'Sumo' Style Beech

[BobbyLane]

Here's a collected Beech recently purchased, the tree is two years from collection...

the bark shows great character for Beech,
20180612_230954 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180612_234202 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i have a few stumpy brooms, so i wanted to take a different approach with this, i felt removing one of the big sub trunks would give me good taper and an informal trunk line
20180613_134115 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

so removed the least interesting sub trunk..
20180613_190746 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

20180613_190934 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i needed to do a little more carving to bring out the movement in the trunk and further enhance the taper, rather than chop the left side at a slant(that would of left me with no branches on that side!)

the carving was needed to enhance the lines
2018-06-14_06-18-52 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

but no need to over do it and i think the material already shows great age and character, the base is even better under the soil line..
20180614_174013 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

20180614_174659 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180614_174229 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the top is rotting, water was gathering in the hole, the added Uro's help the water to drain out....
20180614_174330 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

carving the leader
2018-06-14_06-21-54 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

20180614_174511 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

ive left a few branch stubs on the tree, i expect budding from the nodes....sometimes beech do and sometimes they dont, but it wont matter, because the basic branch structure is now set, any stubs that bud out give me more options to increase leaf volume and ramification...
20180614_174829 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

2018-06-14_06-20-39 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

video link

a real sumo like fagus in the wild

Begraafplaats Groenesteeg, Leiden by Ed Jansen, on Flickr

 

[discusmike]

Very nice start

 

[namnhi]

Looks like you have your own style. When I click on the thread, I didn't pay attention to who the post came from but after looking at the tree I know immediately who is the OP. That's a good thing. You have a way with your carving.

 

[BobbyLane]

Thanks for the kind words guys, i appreciate it. im really excited about this one

 

[Maros]

Good base of the tree, it looks promising. And carving is looking really good. Well done mate.

 

[BobbyLane]

Good base of the tree, it looks promising. And carving is looking really good. Well done mate.

Cheers Maros
as you know, your work is inspiring to me, so good to know you like where this one is heading.

thanks folks, ill update when it fills out again.

 

[Ingvill]

Very nice!

 

[Lazylightningny]

Very powerful tree. I hope to see it in a couple of years after it fills out.

 

[BobbyLane]

Update, further branch selection was done since last photos and some branches were cut back harder, the tree has responded well
20180720_125900 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180720_125951 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[Lazylightningny]

Very nicely done. You have a good eye.

 

[Cattwooduk]

I always enjoy your deciduous posts, they give me a lot of inspiration and motivation for working my own early stage material. Great vision as usual!

 

[BobbyLane]

Thanks for the kind words guys, here's an update

After uncovering more of the nebari, i quite like this side as a front, branch wise its a lot fuller.....
IMG_7319 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

some high roots were removed and made into uro
IMG_7317 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[shinmai]

Thanks for sharing this progression/evolution. I think you’re doing a great job of coaxing the potential of this tree out into the open.
Nice start on ramification, too. Great work!

 

[BobbyLane]

Cheers mate,

it responded well to partial defoliation during the summer, removal of large leaves meant the interior buds became stronger, which is what we are seeing now.
i may get it into an unglazed oval next spring, around half the depth of training pot.

when i got this in june, it was also transplanted into the circular tub its in now, i had to trim roots around the edges to fit it from rectangle to circle. the tree didnt flinch.

 

[coh]

Coming along well, Bobby! Gotta get myself a beech one of these days.

 

[BobbyLane]

Coming along well, Bobby! Gotta get myself a beech one of these days.

Cheers mate, definitely one of my favourite species to work with

 

[BobbyLane]

The straight section of this branch bothers me a little, there is a tiny node at the green cross, which ill try to activate in spring and snip the branch back.....or begin to train up one of the shoots circled in greenIMG_7319 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[BobbyLane]

Much better without said branch and i think the carving done to separate two apices brings out some taper and movement in the stump
IMG_7359 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_7364 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

will update in spring