Help with a field dug Texas Mexican Plum.

[Wirefence]

Any and everyone’s input is welcomed.

Pictured is a field dug, native to Texas, Mexican Plum. It has been in the pot for a year. It will bud back and does not sucker. As can be seen, there is one large original trunk broken before being dug. A lower branch took over at about 6” from the base and a vigorous branch budded on the old trunk crossing over at about 12”. The lower branch is vertical and has very little flex to it.

Two large roots extend from one side. In your opinion, what should be cut and where, what style etc.? The fuit ripens in the fall an is about an inch+ in diameter. Flowers are very fragrant in the spring

 

[sorce]

Nice.

Welcome to Crazy!

Maybe not soon...
But I'd keep the barked trunk, and cut the other.

Saw a video where a car cut off a bicycle and dude hit a @Wirefence , weird to see fence after wire and not me.

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I agree with @sorce the first branch, the very straight branch needs to go. Keep the older main trunk.

When I am unsure what to do, I plan my tree in thirds. First third is the main trunk, second third is the main branches, last third is 2nd & 3rd branching, and leaves. So think about how large a bonsai you want to have. Terminate (prune off) the main trunk somewhere around one third the final height you want. I do not see any of the current branches being part of your finished tree. Just reduce it to the length of trunk you need, and then grow out what you need.

At least that is how I would plan this beast. There are no hard an fast rules, but in terms of visual design, the "thirds" plan does lead to a believable tree, eventually.

Nice material. My local native plum is famous for suckering. Too bad the Mexican plum is "not quite" winter hardy here. I don't have room for more trees requiring winter protect, my well house is full.

 

[Wirefence]

Here are updated photos. Thanks for contributing your expertise. I left the top of the main trunk to see where the back buds will appear below it.

 

[Michael P]

Hoping to revive this thread and hear from others with this species. Last spring I acquired four collected seedlings, ranging from 12" to 30" tall. I reduced the tap root and potted them in Root Maker pots. Our summer was especially brutal and they did not grow much, but they are still alive.

Does anyone have any suggestions for developing Mexican plum? They are common natives here and I have grown them as landscape trees but never as bonsai. In fact I have only seen one as bonsai and that was decades ago.

 

[rockm]

Hoping to revive this thread and hear from others with this species. Last spring I acquired four collected seedlings, ranging from 12" to 30" tall. I reduced the tap root and potted them in Root Maker pots. Our summer was especially brutal and they did not grow much, but they are still alive.

Does anyone have any suggestions for developing Mexican plum? They are common natives here and I have grown them as landscape trees but never as bonsai. In fact I have only seen one as bonsai and that was decades ago.

I dug one up in East Texas a long time ago at a relative's ranch. It grew in an adjacent field among hundreds of others had a three inch diameter trunk so it underwent considerable root reduction--removed all roots to within five inches of the trunk. Plunked it in a bucket with bonsai soil and very large drainage holes. Had to leave it in their care of others since I was only visiting. The caretakers of the tree watered it and cared for it in their backyard for a year. In that time, the damn thing's roots escaped the pot, sending out root suckers and tried to colonize the backyard. They finally had to take a bush hog to the whole thing to get rid of it.

All that means is that this species is pretty vigorous and can take a lot of abuse. I wouldn't start with seedlings, if you have them around in the landscape. In early spring you can collect rather large specimens simply by sawing them out of the ground with only a few feeder roots. I'd treat the species as you would other prunus, hard pruning to develop branching, deeper pots to retain moisture in the heat, etc.

 

[Michael P]

Thanks! I've been looking for one to collect, but no luck so far. As landscape trees here they don't make root sprouts unless pruned drastically or otherwise damaged. The sandy soil of East Texas may encourage root sprouts while the heavy clay of my area may inhibit them.