Crabapple progression

[MHBonsai]

In 2017 I made an order with Brent with evergreen gardenworks for a one gallon malus… I think it is a sugar tyme variety. It was kind of a strange double trunk that I didn’t know what to do with and I knew I wanted size so I dropped into the ground for a season.



It’s thickened up really fast in the ground like I expected. I tried to tourniquet a section to prepare for an air layer but ended up giving up on it.

Following year I dug it up to put it into a pot. Really rough roots.





I did the basic chops and went hard on the roots to get it flat. I was not sure it would survive the potting. It made it…but still hardly flowered. I did not really like the two trunk vision, and rechopped into a father/daughter thought.





Again went hard to get the root mass flat. Got some branching started. Basically I cut back everything to one or two nodes to keep the growth tight every year.






Each year the flowers are getting better and better.



Spring of 2022 it really started to pop.





Tons of apples but few if any make it through the year. I’m not sure how to keep them healthy. I struggle with cedar apple rust with this tree which may cause them to die off.

 

[penumbra]

Really nice progression.

 

[MHBonsai]

Just dropped leaves. Next year I’ll get it into a more colorful pot.

 

[MHBonsai]

Getting it to ramify is slow and steady. I think I’m not quite, but almost doubling branching each year. I cut back late spring and fall and let it run otherwise.

 

[jandslegate]

Beautiful tree! This is insightful,I have a quite a few that I've been working on and this is really helpful. Mine all have really gnarly trunks and root bases. That I imagine would be considered flaws.I suppose it takes away from the elegance but I like the character it gives. Another really cool thing about them is how they're fairly easy to prop. Again, wonderful progress. I especially love the image of it in flower.

 

[MHBonsai]

Beautiful tree! This is insightful,I have a quite a few that I've been working on and this is really helpful. Mine all have really gnarly trunks and root bases. That I imagine would be considered flaws.I suppose it takes away from the elegance but I like the character it gives. Another really cool thing about them is how they're fairly easy to prop. Again, wonderful progress. I especially love the image of it in flower.

Yeah I love the gnarly trunks and bark when they mature.

I have several spots that trunk chops and big branch cuts i found when I was cleaning up for this fall I noticed they were rotting out. I keep them sealed with the gray putty and have some uros now that I thought might heal over…I just dig them out to make it a feature.

 

[Vincent Tanner]

This is so awesome to see! I have five crabapples from Brent, and they’re all due to get their first root work and chops this coming Spring. Your tree is inspiration!

 

[ChefB]

I just got a crabapple from Brent a couple of weeks ago, a Mary Potter variety. It is currently in my mini fridge with a white pine and a red maple that came from Canada. The work you’ve done to your tree has certainly taken it up a couple notches. Well done.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

This is a beautiful tree! I love it!

 

[MHBonsai]

Repot time. It fills the pot every year pretty well. I might be able to go every other but I’m still sorting the roots.







Back side has a funny crossing root section that I’ve never liked. I cut it down some. I’m not sure it will ever really close this wound, but it looks better than it was and flows to the soil smoothly.

Overall I’m really pleased.

 

[MHBonsai]

It will hit peak flower in about a week. I love this phase the best though when the pink flower buds are opening.







And new shoes. Love this pot. I’ve wanted this tree in a pot that can have multiple fronts.

 

[MHBonsai]

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice job!

 

[MHBonsai]

 

[Pitoon]

Very nice! Is it not top heavy in such a small pot?

 

[MHBonsai]

Very nice! Is it not top heavy in such a small pot?

Thank you. Flowers are light! There is actually quite a bit of soil in the pot, and it’s a deep/stout bonsai pot. Chunky trunk down low helps too.

That being said, I always tie it down to the bench with wire in case of a storm.

 

[Shogun610]

IMO. I did like the rectangle pot better , it gave you more room for growing the branches out more and bifurcation. But overall nice tree.

 

[MHBonsai]

IMO. I did like the rectangle pot better , it gave you more room for growing the branches out more and bifurcation. But overall nice tree.

I appreciate the feedback! In think the final pot will be a bit wider for this reason. Should look good bare in the winter, hopefully with some apples!

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

This is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

 

[shinmai]

That is one beautiful and robustly healthy tree! Congratulations—your hard work and attention to detail is paying off.
As to pots…personally, I think it would look fabulous in an oval or soft rectangle in ruri blue. I think that deep blue would make the white blossoms look just brilliant by contrast. That being said, I will admit to bias…fully 80% of my pots are various shades of blue.