Species Study - Crataegus aestivalis

[Cajunrider]

A quick process check to see how we are doing. The progress so far.

• Collection process: After collection of 3 dozens of trees, I find the species is extremely easy to collect in growing season. We can aggressively chop the top and bottom. Just water it well and keep it in the shade for about 2-3 weeks. Once the buds break and the leaves come out, we can transition it to full sun easily. Root growth is aggressive and can tolerate a lot of moisture.
• Testing of putting the collected tree in bonsai soil at collection time to prevent long root formation is in progress. We'll know in a few months.
• Soft wood cutting is a given. Commercial growers have done that for ages. No test attempted in this subject.
• Hard wood cuttings: Just getting started. I have about 10 good size hard wood cuttings (1" to 2.5" in diameter) in pots. They were given a tiny bit of rooting hormone and then stuck in moist soil, no humidity tent attempted. One of the earliest hard wood cutting grew a lot of foliage. I haven't checked for fear of killing it but I think it likely has developed some roots. If the hard wood cutting works then we can definitely speed up the development of trunk.
• I have 3 root cuttings in pots. We will see the results in a few weeks.
• Scar healing remains to be checked in a more controlled environment. Observed at the grove, the trees heal relatively well. However, ants love the sap of Mayhaw and I have found them in many of the cuts. Whether that has any effect on the healing is not known.
• Observed at the grove, trunk fuse is very easy as well. I dug up several trees with big 3" trunks that look completely whole like they were a single tree. Yet when I examine them down below, I found them to be multiple trees that fuse together so well they are one at the top.
• I just attempted one raft. However, I think it is a given that this species will easily develop a raft. I found several trees broken down by storm with roots developed in the middle of the trunk on the underside.

Next in the list of things on the horticulture side I will try is grafting. That probably won't happen until next year but I imagine this species will graft very well.

Wiring: Young branches wire as expected. They bend readily but is tender and prone to breaking. I might go to the grove later and attempt aggressive bending (hollowing or split then bend) on some big branches to see how they respond.

 

[Cajunrider]

1” hard wood cutting


2” hard wood cutting

 

[HorseloverFat]

Whoah!!

The notification for this one must've got "buried" in my list.

I've noticed that weak/recovering Cratageus around me are a big aphid draw.

With all those project Mayhaws and cuttings (nice job, by the way) it might be in your best interest to pre-treat... and aphid season is like NOW.. up here.

Just a thought.

They are all looking great and I want the most possible success for you.

 

[Cajunrider]

Whoah!!

The notification for this one must've got "buried" in my list.

I've noticed that weak/recovering Cratageus around me are a big aphid draw.

With all those project Mayhaws and cuttings (nice job, by the way) it might be in your best interest to pre-treat... and aphid season is like NOW.. up here.

Just a thought.

They are all looking great and I want the most possible success for you.

Yep. Insect loves the sweet sap from Mayhaw. I now have a bottle of Neem & soap in my back pocket when checking my Mayhaw to nip them in the bud as soon as they show.

 

[Cajunrider]

1” hard wood cutting
View attachment 442494

2” hard wood cutting
View attachment 442496
View attachment 442495

The 1” cutting foliage growth slowed down. I suspect the growth expended all the energy reserved in the cutting. It remains to be seen whether the roots will develop to sustain the cutting. I think it is at the balance. The very hot summer weather doesn’t help. Whatever doesn’t kill it makes it stronger?


The big 2” cutting grew a big bud down low in the past 24 hrs. If big cuttings take reliably, it is a game changer.

 

[Cajunrider]

A quick process check to see how we are doing. The progress so far.

• Collection process: After collection of 3 dozens of trees, I find the species is extremely easy to collect in growing season. We can aggressively chop the top and bottom. Just water it well and keep it in the shade for about 2-3 weeks. Once the buds break and the leaves come out, we can transition it to full sun easily. Root growth is aggressive and can tolerate a lot of moisture.
• Testing of putting the collected tree in bonsai soil at collection time to prevent long root formation is in progress. We'll know in a few months.
• Soft wood cutting is a given. Commercial growers have done that for ages. No test attempted in this subject.
• Hard wood cuttings: Just getting started. I have about 10 good size hard wood cuttings (1" to 2.5" in diameter) in pots. They were given a tiny bit of rooting hormone and then stuck in moist soil, no humidity tent attempted. One of the earliest hard wood cutting grew a lot of foliage. I haven't checked for fear of killing it but I think it likely has developed some roots. If the hard wood cutting works then we can definitely speed up the development of trunk.
• I have 3 root cuttings in pots. We will see the results in a few weeks.
• Scar healing remains to be checked in a more controlled environment. Observed at the grove, the trees heal relatively well. However, ants love the sap of Mayhaw and I have found them in many of the cuts. Whether that has any effect on the healing is not known.
• Observed at the grove, trunk fuse is very easy as well. I dug up several trees with big 3" trunks that look completely whole like they were a single tree. Yet when I examine them down below, I found them to be multiple trees that fuse together so well they are one at the top.
• I just attempted one raft. However, I think it is a given that this species will easily develop a raft. I found several trees broken down by storm with roots developed in the middle of the trunk on the underside.

Next in the list of things on the horticulture side I will try is grafting. That probably won't happen until next year but I imagine this species will graft very well.

Wiring: Young branches wire as expected. They bend readily but is tender and prone to breaking. I might go to the grove later and attempt aggressive bending (hollowing or split then bend) on some big branches to see how they respond.

Root cutting is a bust. I had 3 nicely preserved roots with decent size (3/4" to 1.25") that still have small feeder roots on them. I planted them in the same media that I use very successfully for the trees. No bud or any sign of life after 3 weeks. The trees collected at the same time are already budding.
Raft is iffy. I collected several trees and laid one down for a raft. The raft does not show any sign of life while the trees are already budding. When I set it down perfectly horizontal and there is no hydraulic pressure to trigger the tree to push growth, the tree just die? I am still watching this thing. I hope it lives.

 

[Cajunrider]

Root cutting is a bust. I had 3 nicely preserved roots with decent size (3/4" to 1.25") that still have small feeder roots on them. I planted them in the same media that I use very successfully for the trees. No bud or any sign of life after 3 weeks. The trees collected at the same time are already budding.
Raft is iffy. I collected several trees and laid one down for a raft. The raft does not show any sign of life while the trees are already budding. When I set it down perfectly horizontal and there is no hydraulic pressure to trigger the tree to push growth, the tree just die? I am still watching this thing. I hope it lives.

I made a statement and a root decides to make a liar out of me by sprouting shoots in two days.

 

[Cajunrider]

So far 50% of my hard wood cuttings have budded. Given the hot weather and the fact that I won't be around for the next two weeks to take care of them, I wonder how many will stay alive. However, I think that with due care, Mayhaw hard wood cutting will root.
2 out of 3 of my root cuttings have also budded. I think their survival rate will be higher than that of hard wood cuttings.
Collected trees planted in moisture laden potting soil bud 3-4 weeks after collection. Root growth is commensurate with top growth. Success rate is 100%. Confident of success is very high given the sample size.
Collected trees planted in bonsai soil and thoroughly watered twice a day have not shown any bud after 5 weeks. So far I am standing at a fat zero for a sample size of 8. I am sure some will bud.
Shoots from collected trees are growing about 1/2" to 3/4" per day. My first collected tree has a leader 36" long 3/8" at the base already.

Some time next month I will try hardwood cutting start in water in very diluted root hormone solution. We will see how that goes

 

[HorseloverFat]

So far 50% of my hard wood cuttings have budded. Given the hot weather and the fact that I won't be around for the next two weeks to take care of them, I wonder how many will stay alive. However, I think that with due care, Mayhaw hard wood cutting will root.
2 out of 3 of my root cuttings have also budded. I think their survival rate will be higher than that of hard wood cuttings.
Collected trees planted in moisture laden potting soil bud 3-4 weeks after collection. Root growth is commensurate with top growth. Success rate is 100%. Confident of success is very high given the sample size.
Collected trees planted in bonsai soil and thoroughly watered twice a day have not shown any bud after 5 weeks. So far I am standing at a fat zero for a sample size of 8. I am sure some will bud.
Shoots from collected trees are growing about 1/2" to 3/4" per day. My first collected tree has a leader 36" long 3/8" at the base already.

Some time next month I will try hardwood cutting start in water in very diluted root hormone solution. We will see how that goes

Hardwood Hawthorn cuttings have tricked me, before..

Just be wary.



I really admire and appreciate the work you are doing with this species... keep it up!

 

[Cajunrider]

80% of hard wood cuttings budded. None died after budding yet. The first one declined a little in the heat after budding but has since recovered. A big 2.5” cutting has also budded.


A 2” cutting laid down horizontally for a raft took 6 weeks but it also budded.

 

[HorseloverFat]

80% of hard wood cuttings budded. None died after budding yet. The first one declined a little in the heat after budding but has since recovered. A big 2.5” cutting has also budded.
View attachment 446109

A 2” cutting laid down horizontally for a raft took 6 weeks but it also budded.
View attachment 446110

Hehe!

Planning on doing some from seed?... complete the "knowledge spectrum" for complete "Mayhaw Dominion"?

 

[Cajunrider]

Hehe!

Planning on doing some from seed?... complete the "knowledge spectrum" for complete "Mayhaw Dominion"?

So far it has been a horticultural exercise. The results so far show that Mayhaw is very resilient and easy to propagate. I am skipping the seed growing because it should be dead easy. Put the seeds in moist soil, water often, and they will grow.

The bonsai training is to follow with broom, formal, informal, raft, and cascade. I suspect cascade would be tough. All the downward branches I see in the wild die. Perhaps it is because those branches get little sunshine. Time will tell.

So far I have a bunch of informals, 2 rafts, and 2 brooms. Formal is always tough. I may not try it either.

 

[Cajunrider]

All the hard wood cuttings are still doing well. None seem to want to die yet.
I put 4 large 2-2.5 cuttings into a 5 gallon bucket half full of a very diluted rooting hormone solution. We will see if they would root in water probably in 4 weeks

 

[Cajunrider]

@Shibui 's post on trunk fusing prompted me to make this post.
From my observation on the trees I've dug, it appears that Mayhaw trunk fusing is pretty easy. I've encountered multiple trees that obviously started out as a bunch of shoots from the roots of a much larger trees. The shoots quickly fuse together to form bigger trunk to send big branches away from the canopy of the big tree so the fused tree can survive. I have also encountered multiple crossing branches that fuse together as well.

 

[Cajunrider]

Trunk fuse. This 3” trunk was formed from natural fusing of multiple smaller ones.

 

[Cajunrider]

My cuttings of Mayhaw often ooze sweet sticky sap. The fire ants love the sap. It appears the trunk stores lots of carbohydrate. No wonder this thing buds so readily.

 

[Cajunrider]

I would say this is definitive proof that hard wood cutting is easy with Mayhaw.

 

[Cajunrider]

All the hard wood cuttings are still doing well. None seem to want to die yet.
I put 4 large 2-2.5 cuttings into a 5 gallon bucket half full of a very diluted rooting hormone solution. We will see if they would root in water probably in 4 weeks
View attachment 447077

We have buds on the top for all the cuttings in water. There is no root yet however.

 

[BobbyLane]

Trunk fuse. This 3” trunk was formed from natural fusing of multiple smaller ones.
View attachment 447300
View attachment 447301
View attachment 447302

To me that looks more like a thick tap root in the middle going straight down and the roots surrounding it also shooting straight down and thickening up.

this to me is more like a few trunks that grew together in the early stages and then fused. you can see if you look closely, and a lot of hornbeams grow like this. you'll only notice by looking closely. the far left trunk has competed with the bigger ones for years and now theyve all formed one masterpiece.

 

[Cajunrider]

To me that looks more like a thick tap root in the middle going straight down and the roots surrounding it also shooting straight down and thickening up.

this to me is more like a few trunks that grew together in the early stages and then fused. you can see if you look closely, and a lot of hornbeams grow like this. you'll only notice by looking closely. the far left trunk has competed with the bigger ones for years and now theyve all formed one masterpiece.

All I can say is that I saw the tree before digging it up and saw the roots when I got it out of the ground. It was definitely a trunk fuse of multiple trees for the Mayhaw I dug up. If you look at the 1st and second picture in my particular post, you will see that a younger tree some how found its way to be included in the trunk of an older tree. When I look at the roots, the roots for the young tree were distinct from the roots of the main trunk. It was obvious to me that a seed fell close to the main tree and germinated. The resulting young tree then was pretty much included into the bigger tree.