What is this tree I've twisted up?
- Thread starter Attmos
- Start date
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Looks like cottonwood.
People hate em.
I dont
Sorce
People hate em.
I dont
Sorce
Attmos
Chumono
Why do people hate them?
Empty Mountain
Mame
Yeah looks like a Populus to me, if it was in my area I would guess Populus deltoides. I get a lot of volunteers in my pots and one I'm letting grow along with a tremuloides volunteer. My cottonwood has giant leaves right now.
Attmos
Chumono
Thanks.
Mine just showed up in one of my pots too.
Yeah the pictures I put up are about a month old and I had just cut it back and defoliated, which I learned was a mistake because I guess trees go dormant in June, lol.
The new growth since then is pretty exciting to see though, very encouraging.
Have you done any work on yours at all?
Empty Mountain
Mame
Not a lot, just some pruning to control growth, no wiring. Removed a really dominant shoot a week or so ago:
Just building a trunk, not sure how well I'll be able to tame the leaf size, although yours looks pretty good (could be a different species still not certain). My quaking aspen has much smaller leaves and internodes but this one is growing very vigorously, I have not disturbed the roots on this one since it sprouted in this pot of potting soil. I did dump a ton of osmocote plus in the pot so that might be why I'm getting the growth I'm getting.
Just building a trunk, not sure how well I'll be able to tame the leaf size, although yours looks pretty good (could be a different species still not certain). My quaking aspen has much smaller leaves and internodes but this one is growing very vigorously, I have not disturbed the roots on this one since it sprouted in this pot of potting soil. I did dump a ton of osmocote plus in the pot so that might be why I'm getting the growth I'm getting.
Attmos
Chumono
Your leaves ARE huge, lol. I like the trunk shape. When I started this one I was afraid to cut the trunk when it was small, probly a mistake but oh well... first tree.
I've done several cutbacks and defoliation which does seem to have an effect on the leaf size. Been giving mine just a little fertilizer until just yesterday, went with full strength. The leaves may get bigger, I dunno.
Picture of the new growth. I guess Bonsai artists don't use inosculation like I have either, another rookie mistake. lol
Attachments
Attmos
Chumono
I want to see if this inosculation thing works, but when I take the wires off...
Do you think it would be better to chop the trunk and work on it in a similar way to yours? ...or keep the fused branches and maintain it's size?
I know no one wants to be rude, but I think I need an experienced opinion.
Empty Mountain
Mame
Attmos
Chumono
OK Thanks.
No opinion on the branch fusing? It's OK, you won't hurt my feelings. lol
Empty Mountain
Mame
It could work but I think an approach graft would be a better technique to get the result you're after, I assume you just bound the branches together tightly?
Comparing your first pic to your last set I would be concerned that the leaves are showing some chlorosis.
Attmos
Chumono
Oooh.. good, thanks. That's helpful.
Attmos
Chumono
Yes, I just bound them together to see if I could fuse them.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
MaciekA
Shohin
I’m on mobile right now so I could be wrong but it could also be populus nigra which is widely planted in the US and can get around on its own. I started a bucket of populus nigra cuttings a few weeks ago so the species is on my mind lately.
MaciekA
Shohin
Also, poplars and cottonwoods don’t really have trouble creating branches in low places — unusual techniques not really necessary.
If I could give some advice, I’d undo all wiring/wrapping/etc, fertilize well this year (no pruning or anything else), then bare root into a more appropriate media just before bud push next spring.
Then come back to this thread and talk about the thing all populus growers need to know about when in the early strong growth / repotting / bare rooting years: Preventing sucker growth from causing issues and dieback. Master that and poplar/cottonwood become very well behaved trees that respond to deciduous techniques well, including defoliation.
If I could give some advice, I’d undo all wiring/wrapping/etc, fertilize well this year (no pruning or anything else), then bare root into a more appropriate media just before bud push next spring.
Then come back to this thread and talk about the thing all populus growers need to know about when in the early strong growth / repotting / bare rooting years: Preventing sucker growth from causing issues and dieback. Master that and poplar/cottonwood become very well behaved trees that respond to deciduous techniques well, including defoliation.
Attmos
Chumono
Thank you, yes...
Because of what I learned from Empty Mountain, I've already unwrapped the branches and removed the decaying branch ends that I couldn't see.
And I just fertilized it.
Now I suppose it's just a matter of waiting until next spring.
Attmos
Chumono
I really appreciate the insight I'm being given, thank you all. This is good.
MaciekA
Shohin
I really appreciate the insight I'm being given, thank you all. This is good.
See if you can find more of this species -- when I started out with cottonwood, having a couple of them on the go in parallel really helped me tease out the behavior and figure out what's normal (timing, responses to techniques, etc).
Attmos
Chumono
There might be a few I can dig up. Sounds like a great idea.
