Czech Yamadori

  Prunus mahaleb Current height:  8 cm Width:  30 cm  with the target 26-27 cm Tree has been collected in 2019 with the plan to make a shohin sized cascade.    Due to the damage of the some important roots during its collection,  the tree has decided to  quit some live veins on its trunk resulting in a massive deadwood.    Air layered in spring 2020 and separated in Sept of that year. Spring 2021.   The inclination of the tree has been moved even further to the  left.  That made a full cascade BUT I did not like it.  It looks too long due to the separation between the trunk and the foliage mass.   IN order to bring the foliage closer to the trunk,  I had to bend the top of the trunk back to the right quite severely.   Step by step in the course of two years we get it in more or less vertical position.  And at the same time span we have used one of the lower branches to create the cas...

  Stupid or Greedy?   Well, why not both... For a good number of years I am planning to reduce the number of my trees.   And yes, some of them have gone, just to be fair with me.   Few of them left for free to my brothers in arms - bonsai enthusiasts and some of them via the European bonsai auction to bargain hunters. Sounds good, doesn't it? But at the same time I have started few projects ( seedlings cutting_Pinus nigra, Taxus cuspidata and Pinus parviflora_Zuisho cuttings, bought some interesting varieties of satsuki...   So at the end there is more leaves/needles than before.   And  NOT enough of that - I was about to give away a little mahaleb that was a honorable member of the Downsize club.  On the D day I have taken it from the shelf with the plan to let it go to some new place with more attentive hands.    I know this is the moment I should close my eyes and to armour my heart...  What do you think?...

 European wild pear is one of my favorite tree.   Aged bark, wild appearance, blossoms, tiny fruit and beautiful autumn colours make of it a great candidate for  Four Season Bonsai.   Collected in cental Bohemia in 2017, air layered in 2019.  Current height:  22 cm - the top shoot included, target  18-19 cm Width:  24 cm  Front Left side   Alligator skin nicely developed.  Nebari - nothing to see there (YET ), but it is on the way - just look closer. Another five years and it might be there...:)  After the late summer inspection. Wiring, adding new load of Biogold and then back under the plastic cover to keep moss in place.  The moss will be removed in late autumn just before the winter rest to have better control of soil moisture.

This small pear is a result of a successful air layer completed in 2019. The vitality of the plant was excellent so I have decided to speed up a little bit and to select structural branches and to carve a section of the trunk to get there some taper.   From now on it is again on the tree to do its part... Current front.  Due to the size restriction there is no chance to aim at natural looking pear tree. I mean a tall tree with relatively narrow crown.  At least that is the way pears look like in this country. The taper of the trunk seems to be OK.  Well,  on the cost of removal of a bit of flesh to be fair... Carved section ( current back ).   I hate to say that as my attempt is always to make 360° trees. AGE! Natural jin The height at the moment is just about 10 cm - up to the cut on the main trunk.  So there is still enough space to fill...

 Nov 2019 The way we were... The pear has been "extracted"  from a nearby small quarry in 2014.  Lower part of its trunk and roots were squashed in a crevice that has formed its shape.    Summer 2016   An air/ground layer  ready to be separated. October 2019 Current height: 48 cm.  Trunk diameter: 90 mm Nicely developed alligator skin November 2019 ... with the remains of this year carnival dress...

Water. Nutrients, Oxygen.  Warm. That is the basics to make and keep  roots of our plant happy. Substrate?  This is "just" a king of anchoring medium and we can use different materials,  providing we deliver the items in the first line. I believe that the same should be applied  trying to make a good airlayer. A good airlayer.   What do I mean by that?    A process in which we will force the plant to produce a new set of roots at desired position. That is: Numerous roots that grow all around the circumference of the trunk. A great start to produce a flare in the lower part of the trunk with nicely spread radial surface roots.  That was I believe the main/initial  purpose of the air layering technique. When it comes to airlayering a good start is importat.  Bearing this in mind I start the preparation usually in the course of previous year.  Main target -  to get as much new growth as possible. If the target is me...

This pear  found a way to my garden a few years ago.   And only after another good number of years I was passing by it.  This was definitely NOT a love on a first sight.  And at the time I have decided to collect it there was a nasty surprise below the surface.   At a first sight plenty of small feeder roots.  But we know this could be deceptive.  You must be sure that they are part of your targeted plant.   So I have started to dig deeper and deeper to find the place where the first  feeder roots are connected to the primary root.   Bad luck the place was more than 50 cm deep below the soil level.  Gosh. Right.  At home, I have squeezed the long primary roots with collected feeders somehow into the large plastic pot and left it for a few years there. Spring 2019 - time to start with the airlayer Late summer 2019  - first check to see the result.  Yes, I have learned to be very patient.  ( not ...

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 i...