This Cercidiphyllum japonicum stump spent several years in a corner of the back yard in the garden centre where I work, and for the last 3 I've been watching it rot, hoping it would gain character. The owner told me I can have it, and to show him what I can do with it, so I started some work on it. The stump was ~72cm/28in tall, 11cm/4.3in wide and is planted in a large tub ~66cm/~26in in diameter, filled with a heavy, sticky clay soil mixed with pumice pebbles. I think it was imported into Scotland from Italy, as we often buy specimen shrubs and trees from Vannucci in Tuscany, and they use pumice pebbles. After removing all the weeds from the pot (there were raspberry and blackberry plants growing in it...) I started digging lightly for a root flare, and noticed how fragile the structure of this tree actually is. As fine new roots were ripping, I think I'd better not expose the base of the trunk until the soil is dry enough, which will take some time, but I'm going to leave it under cover for three weeks before further inspection and eventual repotting in early spring.
Some interesting details of what was going on with the roots were visible though, like what had happened to this section, which, was separated from the rest of the live wood by decay, healed over, and is becoming almost a trunk.
I then began removing all the rotten wood, which turned out to be more than I thought. I used a flat screwdriver and pliers to do a rough quick job and reach hard wood, I will refine with carving tools when it will be dry. I did remove some still-solid wood to start adjusting proportions. This below is a frontal view of the hollowed-out trunk, but not the best front for the tree in my opinion.
The back of the trunk shows the extent of the live tissue and dead wood and current branch position. I marked in green the part of the nebari I am pretty sure is alive, orange for the part I still can't tell and red for what I'm pretty sure is dead. There is still a lot of wet, yet still solid dead wood present.
Here below there's what I think could be a good front for this tree, as I am already considering reducing the dead wood mass opposite the live vein and on top of it. I have done a lot of reading these days about preserving deciduous deadwood -which I have never really done before on something so damaged- and I've found a variety of ways and products. There are a couple of wet rot wood hardeners here in the UK I could use, other than simply bleaching or liming, so I'd appreciate some suggestions on what you would feel best and safe using on a tree like this.
Finally, here's a sketch I made to have a think about where to possibly take this unique tree. Obviously all depends on how much wood I manage/decide to retain, as that's what gives this tree a feeling of size and age. I've worked on Cercidiphyllum for a while now and I've found it to be a vigorous species with long, straight shoots which become brittle as they set, opposite leaves and long internodes. It's challenging, but I have also seen incredibly beautiful old ones on this forum, and trees in the parks to take inspiration from. the main trunk line in the sketch is not finished as I don't know how tall a tree I'll end up with (as I still don't know how wide the trunk base will be after repot).
I'm quite excited about this tree and hope I will be able to give it a new life and turn it into something pleasant. Any thoughts?
-ThornBc
Some interesting details of what was going on with the roots were visible though, like what had happened to this section, which, was separated from the rest of the live wood by decay, healed over, and is becoming almost a trunk.
I then began removing all the rotten wood, which turned out to be more than I thought. I used a flat screwdriver and pliers to do a rough quick job and reach hard wood, I will refine with carving tools when it will be dry. I did remove some still-solid wood to start adjusting proportions. This below is a frontal view of the hollowed-out trunk, but not the best front for the tree in my opinion.
The back of the trunk shows the extent of the live tissue and dead wood and current branch position. I marked in green the part of the nebari I am pretty sure is alive, orange for the part I still can't tell and red for what I'm pretty sure is dead. There is still a lot of wet, yet still solid dead wood present.
Here below there's what I think could be a good front for this tree, as I am already considering reducing the dead wood mass opposite the live vein and on top of it. I have done a lot of reading these days about preserving deciduous deadwood -which I have never really done before on something so damaged- and I've found a variety of ways and products. There are a couple of wet rot wood hardeners here in the UK I could use, other than simply bleaching or liming, so I'd appreciate some suggestions on what you would feel best and safe using on a tree like this.
Finally, here's a sketch I made to have a think about where to possibly take this unique tree. Obviously all depends on how much wood I manage/decide to retain, as that's what gives this tree a feeling of size and age. I've worked on Cercidiphyllum for a while now and I've found it to be a vigorous species with long, straight shoots which become brittle as they set, opposite leaves and long internodes. It's challenging, but I have also seen incredibly beautiful old ones on this forum, and trees in the parks to take inspiration from. the main trunk line in the sketch is not finished as I don't know how tall a tree I'll end up with (as I still don't know how wide the trunk base will be after repot).
I'm quite excited about this tree and hope I will be able to give it a new life and turn it into something pleasant. Any thoughts?
-ThornBc
