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Showing posts from January, 2016

Small trees in my backyard: Prunus mahaleb

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Small trees in my backyard:  Prunus mahaleb Mahaleb cherry Height: 20 cm Nebari: 8 cm Pot: Training Collected in central Bohemia in 2012 There are not many mahalebs in the shohin category.  Just try to use the search engine and you will see how many results will come back to you.   I have been searching for a small mahaleb for many years.  I have crisscrossed all "my mahaleb's " sites many times.  No luck.  Explored new promissing locations with the same results.   So you can imagine my feelings  when I stumbled over this one.       July 2015 In autumn 2015 I have decided that there is time to move the tree into the prebonsai stage.  So it has been moved into the non frost over winter shelter that allows me to work on the tree in this odd period. Dec 2015 Dead wood carving in progress.   The rough part has been completed but still  more fine tuning is needed. Also need to decide on the first branch on

Prunus spinosa _ Blackthorn

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Prunus spinosa _ Blackthorn Current height: 42 cm Trunk caliper (diameter ) at the ground level (DGH ): 8 cm Collected: Central Bohemia Pot: training This is the first sloe I have ever collected.   I have been attracted by its size and nicely curved trunk.   The preparation for collection took me more than 2 years. During that time I have tried to get some fine roots closer to the main trunk.   The branch on the left was dry already at that time when I have found the tree.   Later on I noticed that the part of the dead wood is much bigger.   The removal of old bark revealed nicely curved lines of deadwood spiralling the trunk. Winter silhouette - early December 2015 with first sign of new growth due to the high temperature.  Pre X mas carving + new pot Back side.  The green mole hill is a cover for raised roots that can be seen in the first pic just behind the trunk.   I plan to keep them in position.  At least for now.  The low sacrifice  br

Yamadori hawthorn - The Drunkard - a winter silhouette

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  Yamadori hawthorn - The Drunkard - a winter silhouette  A bit of pre Xmas cleaning/pruning on this smaller hawthorn.   The surface layer of substrate has been replaced.  The root that is encircling the stone has been covered with a substrate with added chopped sphagnum moss to promote its growth.      Now having  a good rest before the next growing season in the winter shed. The introduction of this hawthorn in  here

Malus purpurea - The bigger one

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 Malus purpurea -  The bigger one Current height:  approx 30 cm  till the cut on the top primery branch Trunk caliper (diameter ) at the ground level (DGH ): 12 cm Collected: Central Bohemia in 2012 Pot: training      This is the second one of my purple crab apple.  Collected at the same place as the small one. So it has been "pruned" by the highway maintenance workers now and then.   While the tree has developed quite nice trunk under the cutting level of the  machine used to keep the woods and bushes in a reasonable distance from the highway  there was a heavy cut on the top of the trunk.  Well, I was quite hesitant to collect it  - on my last visit the tree looked quite good but the early spring maintenance has removed most of new top branches.   Finally, I have decided to go for it.    There was no future for the tree on this spot and I may move it to a better/safer position in the woods in my neighborhood.    Autumn 2014 Dec 2015 -  The tree after repotting