Caleb’s Tree Thread Progression

Apex37 · Nov 2, 2022

I feel like most of my posts are questions on issues with my trees. It’s been a rough year between having an incredibly hot summer, watering issues, pest issues, etc.

I thought I’d make a thread and continue updating trees that I’ve been working on that are actually doing well. Lol

Apex37 · Nov 2, 2022

Here’s my first tree I purchased about a year ago. Not a big fan of grafted ficuses, but he has character and my s/o won’t let me get rid of him.

Apex37 · Nov 2, 2022

A small pyracantha I picked up from a local club auction I’ve been working on. No flowers or berries yet, maybe next year.

Apex37 · Feb 13, 2023

Couple repots from over the weekend:

Wisteria (I think Chinese, but not 100% sure). Repotted into a cheap Chinese pot in Bonsai Jack Organic Mix.

Sekka Hinoki Cypress (picked up from Bjorn last year). Repotted into a size 6 Tokoname terra cotta pot in 60/40 Hyuga Pumice/Akadama mix.

I wanted to get the wisteria into a deeper training pot, but realized I didn’t really have anything that would work when I brought it up to our club meeting, so I put it in this cheap Chinese pot I had laying around.

The sekka hinoki is going to be an experiment. This is my first time having one and my biggest concern is the summer heat. Howard Smith (Bonsai Smiths) here locally has a few and gave me some tips for them. Ironically, he keeps his pretty much where he keeps his Japanese maples. I’m going to definitely add a top dressing and watch it closely this summer. Styling probably won’t be done till next year just to see how it responds to the repotting and the growing year.

Apex37 · Mar 8, 2023

Been busy, these are all repots from earlier last month.

Here’s a American Hornbeam with hideous roots purchased primo on eBay. Great stuff. Lol
Really though, he’s got nice radial roots, just very little else. Let’s hope I can get better root growth now that it isn’t in a straight sand/perlite mixture that it looked to be growing in.

Apex37 · Mar 8, 2023

Here’s an twin trunk Atlantic White Cedar I got from Amazon for like $20. Figured would be a cool project.

Apex37 · May 5, 2023

Apex37 said:
Been busy, these are all repots from earlier last month.

Here’s a American Hornbeam with hideous roots purchased primo on eBay. Great stuff. Lol
Really though, he’s got nice radial roots, just very little else. Let’s hope I can get better root growth now that it isn’t in a straight sand/perlite mixture that it looked to be growing in.
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RIP this one didn’t make it. I genuinely believe the soil mix stayed wayyyy too wet over winter and it never leafed out. It was a horrible mix of sand a broken down perlite.

Apex37 · May 5, 2023

It’s a balmy 96 today and looks like we’re out of lows reaching below 55. Figured now is a good time to trim back some of my ficuses since they’ve been exploding with growth already.

I still don’t know what I’m doing wiring. I need to go to a wiring workshop or something cause I still struggle with it.

Before:

After:

Forgot to take a before, but here is the other ficus after with the future planting angle I intend:

Apex37 · Jul 30, 2023

Worked on this one again.
Intended angle:

Top view:

Apex37 · Feb 3, 2024

Worked on a couple trees today.

Wisteria
Before:

After:

Apex37 · Feb 3, 2024

Yuletide Camellia. No idea if this one will make it, but it was probably $15 at Lowes.
Roots were an absolute mess.

Before:

After:

I mixed some sifted spaghanum moss into the mix for the top half in hopes it’ll help in building root growth after cutting so much off. Had to be done to reset everything. Fingers crossed