Czech Yamadori

Three years ago I ordered from Martin Asenbrenner a vessel for this cascade.  The year after the container was ready.  I did like the shape and colour but I thought that it is slightly oversized.   Martin was kind enough to take it back and above all he promised to deliver another one next year.  This time the size of the container was OK but I had a feeling that it doesn't express the emotion I have in my mind.  So here we are in 2020 still using the old plastic vessel. The tree has been thinned few days before  the day the pics were taken.   The crown looks a bit empty as some of the strong shoots were cut off to get more light to the inner weaker shoots that are better positioned - I think.   All that makes the ten-jin too dominant ( I wonder it the description ten-jin is correct while it is in fact in the lowest position of the cascading trunk ?  ).   The idea is to cover the straight part as much as possible while leaving the last third of it shining below the green foliage.

Strange... Each year I am buying some new pots.  But when it comes to repoting all too often I cannot find any good one for the tree I am working on... Height:   35 cm Width: 33 cm Collected:   Spring 2012

Busy days with watering as the temps are pretty much like in the early summer and rain nowhere in sight... Just thinking how it will look like to lay flat on my back under this tree.  For sure a pain seeing all these pieces of lava there...  But still,  would be nice to do it.

I do believe that the size of trees that goes over 60 cm is the most appropriate for bonsai.   And this is why I still keep looking for trees of that size.   At the same time though,  I do realise that handling such trees could be a pain.  (Well, to be fair,  not necessarilly - I have a birch that is now over 95 cm and I can handle it quite easily, but it is a kind of exception).  And it is not just about handling - the big trees need  reasonably large space - and in my case this is another critical factor.  You may add another point and that is related to the speed of development - "building" small tree takes usually significantly less time.  Not important factor for me,  but fair to mention here. As a result and despite the fact I am a big fan of large trees there are more and more small trees that are invading my place. Like this small Prunus mahaleb.   Collected in 2014 - with a lot of expectations that were gradually transformed into some kind of head scratching once I

Another fairly small tree I have in my collection.   As I have defoliated this little guy quite late in the summer - early September in fact - I should keep  my fingers crossed for him to make it over the winter.   I do defoliate some of my mahalebs around that time but that is a quite different species.  They can keep the newly formed leaves till the end of December in my garden ( if you provide them with a little bit of special care ).   At the bottom -this is a pic of one of my mahaleb as it looks now.  Please note-this is not a standard practice I would recommend.  Height: 18 cm Pot: China In training since 2010 Prunus mahaleb_shohin 11th December.  Sunny day with temp around 2°C . Not sure if such extended season makes any significant change in terms of accumulated energy but it is a fun to have something that green in December.

I do not think there will be a day when I say: "Enough is enough"  and as a result I would stop collecting this genus. Perhaps it is because they are part of my life since the time I can hardly remember... An old  bird cherry was the first tree I was able to climb. At was at my age of  three or perhaps four?  And it was only possible with a massive help of the girls who were taking care of me.  It must have been a hard job to push my fat ass up the tree.   Frankly, I do not remember that part too much but,  I do remember the feelings when I stood on the lower branch with the whole world below me.  Who would care that I was not able to reach any of the cherries - the girls did a good job there as well.    And what about blackthorns?   I used to watch the berries,  as they were moving up and down in the large storage jar that my beloved grandfather used for making wine.  Much more worth than most of the programs on TV these days...    And what about the return from the other

This little tree seems to be not very cooperative in helping me to have a more oval shaped crown... Height: 34 cm Width: 35 cm Pot: Martin Ašenbrenner_wood fired kiln In training since 2012 Nov 2019 October 2019

Mahaleb cherries are hardworking trees.  At least the ones around my place.  These pictures have been taken in mid Nov and as you can see - bright green leaves, eagerly absorbing sunrays to fill the tank with sugars... It applies to all my mahalebs but it is most visible on trees that were collected relatively recently.  Like the one featured below.  Collected in spring 2018 from the very hostile place.  Because of the scarce water supply the tree is taking any opportunity to grow if there is some water around.   Sometimes loosing its leaves in the summer and starting new ones later on if there is more rain.  Then working till the first hard frost.  And then the leaves fall down without changing color.   It seems though that after a few years in the garden these trees  would get to more standard life pattern - showing some yellow autumn colors.   Is something like that possible in such short time?  Maybe interesting but not important, anyway. OK, let's leave the tree to work a

The tree has been collected in spring 2018 and the first selection of primary branches has been done this autumn.   I will leave the tree to grow freely for the next season or two - just building the primary branches.  Depending on its vigour I should change the container in 2021. Then the main focus will shift on the nebari or rather on its creation.  Currently there are no surface roots just a single tap root.. There are few option to fix that but no sence to plan it now. Height: 60 Target height:   60 cm seems to be fine now but we will see

Another small tree that has been collected in central Bohemia in 2016.  I am so grateful for the lucky coincidence to find a place where the Nature has done most of the work... 2017 2019 Height: 18 cm Width:   25 cm Style: Informal upright with cascading branch  ( at least that's the plan for the time being )

Any time I am moving close enough to this tree I can here: POT, POT, POT .  Loud and clear. Can you hear that too? The tree seems to be desperate to move into a proper pot.   In fact that was the plan for  this spring. But after more closer inspection of the roots I have decided to postpone the move  and to improve the root ball in the meantime.  So this is the reason for a sacrifice branch.   Height: +40 cm Pot: Plasthalla Age: Collected in 2015 The open space in the foliage ( see below ) has not been left for birds to fly through.    Somewhere there is a pampered tiny branch that may fill the space one day...  I hope.

Another mahaleb waiting patiently for its new container.  A lot of fast wood there.  Just have a look on the down hanging branch on the right... It would take another few years to get nice conicity and finer structure.  But for the time being - yes there is a tree.  At least if you present it with a low resolution and its getting dark...  The piece of deadwood stretched to the left seems to be too much.   Height: current  33 cm, expected +/-36

Last year I decided to move this semi cascade further on to the full one.   Still not there,  but at least the lowest branch has been extended a bit and now we will wait for next spring to change the planting angle.  Would be nice to have a new pot too, but frankly I doubt it.  I cannot see the one I have in mind around. In the meantime, I am trying to develop more side roots on the massive anchoring root  that goes across the rock.   Still not there. I guess this goes on my account as I cannot keep the place moist... Front And there is another thing that bothers me a bit.  And this is the 'strange' habit of  some species of the Prunus family.  They produce shoots just with berries with no leaves on them.  And unfortunately this results in the loss of the branch.   You can see that in the middle of the crown.  The branches with fruits will be lost by the autumn.  I need to find out how to deal with that.   Lets see some articles  about Mume.

I have collected this little tree in early spring 2018.   Transplanting newly collected trees in less than a year is not the best possible practice but that's me.   Besides this repoting is in line with my resolution to provide my trees with better living conditions.  One of the things I am planning to change this year is to replace most of the growing plastic/ceramic pots with wooden boxes.   Main drivers?  Better heat resistance, more stable conditions for roots and all the hard working creatures living in the soil there.  And for me - I can use guy wires without the need to drill holes into the pots.   And having more freedom with the positioning of guy wires in comparison with the other method = using the drainage/fixing holes. What are the next plans? - building some sort of sunscreens to protect selected trees - using more rain water - incresing the humidity in some places around the yard and balcony - ??? any other thoughts more than welcomed So here we go. Punus m