Korean Hornbeam - First Tree

[dtkabardin]

Picked up this Korean hornbeam, this is my first “serious” purchase. I decided to be done with the phase where I buy $20 sticks and then end up with a bunch of trees I don’t like.
I picked this one out for the nebari, base, and the movement up top.

 

[jesse3489]

This looks like a great start! I love starting from nothing, but it is really nice to look out at all of your material and see some trees that are already starting to LOOK like a tree. I have ALOT of young material that will take at least 5 years or so before they start to look nice but I also have quite a few larger more developed trees to enjoy while im trucking on the smaller ones.

 

[BobbyLane]

My first tree was a Carmona, that I kept inside, so you're doing way better than I did for my first tree!

 

[JudyB]

Congrats! It’s freeing to shed the $20 tree habit. You may have fewer trees, but better ones.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nice score...the tables just turned. You are personally now building your collection . It will be the trees ones think of you when they see them.

 

[dtkabardin]

Thank you all! What would you personally do with this next season? I’m going to let it grow until I have a definite plan. My thinking is the area on the middle right looks a bit bare, maybe a graft?

 

[rockm]

Keep your hands off for the first year. Learn what it needs. Don’t be tempted to start “designing” it just because it’s a nice tree.

There is a very nice tree in there if you have the patience to have it reveal itself and not force things all at once. That is what happens with more advanced material. Instead of trying to envision what a seedling may look like ten years from now material like this takes some time to show you all its possibilities.

 

[Dav4]

Thank you all! What would you personally do with this next season? I’m going to let it grow until I have a definite plan. My thinking is the area on the middle right looks a bit bare, maybe a graft?

I’d stare at it for a few months before making any big moves design wise. Perhaps a repot, too

Fwiw I have stared at new but substantial stock for years before pulling the trigger on any significant work

 

[dtkabardin]

Keep your hands off for the first year. Learn what it needs. Don’t be tempted to start “designing” it just because it’s a nice tree.

There is a very nice tree in there if you have the patience to have it reveal itself and not force things all at once. That is what happens with more advanced material. Instead of trying to envision what a seedling may look like ten years from now material like this takes some time to show you all its possibilities.

Thanks for the advice! Do you recommend a year just to let it settle in, or to learn to care for it? I did care for a Korean hornbeam prebonsai for the last year just to learn how to care for them, and feel like I have a decent grasp.

 

[dtkabardin]

I’d stare at it for a few months before making any big moves design wise. Perhaps a repot, too

Sound advice. I’ve mentally designed and redesigned lots of my trees without having actually touched them, and grateful that I didn’t rush into things plenty of times.

 

[rockm]

Thanks for the advice! Do you recommend a year just to let it settle in, or to learn to care for it? I did care for a Korean hornbeam prebonsai for the last year just to learn how to care for them, and feel like I have a decent grasp.

It wasn’t THIS tree though. There’s a difference in soil type and needs. More developed trees don’t necessarily have the same fertilization requirements as a younger tree in fast growth. It depends on what you want to do with it.

At this point learn to keep it healthy not necessarily growing like a weed.