Adair’s bench at Boon’s

[Adair M]

I really like that second tree! I want one!

Robert, that’s a rare cultivar.

Maybe Johnny Uchita at Grove Way Bonsai in Hayward, CA has one. I remember seeing one or two there a year or two ago. I don’t know if he sold them or nit.

See my reply to Mach5 for more info on it.



Here are some summer pictures:



(That’s actually the back! The foliage is so dense, I couldn’t see it well! Lol!!!)

Some foliage close ups:



See how the foliage “weeps”?

It makes interesting bark.

The foliage growth habit and long petioles (and tendency to make “knobs”) make it a difficult subject for bonsai. But, on the other hand, now that it’s gotten old, it has a lot of unique character, which makes great bonsai! I have a challenge ahead of me...

 

[Adair M]

Since we’re talking about the trident, I’ll describe the work I did this time:

It still had about 25% of its leaves still on. I removed them. Then cut back all shoots to the first new internode with an up/down pair. And rubbed off all buds on the bottoms of the branches. (And there were a lot! This tree likes to “weep”.)

Also did structural cutbacks to improve taper on branches. Any sections that had internodes with no taper got cut back. Last fall, there were a couple of branches where I intentionally did NOT do this! I left some extended branches on as sacrifice branches because I wanted some thickening of the branch. I removed those sacrifices this time. On a tree like this, if I need a sacrifice for thickening, I might let it go for two years. It’s a slow grower. But I don’t want a huge scar. On a regular trident, you can get thickening much faster.

I sealed all my cuts. Being a trident, it didn’t bleed, but I always seal my cuts on deciduous.

 

[Deleted member 21616]

@Adair M have you considered propagating the Minu Yatsabusa Trident Maple, or handing the task over to somebody else?

besides being an interesting tree in its own right, it's also an interesting cultivar worth preserving and spreading i think

 

[Tycoss]

Adair, I’m very impressed with the range of form and character you are getting out of your black pines. It’s one species, generally with “classical” styling, but seeing them all together shows that they have unique characteristics, rather than being “cookie cutter”. Something I hope to accomplish some day with collected spruce. Very nice!

 

[River's Edge]

Yes, indeed it is. It was started in the year 2000. He and Morten started theirs the same year. Morten sold all his about 10 years ago. This is one of the last ones Jonas had for sale. I bought it a couple years ago.

Boon says that at his new place, we will have to decandle later since it is so much warmer in the summer than his old place.

That makes sense, the Google Earth view shows what appears to be open ranchland near the foothills. Landscape looks a lot drier and sparser. I was not surprised to see the very large shadecloth structure in your video. I suppose the new location will mean the favorite Italian restaurant is out of the question now?

 

[Adair M]

That makes sense, the Google Earth view shows what appears to be open ranchland near the foothills. Landscape looks a lot drier and sparser. I was not surprised to see the very large shadecloth structure in your video. I suppose the new location will mean the favorite Italian restaurant is out of the question now?

It’s an hour and a half away!

We have a replacement in San Andreas. Black Bart’s Inn. Similar ambience, although not strictly Italian. I’ve eaten there twice. Once was grilled salmon, and the other was chicken Marsala. (I used to order the chicken Marsala at the other place). But the salmon was superb! Better than the chicken.

There is a good Thai place in town.

He’s trying to figure out how much shade cloth is really needed. So far, everything is doing well. Having to hand water everything. Once a day now, but in the summer, it was twice a day! Once he gets the water system going, it will be easier. He’s going to add an acidifier to the system.

 

[mcpesq817]

Nice thanks for sharing. Need more pines though

 

[Adair M]

Adair, I’m very impressed with the range of form and character you are getting out of your black pines. It’s one species, generally with “classical” styling, but seeing them all together shows that they have unique characteristics, rather than being “cookie cutter”. Something I hope to accomplish some day with collected spruce. Very nice!

I’m partial to “Sumo Style” with short fat bases!

But JBP is very versatile. That’s why it is considered the King of bonsai.

I’m going to be showing my avatar tree at the Winter Silohette Show in Kannapolis in a couple of weeks. With long needles! It looks very different than the image in my avatar.

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M have you considered propagating the Minu Yatsabusa Trident Maple, or handing the task over to somebody else?

besides being an interesting tree in its own right, it's also an interesting cultivar worth preserving and spreading i think

It’s been done before.

If I get some runners next summer, I suppose I could take some cuttings. Boon is pretty busy trying to just get set back up with his greenhouse, garden, workshop, etc.

 

[Adair M]

Is that the New Place?

It must suck at points...to be So far away.
Though....they are not exactly with that friend who said they'd water!

Sorce

It’s interesting to see the changes that occur between visits. When I see my trees everyday, the changes that happen occur so slowly, it’s easy to “miss” the change. Visiting the trees every 3 or 4 months, the change is obvious and sometimes startling!

So, I used to be an avid snow skier. I would take two ski vacations every winter. Now, I just take my vacations and visit my trees.

 

[j evans]

And while you are doing better video we could use some popcorn and drink. Seriously, thanks for taking time to share.

 

[Adair M]

Beautiful trees, Adair, thanks for sharing.

What’s the most special of these, to your heart, the most precious? And what’s its story?

Well, the one that’s most precious is not on that bench anymore, I brought it home after taking it to the National Show a couple years ago:



I acquired this tree at the end of my first year studying with Boon. I’ve wired, unwired, decandled, pulled needles, repotted, cut back, restyled, etc several times with this tree. It has its flaws that make me think about strategies on how to best hide them. It has its strengths that make me think about how best to display them. It’s a complicated tree, yet simple. It looks “cookie cutter”, but it’s not.

This tree has taken me from “wanna be” to expert with JBP.

After 6 years of refinement and increasing density, ramification, it had finally outgrown its styling, and needed a cut back last fall, a year ago. I finally got around to doing all the required tasks involved: removing wire and pulling old needles. Some of that wire had been on for 4 years or more!

So, here was the before cut back image:



An over grown branch before:


After:



Oh my!!!

In all, it got about half the foliage removed! (And this doesn’t include all the old needle pulling!):



And, the final image after cut back:



And a recent image all furry:



After the cutback, I’m letting it grow to get strong again. Next spring, I’ll up pot it into it old training pot, and begin the decandling regimen again. The cycle of rejuvenation will begin again!

 

[my nellie]

I really enjoyed the tour! Thank you very much @Adair M !
What is the tree at 2:15 - 2:27? The smaller one with grayish leaves?

 

[Adair M]

I really enjoyed the tour! Thank you very much @Adair M !
What is the tree at 2:15 - 2:27? The smaller one with grayish leaves?

Silver berry.

I acquired it last summer. Virtually no foliage. Pretty much just a stump. They develop quickly. I’ll put a bit of wire on it in January.

 

[my nellie]

Thank you for your reply @Adair M

 

[Pitoon]

That's a nice pine.

 

[JBP_85]

Thanks @Adair M for sharing these with us! Definitely a collection to admire and aspire towards. Bring the new guy I’m going to ask what is in the white packets at the base of the trees. I’m guessing a fertilizer of some sorts? Sorry if an obvious question but I don’t think I’ve seen those before in my 5 minutes in the hobby lol.

 

[Kudo]

Thanks @Adair M for sharing these with us! Definitely a collection to admire and aspire towards. Bring the new guy I’m going to ask what is in the white packets at the base of the trees. I’m guessing a fertilizer of some sorts? Sorry if an obvious question but I don’t think I’ve seen those before in my 5 minutes in the hobby lol.

They are tea bags with organic fertilizer. This way water can extract nutrients from the cake and organic matter won't clog drainage, keeping the coarse soil open.

 

[Adair M]

I have brought most, not all, of those trees back to my home in Georgia. The climate at Boon’s new place is too extreme for some of the trees, especially JWP.

Hopefully after a couple years at my place here they’ll have recovered. Some were more heat damaged than others. I’ll know more later in the spring.

Right now, my benches are crowded! And the wall blocks I use for making benches are sold out at Lowe’s!

At this point, I really don’t “need” any more trees. Oh, I know... when (if) the shows start up again, I’ll see something on a vendor’s table “that I’ll have to have”! And then I’ll have to make the decision of selling something to make room. And the real issue is NOT room, per se. I have plenty of garden space to expand. But keeping highly refined trees in top condition requires far more effort and time and attention than does keeping trees in development. I’m really at my limit now. If I had more trees, then it would become more of a chore than a joy!

Of course, I’ll still get an urge to “add to the collection”. But instead of trees, I’ll look for a nice pot. Good thing about pots, they’re low maintenance! And it’s fun to switch out pots at repotting time.

Anyway, Happy New Year, ya’ll!

 

[Dav4]

I have brought most, not all, of those trees back to my home in Georgia. The climate at Boon’s new place is too extreme for some of the trees, especially JWP.

Hopefully after a couple years at my place here they’ll have recovered. Some were more heat damaged than others. I’ll know more later in the spring.

Right now, my benches are crowded! And the wall blocks I use for making benches are sold out at Lowe’s!

At this point, I really don’t “need” any more trees. Oh, I know... when (if) the shows start up again, I’ll see something on a vendor’s table “that I’ll have to have”! And then I’ll have to make the decision of selling something to make room. And the real issue is NOT room, per se. I have plenty of garden space to expand. But keeping highly refined trees in top condition requires far more effort and time and attention than does keeping trees in development. I’m really at my limit now. If I had more trees, then it would become more of a chore than a joy!

Of course, I’ll still get an urge to “add to the collection”. But instead of trees, I’ll look for a nice pot. Good thing about pots, they’re low maintenance! And it’s fun to switch out pots at repotting time.

Anyway, Happy New Year, ya’ll!

Hopefully, 2021 will at some point allow vendors to sell their wares in person at bonsai shows again..... sooooooooooo, let me know if you need help making some room on your bench