The Big Belly Hornbeam

[Sandevbonsai]

This is all very nice....and really powerful carpinus you have
I like this stature of a strong solitary old tree in the woods.
This has good perspective. Thumbs up.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Awesome

 

[BobbyLane]

This is all very nice....and really powerful carpinus you have
I like this stature of a strong solitary old tree in the woods.
This has good perspective. Thumbs up.

thanks Sandev, i appreciate your words. i study your hornbeams a lot, so hopefully something can brush off on this tree

just need to let it fill out now.

 

[MHBonsai]

Question, how do you plan on treating the deadwood? Great thread! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BobbyLane]

Question, how do you plan on treating the deadwood? Great thread! Thanks for sharing.

i dont usually treat deadwood. hornbeam wood especially is very tough

 

[BobbyLane]

over the winter months this one was re potted into an Erin rectangle i had laying around. ive never had anything that would work with this pot until now.
i think the strong right sided root ties in well with the band feature on pot

dec 2018
IMG_7400 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Today
this was the first of my hornbeams to leaf out
IMG_7751 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_7752 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_7754 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_7755 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_7756 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

this season will just be left to grow, the tree needs lots of extension all over

 

[Lars Grimm]

This is really nice tree. I appreciate you taking the time to show all the images and angles.

Do you plan to put any darkener on the hollow at the front?

 

[BobbyLane]

This is really nice tree. I appreciate you taking the time to show all the images and angles.

Do you plan to put any darkener on the hollow at the front?

hi mate, hmmm ive not really thought about darkening it. sometimes i do and other times just leave it. with deadwood, the outer edges will gradually weather and become whiter which in turn makes the inside begin to appear darker. i might just burn the inside or give it a stain at some point though

 

[Lars Grimm]

hi mate, hmmm ive not really thought about darkening it. sometimes i do and other times just leave it. with deadwood, the outer edges will gradually weather and become whiter which in turn makes the inside begin to appear darker. i might just burn the inside or give it a stain at some point though

I was thinking about stain for this site in particular because it is so forward facing and does not get as many shadows as some other carvings might get.

 

[BobbyLane]

i have indeed added a little stain in this hollow, makes a difference....

removed most of the wire as it was starting to bite in,
20190419_123155 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i use a dark oak woodstain, but if you burn it while its wet and brush it with a wire brush it blends in nicely without looking contrived
20190419_123655 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

last images before i let it become a bush, maybe prune it back mid to end of june

 

[BobbyLane]

some more

 

[Lazylightningny]

Nicely done! I appreciate the detailed progression. Can you tell us more about how you handled the roots from purchase to latest repot?

 

[BobbyLane]

Nicely done! I appreciate the detailed progression. Can you tell us more about how you handled the roots from purchase to latest repot?

Hi, sure mate....

this is how it went in the terracotta tub, some of the surface roots were teased out by hand and roothook
20180304_125429 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

after one year
20181227_123103 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i felt it could go into a good sized bonsai pot
so reduced it back with a saw and chopped back heavier roots with secatuers

its still a compact rootpad of nursery soil, this would have drove some crazy into barerooting and getting into bonsai soil, but its fine, the tree is healthy, water drains though in a matter of seconds, i just water accordingly
20181227_131925 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20181227_132045 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

no sealing of wounds nothing
20181227_131953 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the root pad was planted onto a bed of fresh bonsai soil then more fresh soil in around the edges and top
maybe in a year or two, or three, i can go in and reduce a little more of the nursery root pad

the root work was done in dec and left on my balcony, this tree was the first to get going and is far ahead of my other hornbeams. carpinus b in another thread was also re potted over winter.
this might not be optimal timing, but these trees didnt seem to mind.

 

[sikadelic]

Beautiful work!! I really love the carving you did on this tree. Thanks for taking the time to post all the pics and answer questions. Great job!

 

[Lars Grimm]

i have indeed added a little stain in this hollow, makes a difference....

removed most of the wire as it was starting to bite in,
20190419_123155 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i use a dark oak woodstain, but if you burn it while its wet and brush it with a wire brush it blends in nicely without looking contrived
20190419_123655 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

last images before i let it become a bush, maybe prune it back mid to end of june

I think the subtle use of stain here is really very nice.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Hi, sure mate....

this is how it went in the terracotta tub, some of the surface roots were teased out by hand and roothook
20180304_125429 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

after one year
20181227_123103 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i felt it could go into a good sized bonsai pot
so reduced it back with a saw and chopped back heavier roots with secatuers

its still a compact rootpad of nursery soil, this would have drove some crazy into barerooting and getting into bonsai soil, but its fine, the tree is healthy, water drains though in a matter of seconds, i just water accordingly
20181227_131925 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20181227_132045 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

no sealing of wounds nothing
20181227_131953 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the root pad was planted onto a bed of fresh bonsai soil then more fresh soil in around the edges and top
maybe in a year or two, or three, i can go in and reduce a little more of the nursery root pad

the root work was done in dec and left on my balcony, this tree was the first to get going and is far ahead of my other hornbeams. carpinus b in another thread was also re potted over winter.
this might not be optimal timing, but these trees didnt seem to mind.

Thank you. Nicely done.

 

[BobbyLane]

i recently cut this one back and did a little partial defoliation to keep the interior buds stimulated, mainly removal of large leaves, leaves hanging down..

 

[BobbyLane]

looking good in the sun.
starting to fill back in all over

 

[BobbyLane]

Some improvement, before n after editing...

 

[BobbyLane]