Apple tree needs styling idea

[bonsai-max]

Hi to all,

I am new to deciduous plant since I have mainly pines, but a friend of mine give me these two plants. An apple tree and a plum since he doesn't have any interests.
The apple is an old plant, was half dead after a heatwave, there is a lot of dry wood to work but I need an help for styling the live part, the plum is growing as a clump.

Thank you....

Apple



Plum.

 

[Shibui]

Nice pick up. Older trees are often difficult to find.

The semi-cascade shape of the apple looks good. I would probably reduce the length of the branches a bit and try to develop more density instead of length but probably try to get it healthy before pruning for ramification.
Clean and treat the dead wood with lime sulphur to preserve it otherwise the dead wood will rot away in a few years.
That tree could also be tilted to give a more upright trunk if you don't fancy the leaning semi-cascade look. Branches would then be spread out to create a wider tree shape.

The plum looks great as it is. Looks even better without all the weeds.
Hard to get a feel for depth from a 2D photo just showing the front but looks like the individual trunks are well placed with good movement.

Can't quite make out whether the plum still has wire or just marks from previous wiring?
Wire on the apple looks tight. If it has not just been applied I would recommend removing before it marks the bark too.

The previous owner lost interest so they probably have not been fed for some time. I would feed well, every -3 weeks for the rest of your summer to restore health.
Soil appears to be wet and probably compacted so take care with watering so they do not stay saturated. That will, hopefully, improve root health in preparation for repot in spring.

 

[bonsai-max]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Yes the plants was forget years in the garden but the wires should be not very old because at least he made some basic maintenance, they will come to me next Tuesday so I will be more precise.
Next spring I will do a repot for sure in a better substrate, any suggestion ?

The previous owner lost interest so they probably have not been fed for some time. I would feed well, every -3 weeks for the rest of your summer to restore health.

Why just one every three weeks ? normally I use miracle gro once a week....

 

[Tieball]

Your Apple tree has fabulous potential. I’d keep the branches shorter and not let them lengthen to much, except for….maybe 2-3 branches that are nearest to the trunk. Those selected branches might begin to fill out a creative old canopy for the tree over time by pushing the growth toward the other side, front and back of the tree. I like the look of the struggle the tree has been through and that it's a survivor. The tree reminds me of very old neglected apple trees in abandoned orchards around where I live.

You have an excellent start on development with healthy green foliage.
The deadwood trunk has a readiness to show off some serious age and beautifully preserved depth of character. Mighty fine character!

 

[bonsai-max]

Your Apple tree has fabulous potential. I’d keep the branches shorter and not let them lengthen to much, except for….maybe 2-3 branches that are nearest to the trunk. Those selected branches might begin to fill out a creative old canopy for the tree over time by pushing the growth toward the other side, front and back of the tree. I like the look of the struggle the tree has been through and that it's a survivor. The tree reminds me of very old neglected apple trees in abandoned orchards around where I live.

Thank you sir, any chance that someone help me with a virtual ?

The deadwood trunk has a readiness to show off some serious age and beautifully preserved depth of character. Mighty fine character!

The deadwood work is not carving like juniperus right ?

 

[Tieball]

Thank you sir, any chance that someone help me with a virtual ?

The deadwood work is not carving like juniperus right ?

I would avoid a lot of heavy duty carving…like you might see on juniper or other pine like trees. I see the aging as a continuation of what nature has so far accomplished. On a tree like this I would be targeting some grain enhancement…slowly. The tree has some fabulous swirling in the grain around previous branch connections that have died off over time. I would do very little, if any at all, carving and digging away at the deadwood.

My focus would be on getting the tree settled and gaining a lot of vigorous growth as it acclimates to a new surrounding. That might take a couple of seasons. During that time of healthy growth I’d rotate the tree often and at very different viewing angles. And take photos. I’d look at numerous viewing options. With this tree there is more than one “front” and more than one should be developed.

I would not remove any deadwood. I would focus on using what exists with the tree. I’d begin to understand the story of how it achieved this point in growth and build up from there. The tree can tell great stories of survival.

The deadwood you have with the trunk is fabulous.

 

[bonsai-max]

My focus would be on getting the tree settled and gaining a lot of vigorous growth as it acclimates to a new surrounding. That might take a couple of seasons. During that time of healthy growth I’d rotate the tree often and at very different viewing angles. And take photos. I’d look at numerous viewing options. With this tree there is more than one “front” and more than one should be developed.

Ok I will do it...

I would not remove any deadwood. I would focus on using what exists with the tree. I’d begin to understand the story of how it achieved this point in growth and build up from there. The tree can tell great stories of survival.

Tuesday I will make a light clean of the wood with a soft brush and I will take more pictures

 

[Tieball]

Ok I will do it...


Tuesday I will make a light clean of the wood with a soft brush and I will take more pictures

I look forward to your photos. And while you are examining and cleaning plan to keep healthy root areas covered with substrate soil. Take your time with the cleaning. Going to fast or rough can destroy deadwood areas, and, unfortunately, the deadwood won’t grow back. Going slower you’ll also learn about what areas of the tree are to soft from moisture and may need some drying time.

I’ve had trees with deadwood soft from moisture right at the base of the trunk. And it would keep getting softer with watering cycles. My remedy was that I replaced some of the solid around the soft deadwood area with a coarse substrate so water would not accumulate and give the area time to dry.

 

[bonsai-max]

I’ve had trees with deadwood soft from moisture right at the base of the trunk. And it would keep getting softer with watering cycles. My remedy was that I replaced some of the solid around the soft deadwood area with a coarse substrate so water would not accumulate and give the area time to dry.

Hi, normally on the soft part of the wood I use paralloid to consolidate it. I will take my time to clean it

 

[Shibui]

Why just one every three weeks ? normally I use miracle gro once a week....

Missed the 1 in that post. Should have read every 1-3 weeks. If you currently feed every week then keep doing that.

 

[bonsai-max]

Missed the 1 in that post. Should have read every 1-3 weeks. If you currently feed every week then keep doing that.

Roger

 

[bonsai-max]

So yesterday I have received the plant, and have had a nice talk with my friend, that I did not see since some years.
This plant was growing on the ground, but during a big thunderstorm some big object falls on it and ripped all the roots on one side leaving the plant just lay down on the other side.
So my friend 3 years ago dig out the plant from the ground the plant and put on this pot with a good substrate of aka and pumice, leaving the plant more or less in the same position after the incident.
He carved with a dremel a little bit on the top then he put the plant in a garden corner and forgot it
In the next years all the part that lost the roots becomes dry, but something was alive and it's now here looking for love.
I took out bad grass this morning, and will remove the moss this afternoon, then I will start with a good cultivation



About this picture there are some roots that start from the big root, should I cover with sphagnum or leave as is ?


.

 

[Shibui]

The thicker roots will not care about being covered but I can also see lots of tiny, thin, new roots growing. If you would like some of those thin ones to stay alive and grow bigger then you should cover those to prevent them drying out until they are thicker and have tips well down in the soil.

 

[bonsai-max]

The thicker roots will not care about being covered but I can also see lots of tiny, thin, new roots growing. If you would like some of those thin ones to stay alive and grow bigger then you should cover those to prevent them drying out until they are thicker and have tips well down in the soil.

Yes that was the question, ok I will cover with sphagnum

 

[bonsai-max]

So, I start to have a look to the wood, some part of the bark are really easy to remove and under the wood is a little bit soft.
Also the part with the old root give me some concerns as I have no idea how to threat them.
Should I put the jin liquid to protect it ?
Any suggestion about the wood work is welcome....

 

[Tieball]

Yes that was the question, ok I will cover with sphagnum

I would cover those roots with substrate.

 

[Tieball]

I have protected dead exposed roots with a brush-on wood preservative. I usually apply the preservative in early spring and then again near the end of summer or beginning of autumn.

 

[Tieball]

Your tree has a lot of good characteristics. I hope it continues to grow well.

 

[bonsai-max]

I would cover those roots with substrate.

Ok, I will do it tomorrow

I have protected dead exposed roots with a brush-on wood preservative. I usually apply the preservative in early spring and then again near the end of summer or beginning of autumn.

I was thinking to do the same but the different in colours of the wood let me think about it. Normally I use paraloid that is a plastic liquid that is used to restore old wood, but once you use it the wood colours remain forever.
Is it possible have a pictures of your products ?
Normally I use jin liquid and once is more or less the same colour I will fix with paraloid, but I have not so much experience in such a big wood part.

Your tree has a lot of good characteristics. I hope it continues to grow well.

Thank you Sir, I will do my best to let him survive on my inexperience

 

[Tieball]

Ok, I will do it tomorrow



I was thinking to do the same but the different in colours of the wood let me think about it. Normally I use paraloid that is a plastic liquid that is used to restore old wood, but once you use it the wood colours remain forever.
Is it possible have a pictures of your products ?
Normally I use jin liquid and once is more or less the same colour I will fix with paraloid, but I have not so much experience in such a big wood part.



Thank you Sir, I will do my best to let him survive on my inexperience

I use the liquid brush on wood preservative. It shows as a darker color at first, a color like wet wood, however, after rain, sun and watering it fades back to a nice natural looking color. I used it on all low dead roots like you have and sort of feathered it up higher if I saw a need for that different treatment coverage. I don’t have any photos to share though. I’ll check for photos but I’m sure those are long gone.

I attached a photo of the Deadwood Preservative I use. I had to change bottles because the cap cracked on the original bottle. So this is just what was left of the label I removed. I bought this from Kaizen Bonsai in the UK. I like using this product. I’ve tried the preservative in the third photo, perhaps this is what you’re referring to in your comment, I used it before but I really do not remember the results. The bottle is still nearly full so I might not have liked the results. For years I’ve only used the UK product.

On trees I treated with the preservative I only applied to ground contact areas and up from that point when needed. Other areas of a tree I like to go natural. Most all of my trees are tough hardwood now and without deadwood near the substrate surface like dead roots. I’m waiting for some good deadwood applications to find me.