Czech Yamadori

Another Yamadori Prunus mahaleb  that is getting close to its first bonsai pot...  The height of the tree is now nearly 35 cm - I think this is the right size.   The right top quarter is still missing some wood.  But luckily it is on the way in the most natural form. Yes, a new bud, I was longingly waiting for has appeared there and formed a branchlet.    FRONT LEFT BACK RIGHT Previous articles about this tree  here

Common pear with a poetic Czech name " Polnička" has been collected in 2014.   The link below can help you to trace the previous articles if you like it. While I fell in love with its alligator skin I could not deny there was a major flaw in the tachiagari/nebari whatever it means.   The results of spending the life in a slit of rocks... 2016 Decision made: An airlayer Result:Success 2017 Due to the hard winter ( very long spell of  nasty frost )  and/or problematic spring quite a number of roots have died off...   I guess the newly formed roots are probably less resistant to such problematic conditions.   But luckily the tree has recovered nicely and below you can find the actual status after the mid summer pruning. Quite heavy one if fact.  Sept.  Another tree with a burl on the trunk.  The other one is on one of my birches. Previous article about this tree  here

I have fallen in love with Quinces... Autumn 2016 I have collected some seeds.  Let them to be bitten by frost for a few nights and then placed them into the plastic box filled with sphagnum moss and stored them in the fridge. Feb 2017 Eager to have a kick start.   Seeds placed on the tray with cotton wool and added water.  Tray has been placed on the inner windowsill. March 2017 Yellowish stems with cotyledons.   We are on the way... Now it is time to test if the practice of removing the main root on such young plants works for me.  The  main root has been removed with a razor blade on some of the seedlings.  The cut has been done on the white thicken part of the stem. The stems were dipped into the rooting hormone and planted into a shallow container ( just three cm of substrate 7 seedlings in group ).   Just in case some of the seedlings were left untouched and planted in groups in the standard container. No pics on this stage  😞.  All the seedlings

The Zorro has grown a little bit in last 2 years... Height excluding the excessive part of the sacrifice branch: 45 cm Width: 68 cm Weight: 25 kg Frankly, not so easy to move it around.  I am eagerly waiting for the leaf fall to see the structure of branching so I could see the fruits of our labor and to plan next steps. But there is still some time before it starts.  The majority of my mahalebs is hard workers, very keen to keep the green leaves -  meaning working on the photosynthesis -  as long as possible.  They will wait for the first frosty nights and then they will strip down within a couple of hours, mostly skipping the discoloration phase...  I guess this could be related to the harsh biotop they started their lives and spent a few decades there. Front.  Which one to select? You can find the previous story  here

My first birch collected in spring  2007 2014.    The main trunk has died some time after the collection.   In the meantime I have made an approach graft to create new leader. ( The trunk on the right side ) 2017.    Two new approach graft have been added.   At the end I have kept only one of them - lowest branch on the right.  The top section of the trunk looks its age  of 3 years.  But that will change with time.   Ramification should be improved - no problem. I know how to do it . Reduce the size of the leaves.  I hope we can do it.  There are some other flaws that  I cannot change.   The strange drum like thickening in the mid section of the trunk as a result of the approach graft.   The dead wood at the bottom part of the trunk - well in fact,  this was a burl - uncontrolled growth  that can be seen quite often on birches. And it is in my oppinion something nice to have on a birch bonsai too.  The dead remains of the original main trunk in the middle. On

Pears are really keen to show what does the autumn colours mean.  The Grandma is no exception. In years to come I am going to build the new apex . That is the point about the long shoot on the top.  As the time passes the "weaker" left side will get more volume while the right one ... well, I will try to keep it back to have more balance.   Just more.  If we go too far,  we can lose the character made by the Nature in the span of a few dozens of years... Previous post about the Grandma  here

Dremel wood burner Expectation high - result well below my expectations.   The wood exposed to the high temperature flame has just got black without any visible cracking.  Blind alleys are indispensable part of learning.  If only there are not that many with this little friend... Dremel rotary tool back in action Luckily, as a back up  I have ordered  new carbide carving burrs - 0,8 mm in diameter.   Spent some time in clouds of dust and smoke  and there are the results.    Not entirely happy with it, but enough is enough.  I need to stand back for a while. And I guess this little guy feels pretty much the same. Target height:  50 cm  =  +/-10 cm above the top of the jin Before. After.  Sept 2017 Dead wood_Front Dead wood_Left side Top jin Left Back Right