Czech Yamadori

 New Year's Day.    Outside temperature: +11 °C, cloudy with possible rain later in the day.   I plan to go out after the lunch to get some wood for my future projects such as bonsai tables etc.   It takes at least 4-5 years to have the timber ready for usage.  There are for sure much faster methods for drying but  first I have more than enough load on my hands right now and in next 2-3 years, second - drying chambers calculates in cubics - well above my projects and lastly - just being happy to let the Nature to do her job. It was quite sunny on the 31st Dec so I have taken few shots of some of my trees.  Not the best pics but their main purpose was to see the structures through the lens.   Good practice to follow. Here is the biggest birch in my collection.   +90 cm right now.   It is quite interesting to see how the hollow has been reduced over time.    2021 2015   Well, I should mention a method that has been used to force the callus to grow in specific direction.  The second p

Black wiper It was the dark lower section of the trunk that gave this tree its name. Lovely tree, in my eyes at least.    I know.  The thick elbow like branch in the middle is an eyesore. Even more it is just  a piece of a dead wood.  Dead wood on a birch? Are you serious?    And what about the transition between the old and new parts?  Yeah, it doesn´t look very nice rigth now.    BUT If you look on this lady from a reasonable distance, its getting dark and your eyes are not so sharp as they used to be ....    I guess you know  how this goes on...   I have heard this from one of our best actor Mr Jan Werich and I hope he would not mind if  I use it now and then.   Funny,  he crossed the river long time ago but he still there in our minds.  At least when it comes to my generation.   Autumn 2020 Summer 2020   Colour festival in November 2021 Who said: " Not worth the effort" ?

" ...Not worth the effort...." "A great species for bonsai" Simple statements.  Different weight though if said by a bonsai novice or by someone who has thousands of  admirers /followers.      Birch is  easy to grow.  Give it what it needs for happy life and it will reward you.   Fail with the basic horticulture and the tree will give you a clear feedback.  Withering up of some branches that the tree consider as not important.  Thats it.   Your choice Two of my birches have lost some branches this year.  Something that happened for the first time with these trees.    A random visitor of my place said: Yeahh, thats always a problem with birches " .   NO.  That is NOT a problem with the species as such. It was my problem with not adequate watering in the season before.  Too much of other activities and not enough care of my trees.  Why should I blame the tree for my faults?           

Massive nebari is probably the most attractive feature  right now... The trunk has nice white color... The crown starts showing some initial branch structure and even some sort of ramification...    Is it a birch, though? Birches tend to be slim, tall trees with thin long branches.  White in color with lots of black spots.  Joyful dalmatians.   Well, at least the vast majority of birches looks like that.    For sure, this tree will never have such typical habitus.   On the other side there are some very old gnarled birches that definitely differ from the " typical" birch perception.    Looking at this one I know that I need to go into this direction.    And that would require a lot of time to get the right appearance of age.   This tree looks promising but still looking way  toooo young for that category.    

With the late autumn approaching and my deciduous trees  gradually changing their colours and loosing their leaves I feel a bit more curious about the structure of their branches.   Yeah, you try your best to keep it and develop even in the peak season but the real picture is shown only now.  Winter look.        Repot next spring and try to have more ramification.  Frankly, not much of a progress this year.  I do love this pot but maybe the birch has different view...    

With 95 cm it is one of my largest tree.   But thanks to its habitus it is still quite light to carry - an important attribute for me as I do like to give my trees a good soak in the tub instead of watering.  For sure it is not something that I do with all my trees all the time, but now and then they will all find their way in the tub.  No exception even for the seedlings.  Takes time, but I believe it is beneficial for my trees and that is a good reason to continue. Pissing on the windward side of the ship is not the only stupid/strange thing that is part of my life... 

The top section still looks quite empty.  Not much growth this year.  Not sure what was the reason for that.  Was it because of the thick layer of moss I have left to grow there during the top season?  I guess I have relied too much on its water holding capacity and have not supplied  enough water.    Obviously  an old age  in itself  doesn't provide adequate protection against stupid errors if you switch off your common sense ( not to say your brain ). So this is for me: Birches do love water you damned stupid old man. Height:  close to 90 cm Pot: Plasthalla In training: since 2009