[2018- ] Hawthorn I

[akhater]

Here is a hawthorn I bought in summer 2018

It is/was grafter so i made a cut slightly above the graft (for potential dieback?) and let it be for 2018

A few weeks ago, when the buds started swelling, I cleaned the root ball and repoted it



Bare-roots


Repoted


I didn't remove any branches because I have no idea where to go from here looking for a small Shohin sized tree

 

[akhater]

A closer look to the "base" in 2018

 

[akhater]

When would be the best time to do a trunk chop to minimize dieback please? And can I do it this year knowing that
1.trunk chop above craft was done about 8 months ago
2. It was repoted this year

Thanks

 

[akhater]

How it looked this morning...

Note to self
* growing box next spring and not nursery pot
* it hasn't moved a lot since its repoting (19th of February) maybe it was repoted too early?

When would be the best time to do a trunk chop to minimize dieback please? And can I do it this year knowing that
1.trunk chop above craft was done about 8 months ago
2. It was repoted this year

Thanks

If anyone can help with the above please ☺

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Chop early in the growing season, but know it will take many growing seasons to close a trunk chop. It may be best to incorporate the chop into the design of the tree. I chopped the trunk of this hawthorn 20 years ago when I collected it, and the callus has grown maybe 3/8”. It is not my goal to close it, but each year, it calluses a bit more, adding to the appearance of age. Kathy Shaner says that character comes from a tree’s response to our styling work.

 

[akhater]

Chop early in the growing season, but know it will take many growing seasons to close a trunk chop. It may be best to incorporate the chop into the design of the tree. I chopped the trunk of this hawthorn 20 years ago when I collected it, and the callus has grown maybe 3/8”. It is not my goal to close it, but each year, it calluses a bit more, adding to the appearance of age. Kathy Shaner says that character comes from a tree’s response to our styling work.
View attachment 236590

Hey Brian

Thank you for your reply, I was hoping to get your input on this one..

Your trees are (and have always been) a great inspiration to me.

Design : I have no real idea what I am heading for so if you have any feelings for this tree I'm all in

Sacrifice branches: I left quite a few Branches I know will be removed later to help it get some taper. But now you said they don't heal well I am wondering if it is best to remove them?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Hey Brian

Thank you for your reply, I was hoping to get your input on this one..

Your trees are (and have always been) a great inspiration to me.

Design : I have no real idea what I am heading for so if you have any feelings for this tree I'm all in

Sacrifice branches: I left quite a few Branches I know will be removed later to help it get some taper. But now you said they don't heal well I am wondering if it is best to remove them?

If it hasn’t started growing yet, wait to do anything else until it is strong. Don’t move it around or it may damage roots.

Sacrifice branches: no, I would not use them to develop this tree. If you are trying to grow it bigger, grow sections of trunk, which you can chop every few years, adding new sections with taper and movement. Like I did with this Ume. This will be faster if you plant it in the ground next spring. Your current pot will restrict fast growth.

Design: the scar and reverse taper in the upper trunk should be removed, and find another branch (in green) to become the next section of trunk, and let it grow long. Before you can design the tree, you need to grow something to work with. However, don’t cut anything off yet until you know the tree has survived the repot.

 

[akhater]

If it hasn’t started growing yet, wait to do anything else until it is strong. Don’t move it around or it may damage roots.

Sacrifice branches: no, I would not use them to develop this tree. If you are trying to grow it bigger, grow sections of trunk, which you can chop every few years, adding new sections with taper and movement. Like I did with this Ume. This will be faster if you plant it in the ground next spring. Your current pot will restrict fast growth.

Design: the scar and reverse taper in the upper trunk should be removed, and find another branch (in green) to become the next section of trunk, and let it grow long. Before you can design the tree, you need to grow something to work with. However, don’t cut anything off yet until you know the tree has survived the repot.

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

the Scar and reverse taper is the old graft union, i cut just above it like 8 months ago when I first got the tree and this is what i want to cut.
Yes it hasn't really moved since the repot, it's just "sitting there"

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury to put it in the ground but will find a grow box next spring.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I see. From the other angle, I couldn’t tell it was a graft. It appears the scion has no buds?

 

[akhater]

I see. From the other angle, I couldn’t tell it was a graft. It appears the scion has no buds?

No nothing about the graft but how much it slowed down after the repoting is worrying me a bit

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

No nothing about the graft but how much it slowed down after the repoting is worrying me a bit

Give it time, and let’s see what it does over the next few weeks.

 

[sorce]

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

the Scar and reverse taper is the old graft union, i cut just above it like 8 months ago when I first got the tree and this is what i want to cut. View attachment 236651
Yes it hasn't really moved since the repot, it's just "sitting there"

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury to put it in the ground but will find a grow box next spring.

That chop seems backward to me....that lower branch is too strong. It'll never look right.

Cut to the strong branch!

Sorce

 

[akhater]

Give it time, and let’s see what it does over the next few weeks.

Will do ☺. It is budding but very slowly so it might be just a set back

That chop seems backward to me....that lower branch is too strong. It'll never look right.

Cut to the strong branch!

Sorce

Yes I will. It was supposed to be a sacrifice branch but after Brian's and Your input will cut it in a few weeks when the tree is properly growing

 

[sorce]

Will do ☺. It is budding but very slowly so it might be just a set back


Yes I will. It was supposed to be a sacrifice branch but after Brian's and Your input will cut it in a few weeks when the tree is properly growing

That may be early!

Sorce

 

[akhater]

Still not really moving and the leaves are coming out weird...

Anything I can do to help it?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It looks like the roots are failing. Maybe they were cut back too hard, or they are getting too much water. Are the dying buds from above the graft or below it?

 

[akhater]

It looks like the roots are failing. Maybe they were cut back too hard, or they are getting too much water. Are the dying buds from above the graft or below it?

Below the graft, the part above the graft is dead.

Anything I can do or just shade area and wait?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Below the graft, the part above the graft is dead.

Anything I can do or just shade area and wait?

I would keep it in the sun. If you can water correctly, warming the roots may encourage some growth. Otherwise, it doesn’t look like it will live much longer.

 

[akhater]

I would keep it in the sun. If you can water correctly, warming the roots may encourage some growth. Otherwise, it doesn’t look like it will live much longer.

It's in a free draining mix and watered just when the surface starts drying.
The weird thing is that I don't have dieback on the twigs (at least not yet)
Keeping my fingers crossed on that one ??