Collected American Hornbeam No. 1

[Shogun610]

Here at the Shogunate , we really really love Hornbeams.
Collected this American Hornbeam today , many other like it near a mistly mountain stream with moss covered moss. It was quite beautiful up there this morning. Was growing on a slope, all roots were growing outwards radially. I cut the radius and kept bigger roots with some finer roots.
Cut up top because there is grow up there. Going to cut the suckers to get some budding through the trunk. In a substrate of mostly pumice , lava, pine bark and akadama. Top dressing with sphagnum collected moss. Last picture is front, exited for future

 

[Jcmmaple]

Nice find, it has some good movement.

 

[Shogun610]

Nice find, it has some good movement.

Thanks , many options

 

[Colorado]

Love the twisting veins at the base

 

[Shogun610]

Love the twisting veins at the base

Yeah I’m gonna cut the suckers go with that front and see where it buds … that’s why I cut so high to keep options open

 

[Shogun610]

 

[Shogun610]

Midsommar update , not moving it so mi dispiace for the shit pics

 

[Shogun610]

Update , putting a lot of good growth on , notice the side branch in the back , IT can either be cut back eventually for a low bottom branch , but for a long time will be source of thread grafts if the tree does not pop buds anywhere else on the trunk. Eventually I plan on cutting it down to the branch in the middle of the trunk. But the growth up top is nice too perhaps a air layer some day before I just cut it back.

 

[vp999]

I have similar AH and working on currently...from what I heard the branches takes a long time to thicken..not sure if this is true or not. Nice tree.

 

[Shogun610]

I have similar AH and working on currently...from what I heard the branches takes a long time to thicken..not sure if this is true or not. Nice tree.

Not too sure since these grow pretty fast for me .. not exact on the difference for growth rate for American Hornbeam vs European Hornbeam.. but they definitely thicken and grow faster than Korean Hornbeam

 

[Shogun610]

Thread grafted 4 branches today , will need to do more this spring soon when a native nursery near me opens and I can use the AH seedlings for more lower branches . I used a drill then sealed w a piece of wood and cut paste. I also cut back the top down to the new leader… and replenished some broken down soil. I’m not comfortable yet outing this in another pot . I want kore roots to develop close to the trunk , next season I will work on the roots. This year is focused on grafting and setting the structure

 

[Shogun610]

 

[Jcmmaple]

Hope they take for you, this year was my first attempt so we will see what happens. Love the progress though, looking good!

 

[Shogun610]

Beast

 

[Gabler]

The large vertical branch toward the left: that’s a sacrifice branch for the thread grafts, correct? Does it otherwise factor into your design, or is it purely a disposable tool for shaping other parts of the tree?

 

[Shogun610]

The large vertical branch toward the left: that’s a sacrifice branch for the thread grafts, correct? Does it otherwise factor into your design, or is it purely a disposable tool for shaping other parts of the tree?

Simply sacrifice unless I can get a bud to pop at that’s base.. then one day could be used as a back branch. , and if the other ends of the thread graft can survive afterwards that would be a bonus. I may need to get some other seedlings for graft work.

 

[Shogun610]

So far so good

 

[Shogun610]

 

[Shogun610]

Thread grafts are fattening up , by next growing season should be good to separate. But next spring I will be doing root work to reduce the roots and cutting back where new leader is to build taper.

 

[Shogun610]

It will still be another year with the thread grafts in but I need to do work on the roots and also the taper towards the leader