problematic, lesser quality material or material that others might over look. I work with what is available and what I can afford. I feel like I am, respectufully, sort of following in the foot steps of artists like Vance Wood, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for.

In regards to your offer. That is very generous, thank you I may take you up on it. Maybe pm me with some pics for fun and we can discuss some styling possibilities for your trees.

Rob

 

[october]

Looking good Rob! I just pinched my yew yesterday. Pic below of it in a show two weeks ago with its pretty spring growth before pinching.

Fore - I've been working on my yew for 9 years and just pinched it for the first time last year. As Rob is saying it really is a refinement technique. Even still, there are areas of my tree I am not pinching as one or two branches still need to develop.

My understanding is that after several years of pinching the tree will become too dense and will need to be thinned dramatically with scissors. Then the process begins again.

-Aaron

Hi AAron,
Your yew is magnificent. I agree with all your yew care and practice methods. It reflects in your tree that all the techniques you mentioned are proven.

As far as my yew. Even though it is a small tree. I think I did not start pinching it until 3-4 years into it's training.

Rob

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi Rick, your analogy made me smile, thank you. I am not an expert. I just think I have a rapport with problematic, lesser quality material or material that others might over look. I work with what is available and what I can afford. I feel like I am, respectufully, sort of following in the foot steps of artists like Vance Wood, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for.

In regards to your offer. That is very generous, thank you I may take you up on it. Maybe pm me with some pics for fun and we can discuss some styling possibilities for your trees.

Rob

Thank You Rob I just hope I don't step off a cliff with you behind me. It makes me feel really good when people like you declare their interest in my work, and respect for it. For many years I have had to face an assortment of accusations of second rate bonsai (I never said I was a great artist) mediocre bonsai, and "That guy that only grows Mugo Pines." Funny thing: Many of those detractors are now gone? After all, if you have read the story of Noah and his Ark there are a couple of things that stand out. Every body thought he was nuts when he worked on this thing for 125 years-----until the rains came and the rivers flooded and the fountains of the deep opened up -----and every body's sump pumps failed.

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi AAron,
Your yew is magnificent. I agree with all your yew care and practice methods. It reflects in your tree that all the techniques you mentioned are proven.

As far as my yew. Even though it is a small tree. I think I did not start pinching it until 3-4 years into it's training.

Rob

Really nice Yew.

 

[RKatzin]

In regard to my offer.

This is a standing offer to all who would be interested. Really, I'm not trying to make a buck here. I got that, not enough, but I got that. These are grand specimens and I won't lend them to a novice, I won't even touch them myself without some guidence. I have and I'm sorry. I think the dead trunks will make nice tanuki.

I'm sorry, but pics at this time are a wash. I've taken dozens and I can see what they are for my recordings, but it's all a sea of green if you don't know. I can't even get into some to get a backdrop for a pic. I can just see them in the brush and slash, which must be gingerly removed so we don't tear up the prizes. I will get a catalog of as many as I can as soon as I can. I'm hoping to spend a good part of the summer working the project so that we might get to some in 2015. About five acres of Azalea, too, if those blow your skirt up. Pondys? Rhodys?Crabs? Oaks? Fir? What's your pleasure? They're all there and we're just getting underway. Think on it and we'll chat it up, Sincerly, Rick

 

[fore]

Gorgeous yew Aaron! Thanks to you and Rob for the pinching tips. I'll update my yew thread with a pic and question.

I truly love this species with it's colors and deadwood options.

 

[Jalcon]

Huge newb question here - When you guys talk about pinching, do you guys mean like take off "one" needle at a time? Or does it have nothing to do with the size of material you are removing, just how you remove it? In other words, don't cut, just use your finger and thumb to twist and pull off the material?

Thanks

 

[october]

Huge newb question here - When you guys talk about pinching, do you guys mean like take off "one" needle at a time? Or does it have nothing to do with the size of material you are removing, just how you remove it? In other words, don't cut, just use your finger and thumb to twist and pull off the material?

Thanks

After the tree has been in training for a while, Usually years, then you pinch. You need to build your silhouette and all the interior branches first. Then when your image looks good, you pinch to maintain that image. You do not cut unless you are completely removing something Also, with yews, you don't really twist when you pinch. Hold the base of the new shoot, Then gently pull off, straight off about 1/3 to 1/2 of the shoot. Here are 2 pics showing the results.

Rob