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Showing posts from November, 2018

Another air layer this time on small elm

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Sunny and reasonably cold.  On some places in the south there was -20°C.  The central part is much warmer  just below -10°C.  No snow though.  Hoar frost.  The weather forecast  for next week indicates  daily temps around 12°C.   So for the time being I have left most of my trees outside.  The only ones I have moved to the frost free area are the newly airlayered guys, some of the threadgrafted trees and some others. This elm is the only one of the airlayered bunch that has not been separated this autumn.   I will check it once again in spring.   The reason?  Pretty much the same as for the small spindle tree.   The real growth of new roots has only started in Sept.   At that time there was just few tiny roots that have developed since the late spring when the air layer has been made.  One of them was visibly stronger - with diameter just 2-3 mm.  I was considering to cut it short but then I have left it alone.   Right now this root was over 12 mm.   Within two and half  months of

Falling in love...

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...happens. I have been stricken by spotting fruits of  common spindle tree. It has taken me few years of search to find a reasonable sized trunk.  Just that.  So I need to build it from scratch.  Lovely. At the same time I was also searching for much smaller specimen to get a base for shohin.   It was even more difficult ( for me ) being as blind as Jan Žizka in his old age.  But at the end  ( as it should be in good Czech fairy tails ) I was lucky to stumble over something that has looked  ok.  If we forget the long nasty looking root and overgrown leader.  Collection in spring 2017.  Active growth for the full season.  Late spring 2018 - decided to ground layer the small beast.  Done.  Then really hot and dry summer.   The poor thing has lost most of its foliage.  First careful check of the ground layer in early September.  No visible roots there.  Luckily the autumn was quite nice and warm. I have been moving the pot with the tree around the yard to give as much

Pumprdentlich

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A word used by Czech writer Ota Pavel in one of his stories published in "How I came to know fish".  Meaning?  I know it and if you like to know it as well  - just try to figure it out... The Snake - a yamadori that is very special  for me. It is one of my first mahaleb yamadori.  And a love on the first sight. Having the Snake for a few years in a pot I have had a feeling that adding one or two branches to a lower section of the trunk will improve its existing outline.    ( Note: most of my mahalebs from this location really do not like to put new growth in the lower section of their trunks.  Just strong apical domination - so that's why I use threadgrafts.. ).  2017 The grafts did well for two years after separation but during this summer they both have dried out.   I guess problem with a live vein. Well, after more than three years the only thing that has left is the JIN on the left hand side of the trunk... 2018 Winter   Anyway, we are gr

Shohin_Carpinus betulus

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Height: 19 cm Another curvy yamadori.   I really do have a problem to find a decently straight tree in my backyard. Well, to be honest, there are few ones. So I should present one of them next time.      Pot: Growing nursery Looking for a new pot but no hurry.  At this stage of development the visual quality of the pot is not as importans as its size.   But still loking for something more rounded to have enough space for the sound development of surface roots.  Badly needed roots I should say...  The ageing bark highligts the visual age of the little hornbeam. The blogs are full of autumn colors.  But what about a gust of spring nearby a larch in its  autumn dress?

Prunus mahaleb #9_The Cock

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 Any time I look on this mahaleb I can see a cock picking some goddies from the ground... Height: 25 cm Width : 45 cm Style: Semicascade on a rock I am considering a tilt to the right something like 15° to get a full cascade and to get rid of this cockisch feelings... Deadwood mastered by the unimitable Master - the Nature. How the hell she achieve such fine details   The main roots doesn't look very attractive and it provokes/teases me any time I am passing by.  I have tried to develop some side roots on the main anchoring one to make it a bit more interesting.  Still not very happy with it.  Need to play with some virtuals. Michal, can you hear me?  We badly need some rocking pot for this fella.  I know how busy you are right now so what about 2020?