Liquidambar #97 - (Sweetgum)

Orion_metalhead · Aug 25, 2023

So, this Sweetgum was growing in a crotch by my side gate and house. Its been beaten up for a few years by the gate. Figured it is a good candidate for one of my new grow boxes. Has some interesting corky bark showing up and decent potential. Im going to grow it out as an informal upright modelled after your typical street trees.

Original home:

New Home:

Under bench for some time to get stabilized.

Corky-ness:

Soil mix: compost, pea gravel, perlite. Quick draining, very water retentive... cheap! Been using this mix for a lot of grow out/pre-bonsai to good effect.

Bonsai Nut · Aug 26, 2023

I love sweetgums, but your challenge is going to be with the leggy alternate growth. I haven't really had the chance to mess with them yet, but I have a ton growing in my landscape that I plan on experimenting on. Great fall color, and some individuals can have really corky bark.

Orion_metalhead · Aug 26, 2023

Thanks Bnut. For now. Im just going tongo gentle, get a feel for the tree, let it grow out, think of future design.

I know they are supposed to get nice fall color... as a kid there were a row of them a street over. We used to chuck the spikey balls at each other for fun. Lol

Gabler · Aug 29, 2023

Bonsai Nut said:
I love sweetgums, but your challenge is going to be with the leggy alternate growth. I haven't really had the chance to mess with them yet, but I have a ton growing in my landscape that I plan on experimenting on. Great fall color, and some individuals can have really corky bark.

I have a few in early development. I'm finding the first two nodes are short, and those nodes get longer the farther the branch extends. It'll take a lot of successive chops to develop the trunk(s) and branches, but the end result should be well tapered.

Also, while it's true they have an alternate leaf pattern, each node will have two dormant buds on either side of each branch shoulder. Chopping a branch all the way back to the shoulder will reliably prompt both those dormant buds to push, sometimes even three or four buds. In effect, you can turn it into a tree with opposite leaf arrangement. A hard trunk chop on old wood will induce the same effect, provided the roots are healthy. If you chop at collection, expect the tree to die back all the way to an active bud.

Overall, they grow and thicken fairly fast, and they flush multiple times per season, fairly late into the summer. They need lots of water and lots of fertilizer, and they prefer acidic soil, or at least acid fertilizer. I use Holly Tone to keep them green.

Orion_metalhead · Sep 26, 2023

Starting to show fall colors. I think its a safe collrction now. Lost some leaves but tree would be bare by this point if its not going to make it, i think.