new projects for spring

[will0911]

I went to the local nursery and bought these three 7 gallon crape myrtles. All I have done is cleared out the roots and cleaned up the top and cut them down to where I wanna start next spring.

First one: I chose this because of the good surface roots and it had a good flare that I could build some taper off of.

After being cut down and cleaned out somewhat:

Comments? The roots are better than the picture shows it was getting dark and its a camera phone...

 

[will0911]

Next one,

I chose this tree because I don't know if you can tell from the pictures but it really does have good shape and the trunk seems like it goes another three or so inches in the soil! I will have to carve this tree a bit but that's ok.

And after cutting it down and cleaning a little around the roots :

Comments?

One more!

 

[will0911]

Last one I bought because this one obviously has the best nebari. I will need to carve this one too which be a major feature on it.

After chop and clean:

Comments....

Thanks for reading!

Will B.

 

[stacy allen muse]

I think you have some good potential here, I wouldn't of cut right now, seeing that it is a little too warm here still, and these trees haven't yet gone dormant. Be sure to keep in mind, that any new growth will definetly need protecting from this comming winter. If not it will die, setting back your tree's recovery.

What you have done so far looks good, just your timing is a little off. I know how hard it is to resist !!!

Keep us posted !!!

 

[will0911]

They should be fine...but it is late...and you're right I couldn't resist! Im building a green house and ill put them in there for a little while! Thanks for the comments!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

EXCELLENT BASE on that last one! This is what it's all about folks. If you're doing nursery crawls, this is what you're looking for, and you kept exactly the right amount....great pick. Now trim that first cut back further to get a smooth taper to the second section of trunk, let it heal over, and grow it out for a year or two to get that next section of trunk established. IF you repot it in the spring, get it in something flat and wide, comb those roots out radially and keep that nebari flaring.

 

[will0911]

Yes sir mr. Brian! That's the plan I had! But, could you explain the trimming back part more...I don't think I should cut more this year I was gonna wait till a bud popped where I wanted then grow it out and carve to give more taper...is that the same thing you said just you said it better

 

[will0911]

its been awhile...

so it has been a few years since i posted on this thread. To get everyone up to date this is the only one of these three trees that i still have. Today i decided it needed to get out the nursery pot finally and into a bonsai pot. It has excellent nebari...well for my standards anyways...and has great taper that i will continue to work on. I know someone might say its late to repot or not a good time but it needed to be repotted and so i did it. I have confidence it will be fine and ill post another update as it starts to recover and grow out more. let me know what you think. This is probably the best pre bonsai material i have at the moment.

 

[will0911]

some more

here are the last three...

 

[will0911]

most likely gonna lose that wired branch and go for a broom style....

 

[MrFancyPlants]

That is a nice trunk. Was it the third tree from the original photos? At first I didn't realize you had an update to an older thread, and I was going to note that I thought you chopped those trunks in just the right spots. Dare I ask what happened to the other two? I enjoy an off season repotting and think this one will do just fine for you. I would keep the wired branch for now although I am not adverse to a broom either. It would take years for it to have any impact on the nice taper you have going anyways, right?

 

[will0911]

That is a nice trunk. Was it the third tree from the original photos?

Thanks. And, these are all three crape myrtles.

At first I didn't realize you had an update to an older thread, and I was going to note that I thought you chopped those trunks in just the right spots. Dare I ask what happened to the other two?

The short of it is they are dead...personal situations happened and they were not watered along with my entire collection...so i have started over and have been posting a few over the past couple of days. i had some great stuff too...owell onto to better things!

I enjoy an off season repotting and think this one will do just fine for you. I would keep the wired branch for now although I am not adverse to a broom either. It would take years for it to have any impact on the nice taper you have going anyways, right?

Ill keep it until spring at which time i will either keep it or cut it...im going for a more informal broom/ natural styled tree...if that makes sense...something that looks good without leaves but also with them.

 

[will0911]

pictures of the repot..

forgot to post pictures of the repot yesterday...this might also help someone who is afraid to severely reduce the roots on crape myrtles...i do this alot when i take them out of nursery pots for the first time.

Not saying you have to do this but ive never experienced anything bad from doing this.

these first five are of the roots uncovered and about 1/4 of the root ball just sawed off. i tend to take the root ball of in sections just in case there is a big trunk stuck in there or the nebari is better further down. wouldnt want to cut them off by sawing the rootball in half the first go around.

 

[will0911]

These next photos are of the root ball fairly reduced and somewhat combed out. I'd say more than 75% of the roots are gone...

 

[will0911]

And the last ones are right before it goes into the pot. As you can see i have cleaned out the tangled mess that was underneath this guy before. I usually do this with most of the crape myrtles i get from the nursery. they always bounce back and give me a lot of growth afterwards. again not saying everyone should do this just maybe itll be easier for you to take off 40-50% now that you know what these trees can handle and still thrive.

hope this helps