Posts

Biggest elm yamadori in my collection

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Merely an eye-candy at this point, quite large wych elm ( Ulmus glabra ) collected in 2014 in central Bohemia.    Very nice Yamadori with great movements and textured bark. The initial styling has been started in Spring 2016. Just creating the basic structure of the lowest branches.   The main task now is to build a reasonably tapered apex and to add some roots on the surface.   The coming winter is a good time to think about the best way to convert this beautiful yamadorin into high quality bonsai.  Target height: +65 cm  

Crataegus monogyna_The Drunkard_Winter image

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2015 2017 Height: 38 cm Width:  50 cm

Prunus spinosa_shohin

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Strange spring, quite nice summer and a bit cold autumn with great colours even on this small sloe... Current height: 15 cm approx More information in  here

Yamadori_Pyrus pyraster_Air layered in spring 2017

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One of my first wild pears collected in 2012?  And the first one that has a potential to be styled in the shape of pears that I so intimately know from the place where I spent the first years of my life. 2013 The pear does look reasonably good in this position.  Nevertheless the problem sits under the soil - an elbowed piece of the trunk... Autumn colours_ pears do have a great autumn dress 2017 Mid sommer_results of the air layer started in spring. I have decided not to separate the new tree this year.  Instead,  I have added a new layer of sphagnum moss and substrate to protect the sensitive new roots from the coming winter.  The last January was quite cold well below the average temps of the season.  Some of my freshly airlayered trees suffered some die back of roost.  Maybe it was not due to the frost,  but as I do no know the reason I need to take care of all the possible factors.   Height:40 cm approx 

Malus evereste_No1_a shift in design

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The trees grown from seeds have a number of advantages.  But clearly there are some challenges as well:    - how to build the curves in a right proportion - how to cultivate the branches in the exact positions you would like to have - where to plant/store all the little bastards if you have limited space already occupied by the bigger brothers and sisters   just to name a few of them. The space is really a problem for me.   Because of the limit I cannot have enough seedlings to make a reasonable group from which I can select just a few most promising prebonsai for further cultivation.   Well, I need to find out how to deal with that.    Out of five seedlings in the ground  I have selected  three and placed them into pots.   This is one of them back in 2016. As you can see  I have planned to build a new leader using a threadgrafted branch.      2017 The early spring has caught me with a saw removing the taken new leader and forming a new leader fro

The moment of truth. Prunus mahaleb_cascade

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If I do not defoliate any specific tree in the course of the year, then the autumn leaf fall is the moment  I am eagerly waiting for.   How does the structure of the branches look like?   Is it on the way I have in my mind? But this is only the "quick acid test".  Quite often I need to make few photos to see how the tree looks in 2Ds.  It was pretty much the same with this cascade.  This cascading mahaleb has made quite a good progress since the last season.   And wearing the green coat it doesn't look too bad... Without the leaves... ?  Not too bad either.  But I do believe the tree deserves still something better. There are two important branches that simply don't look "right".  So let's try to make it better next season:) Previous article about this tree  here

An autumn trail

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The Indian summer here in Bohemia was  short and has arrived later than expected -  in the mid of Oct.   Forecast: a short spell of nice weather.  SO no time for hesitation.  Pyrus pyraster  Barberry Look at this beech.  The root on the left - see its size on the pic below with my leg as a measure. Whow. The shape of this tree must have been designed by a bunch of wild boars.