11th floor Lonicera & Yew...

[petegreg]

...from my mother's garden.

Yesterday I went to visit my mom and pick up the first half of trees from their winter quartets.

...and decided to dig two trees I've been playing with for some three years.

The first one is lonicera, for a clump style. I found this tree some three years ago when my mother asked me to prune this ground covering shrub. When I went on my kness and I saw the trunk...well she said take it and plant there some young seedlings instead of it. So it was chopped some three years ago and the root ball was cut using a spade. This procedure was done twice in last three years.
Here's a picture of roots after combing and barerooting, removed just a few roots and dry root tips after last spading.

The tree was potted and here's how it looks now.

Next weekend I'm meeting our bonsai group and will take it to discuss if and what should be removed, I think it needs to have some trunks selected. What would you say.

Here's the yew, similar story. It's heavy and ugly and will look same for next two-tree years. Looks like future carving project.

 

[sorce]

11th Floor Please!

Nice!

I hope you never move!

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Cool!!!
Looks like some good old fashioned fun there!

 

[petegreg]

Anual report...

The yew started pushing very first growth this week. In july, I'll see...

The lonicera hasn't taken any break since dug this spring. Growing, flowering, wanted to bear fruit... like mad. Flowers were removed and I started to eliminate number of (sub)trunks. They were cut with a knob cutter and left to dry, but I couldn't get inside to clean the stumps. Today I took two trees to mums garden to put a dremel on them.

Here is some before and after.


... and the detail, work done to my satisfaction.

The Dremel was only tool to get there.
Now the tree will be left alone for a rest of season.
Any other trunks you would remove in future?

 

[just.wing.it]

Sounds like yew may have a wierd problem...that's strange!
My yews just began their second flushes...
This one is looking nice though!

 

[petegreg]

Thanks JWI. I collected one small yew seedling for something tiny this spring and it's growing strong. Maybe the older one needs more time, roots...

 

[sorce]

Any other trunks you would remove in future?

Maybe some NOW..FOR the future!?

My first thought was anything that gets in the way of something better...

But what is the "rule setting" trunk?
That big one on the right?

That one circled would be the rule setter for me. Resorce.

The base numbers for Taper....segment length...distance till division...etc...

Everything that can't match those proportions should get cut off. .
Unless that means too much...
Then you may have to pick a different rule setter branch that allows more trunk to be used.

But as it is...
That big one (alive?) could get harmonious with this one and serve as a 2 main trunks IMO...
Then the left could be shortened dramatically till 3-5 of those get in harmony.

That big thing off the bottom left should go now IMO. A shitty framer...and energy grabber...sucker maker...ill....

Tall on the right...
Getting shorter left...
I like it...

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Matter fact....
Id wipe all that low "nothing" growth out right now too...

Anything like this I have that wants to sucker...
Or grow where I don't want it...
I feel the earlier I can wipe out emerging buds the better. And it seems to work.

Let the tree know ASAP that growing there is a no. no..... NO! Till it stops trying!
This is "training".

Allowing any uneccessary growth is bad IMO. Thinking about @ConorDash maple...and wether any of them unnecc opposote buds/branches could get wiped out for better/stronger other growth.

Reiterating...
I consider a bud merely potential energy.
Removing them can be harmless.
And puts the potential elsewhere.

Redirecting energy...

No.

Directing Energy!

So we don't have to waste any energy redirecting.

Sorce

 

[petegreg]

Thanks Sorce for your insight, good points to think about. I'm gonna look at some theory and examples.

 

[ConorDash]

In my mind all I can logically think is that rubbing out buds on a recovering tree, would hurt it.
But you are right, redirecting energy makes more sense, so I’m not sure...!

 

[petegreg]

In my mind all I can logically think is that rubbing out buds on a recovering tree, would hurt it.
But you are right, redirecting energy makes more sense, so I’m not sure...!

Hi Conor. I think it is species specific, depends on a health of tree and on how much work has been done before...

In this case the tree is growing vigorously, no serious works - like chopping all trunks/branches were done, the trunks left are alowed to grow, so I think removing some suckers or unwanted young growth is safe.

Responding to both posts by Sorce...
First left trunk removed, first right is alive, I will wait till/if it sprouts from below the cut and then re-do the cut from the back.

This tree was with me when I was meeting my bonsai friends few months ago. Ten people, eleven opinions. Some said to keep all the trunks and grow a nice canopy... One of them said the same you are saying, reduce no of trunks, remove all you do not need to show the tree the keepers. And he is a certified pro gardener.

 

[petegreg]

This large chunk of wood was pretty late to show signs of life, but for now alive and growing.

 

[Cypress187]

sucker

I thought (low on trunk growing) suckers help the thickening of the trunk? Otherwise I have some slay some sucka's!

 

[sorce]

thought (low on trunk growing) suckers help the thickening of the trunk

What have you observed?

Sorce

 

[AlainK]

Love lonicera.

Must be repotted each year if you want good foliage. Can even be repotted in summer with some root pruning.

 

[Cypress187]

What have you observed? Sorce

Well I didn't sit long enough next to it to observe any thickening But isn't the purpose of a sacrifice branch to get it growth stronger in that part? (I'm talking about a thin stick with suckers, not about the tree in question).

 

[sorce]

But isn't the purpose of a sacrifice branch to get it growth stronger in that part?

Only if its serving it's purpose..

And we can only know that with observation.

Sorce

 

[petegreg]

Love lonicera.

Must be repotted each year if you want good foliage. Can even be repotted in summer with some root pruning.

Thanks Alain. The root ball is very good and compact, will do in spring.

 

[petegreg]

Well I didn't sit long enough next to it to observe any thickening But isn't the purpose of a sacrifice branch to get it growth stronger in that part? (I'm talking about a thin stick with suckers, not about the tree in question).

Meaning a thin lonicera or yew with suckers or low branches?