PIGLET CHAPTER 2

[MACH5]

You telling me it has not been eating vitamins and was a little pale in fall? Better treat this baby well. There will be a lot of internet fans very sad if next year you fail to deliver on the fall colors again.

Such a great tree. It keeps reminding me on the importance of tree size. Just the sheer amount of branches bring the message. Guess I am not a shohin person.

LOL ok I will try again next year! Other trees such as my maple#5 and Sharp's did not color up that well either. Interestingly Bill had said the same thing about his trees. Weather conditions I guess were not optimal this year at least in the Northeast US. It all goes with the 2020 theme I suppose!

I'm also not much of a shohin guy. I do recognized that they pose their own challenges and appreciate the work that goes into making them. They can be stunning and enjoy having a few in my garden. But creatively for me they are limiting.

 

[Jzack605]

So the “suckers” are root grafts? What is the purpose of wiring them?

 

[MACH5]

A very fine, subtle & surgical work. The result is stunning & so motivating

May i ask how many hours it took from the first pic to the final pic ?

Thanks clem! I could have cut this all back in a matter of a minute. But my own approach is much slower. I tend to work very slowly unless I am on the clock and doing work for a demo or a client. Counterintuitive to my own handle name! I put a lot of thought into each branch and their own direction, length, where is best to cut back to, etc, etc.

In any case, when I add up all the hours I would say about 12 hours or so. But this was divided into several days and not all in one go. On very large trees I often work for just a couple of hours and leave it for another day and come back fresh and re-examine the work making tweaks or further edits.

 

[MACH5]

So the “suckers” are root grafts? What is the purpose of wiring them?

Yes, they are seedlings that I grafted using the approach method to the mother tree. The reason they are wired is to bend them outwards and away from the tree's canopy so that they get enough light and air. Otherwise they will most likely weaken and die under the heavily shadowed conditions through the growing season.

 

[BobbyLane]

Thanks clem! I could have cut this all back in a matter of a minute. But my own approach is much slower. I tend to work very slowly unless I am on the clock and doing work for a demo or a client. Counterintuitive to my own handle name! I put a lot of thought into each branch and their own direction, length, where is best to cut back to, etc, etc.

In any case, when I add up all the hours I would say about 12 hours or so. But this was divided into several days and not all in one go. On very large trees I often work for just a couple of hours and leave it for another day and come back fresh and re-examine the work making tweaks or further edits.

I can definitely see this in your work, top stuff.

 

[clem]

Thanks clem! I could have cut this all back in a matter of a minute. But my own approach is much slower. I tend to work very slowly unless I am on the clock and doing work for a demo or a client. Counterintuitive to my own handle name! I put a lot of thought into each branch and their own direction, length, where is best to cut back to, etc, etc.

In any case, when I add up all the hours I would say about 12 hours or so. But this was divided into several days and not all in one go. On very large trees I often work for just a couple of hours and leave it for another day and come back fresh and re-examine the work making tweaks or further edits.

thanks. Do you use pics (or others things) to help you choose where to cut or how to position a branch etc, or do you see it directly on the real 3D tree ?

 

[MACH5]

thanks. Do you use pics (or others things) to help you choose where to cut or how to position a branch etc, or do you see it directly on the real 3D tree ?

Yes I use photos to help me pick out deficiencies or "flaws" in the design as I see them. It is an excellent tool as it flattens out the image picking out things that sometimes incredibly cannot be noticed while in front of your own tree.

Even the best of the best such as Ryan himself picks up things he doesn't like while looking at the monitor on his live streams.

 

[BobbyLane]

Yes I use photos to help me pick out deficiencies or "flaws" in the design as I see them. It is an excellent tool as it flattens out the image picking out things that sometimes incredibly cannot be noticed while in front of your own tree.

Even the best of the best such as Ryan himself picks up things he doesn't like while looking at the monitor on his live streams.

Taking photos is highly underrated. i do spot flaws all the time after looking at an image and often cringe at older photos of my trees. straight sections of branch tend to stick out more on a photo, but in person it might not look as bad. its an invaluable tool in the styling process

 

[Adair M]

Mach, you do great work!

But, I noticed you said you had defoliated it several times last summer. Now, I’m not the maple specialist, but if the tree were mine, I would have taken a different approach. Rather than defoliation, which I consider a “refinement technique”, I would have done repeated “grow out and cut backs”. The reason I would do it that way is the tree still has underdevloped primary branches. They need to build both girth and taper. In my opinion, tree is not ready for ramification yet. Defoliation creates smaller leaves and ramification, which isn’t necessary at this point.

I mean. The tree looks great! And you HAVE improved it a lot. I just think you can get to where you’re trying to go faster by not defoliating, and letting it do more growing, followed by cutting back.

Peter Tea gave a wonderful lecture to the Atlanta club about developing Tridents. He said that Tridents need to be developed in phases. Phase one is building the trunk. You definitely have that. Then Phase 2 is building the Primary branches. Phase 3 is building the secondary branches. Phase 4 is the ramification stage.

I see this tree as being in Phase 2. Building Primary branches. The “construction phases”, 1 thru 3, take a long time and are frustrating because everyone wants to get to Phase 4: ramification. Phase 4 is the easiest phase to accomplish, and that’s where defoliation helps. But to really build a quality tree, those earlier Phases must be completed first.

Peter told the story of his Trident that he owned before he went to Japan to study. He had it all ramified out. But, once he studied in Japan, he realized that his tree had inferior primary branch structure! When he returned to the US, he pretty much cut all the primary branches off to completely rebuild them using the “grow out, cut back” method, sacrificing years of ramification.

 

[BobbyLane]

I think one could see a significant improvement on the right side primarys in just one season if that side is positioned to get most of the sun and fed heavily, heavily as in a little at each watering and just left to extend. because of the subs, the left side is a little ahead, i think that side can be left to just ramification techniques while the right gets all the sun and extension.

 

[MACH5]

Here are a few close ups of some of the approach root grafts.

After removing the cut paste and inspecting the graft, it was clear that it had fused with the mother tree. To the left is another graft that had taken. It was cut off last August. I usually leave a small stub and let it die back naturally over the course of several months. Afterwards it is cut off flush against the nebari.






It was time now to remove the grafting nail.






Grafting nail removed.






The sapling was cut back to a small stump and allowed to dieback naturally. Behind it is another graft in progress and not ready yet to be cut off.






A close up of another graft. One can see clearly the cambial layers have fused together.






Here is another way to create roots. In this instance, I scored the bark making a horizontal thin groove about 1.5" long in this case. I applied some rooting hormone and then covered with sphagnum moss to keep it consistently damp. Within a period of about four weeks roots had emerged from the area.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Here are a few close ups of some of the approach root grafts.

After removing the cut paste and inspecting the graft, it was clear that it had fused with the mother tree. To the left is another graft that had taken. It was cut off last August. I usually leave a small stub and let it die back naturally over the course of several months. Afterwards it is cut off flush against the nebari.

View attachment 348290




It was time now to remove the grafting nail.

View attachment 348291




Grafting nail removed.

View attachment 348292




The sapling was cut back to a small stump and allowed to dieback naturally. Behind it is another graft in progress and not ready yet to be cut off.

View attachment 348293




A close up of another graft. One can see clearly the cambial layers have fused together.

View attachment 348296




Here is another way to create roots. In this instance, I scored the bark making a horizontal thin groove about 1.5" long in this case. I applied some rooting hormone and then covered with sphagnum moss to keep it consistently damp. Within a period of about four weeks roots had emerged from the area.

View attachment 348297

You seemed so proud of those roots when I visited your garden, congrats on the success!!!

 

[Carol 83]

You seemed so proud of those roots when I visited your garden, congrats on the success!!!

I think anybody would be proud!

 

[MACH5]

Mach, you do great work!

But, I noticed you said you had defoliated it several times last summer. Now, I’m not the maple specialist, but if the tree were mine, I would have taken a different approach. Rather than defoliation, which I consider a “refinement technique”, I would have done repeated “grow out and cut backs”. The reason I would do it that way is the tree still has underdevloped primary branches. They need to build both girth and taper. In my opinion, tree is not ready for ramification yet. Defoliation creates smaller leaves and ramification, which isn’t necessary at this point.

I mean. The tree looks great! And you HAVE improved it a lot. I just think you can get to where you’re trying to go faster by not defoliating, and letting it do more growing, followed by cutting back.

Peter Tea gave a wonderful lecture to the Atlanta club about developing Tridents. He said that Tridents need to be developed in phases. Phase one is building the trunk. You definitely have that. Then Phase 2 is building the Primary branches. Phase 3 is building the secondary branches. Phase 4 is the ramification stage.

I see this tree as being in Phase 2. Building Primary branches. The “construction phases”, 1 thru 3, take a long time and are frustrating because everyone wants to get to Phase 4: ramification. Phase 4 is the easiest phase to accomplish, and that’s where defoliation helps. But to really build a quality tree, those earlier Phases must be completed first.

Peter told the story of his Trident that he owned before he went to Japan to study. He had it all ramified out. But, once he studied in Japan, he realized that his tree had inferior primary branch structure! When he returned to the US, he pretty much cut all the primary branches off to completely rebuild them using the “grow out, cut back” method, sacrificing years of ramification.

Yes, indeed! I am always trying to learn and improve my methods so thank you for your input as always. Peter Tea's articles are excellent including the one about the tree he left behind!

I was not really trying to create fine ramification or smaller leaves at this point but create more options and give me the choices I needed to create better lines in the structure. Next year the plan is once again to let it run at least in a few specific areas. Sometimes my methods are now always methodical and I say this not necessarily as a form of pride but occasionally it does have its finer points

As always, I remain as open as the great blue sky!

 

[Adair M]

Yes, indeed! I am always trying to learn and improve my methods so thank you for your input as always. Peter Tea's articles are excellent including the one about the tree he left behind!

I was not really trying to create fine ramification or smaller leaves at this point but create more options and give me the choices I needed to create better lines in the structure. Next year the plan is once again to let it run at least in a few specific areas. Sometimes my methods are now always methodical and I say this not necessarily as a form of pride but occasionally it does have its finer points

As always, I remain as open as the great blue sky!

Cool. You’re doing great things with this tree, as you do with your others. Great work on the roots, by the way. I’m really glad you have this tree! I have every confidence you’ll make something spectacular! I have followed this tree ever since it was for sale at Don’s. I considered purchasing it, several times. But I recognised that I would not have the patience to do what needs to be done! LOL!!! (And here I am, recommending for you to have it! Oh!!! The irony!!!)

I hope you’re doing well, during these awkward times! I hope to see you soon at a big show! I have an appointment for the vaccine in a couple weeks! Until then, I’m staying put!

 

[MACH5]

Cool. You’re doing great things with this tree, as you do with your others. Great work on the roots, by the way. I’m really glad you have this tree! I have every confidence you’ll make something spectacular! I have followed this tree ever since it was for sale at Don’s. I considered purchasing it, several times. But I recognised that I would not have the patience to do what needs to be done! LOL!!! (And here I am, recommending for you to have it! Oh!!! The irony!!!)

I hope you’re doing well, during these awkward times! I hope to see you soon at a big show! I have an appointment for the vaccine in a couple weeks! Until then, I’m staying put!

Thank you and glad you are doing well. Happy you're getting the vaccine. I am well and taking it day by day. My two daughters were required to get the vaccine since they are both studying medicine.

I am hopeful to see you at some point this year. Cross fingers.

Despite what you might say I think you would have made a great tree out of it even though everyone knows you're "not a maple master"!

 

[MACH5]

You seemed so proud of those roots when I visited your garden, congrats on the success!!!

Well everyone likes to succeed and not fail. Even after doing many, it is never a sure thing and always grateful when things go right

 

[leatherback]

In this instance, I scored the bark making a horizontal thin groove about 1.5" long in this case. I applied some rooting hormone and then covered with sphagnum moss to keep it consistently damp. Within a period of about four weeks roots had emerged from the area.

Happy you are showing this. As you may have noticed, I am an advocate of reducing roots, planting deep and aiming for nebari development through sprouting new roots. In my view, something many people skip too quickly

 

[Adair M]

Thank you and glad you are doing well. Happy you're getting the vaccine. I am well and taking it day by day. My two daughters were required to get the vaccine since they are both studying medicine.

I am hopeful to see you at some point this year. Cross fingers.

Despite what you might say I think you would have made a great tree out of it even though everyone knows you're "not a maple master"!

Well... I do have the Mino Yatsabusa. And everyone thinks I shouldn’t! (Or, more precisely, that I’ve “grown it wrong”. LOL!!!

 

[MACH5]

Well... I do have the Mino Yatsabusa. And everyone thinks I shouldn’t! (Or, more precisely, that I’ve “grown it wrong”. LOL!!!

Well that's a tree that because of its rarity, age and quirky growth habits should be left and admired as is. I think you know well enough how deciduous trees grow to make those "right" decisions when necessary.