Czech Yamadori

Comparing pictures of this little cornelian cherry taken this winter with the ones from last year is like a direct slap in my face.  Well, there is a visible progress looking on the crown/branch structure of the smaller tree, I know. But my main target was to improve the transition between the old and new part of the main trunk.   In a hope to get there I have let the leader grow freely during the whole season.   Once I have cut it its length was well over one meter.   But the impact on the girth was hardly noticable.  Wondering what should I do differently this season... Maybe try to replace standard ferts with some kind of anabolics? OK, the plan is to cut the top section short and start with a new leader.    2017 Winter 2018  Winter

To find a blackthorn with a good potential in this country it does take time.  Or one must have been kissed by Fortuna.  Or to move to UK perhaps? Well, I think I am somewhere  in the middle between the first two ones.   Spending hours on my knees and being lucky to find the right spots. 2013  2018 Current height: 48 cm ( end of trunk ) The initial plan was to build  some kind of literati.  Nevertheless right now we are on the way to something close to a common plum  Prunus domestica ssp domestica.     At least in terms of the outline of the crown but not that busy inside.  We will see...

For years we have been searching the forest during the winter months to look for very special mushroom called penízovka in Czech.   It was only today when I searched wiki to find something more about it.    Wikipedia: Flammulina velutipes is a highly regarded mushroom especially in Japan where is called Enokitake or Enoki 榎茸, エノキダケ.

One of the few trees collected in 2014.   Nicely built semi cascading trunk with upward growing branches.   The initial idea then was to reduce the length of upward going branches and build the crown from their remains.  The branches on the both sides have developed new shoots reasonably close to the main trunk so in that case there was not any problem to proceed with the reduction.  The branch in the middle has not produced any new shoots closer to the trunk.  There was just the one I have left after the collection. 2015 Closer inspection of the branch in the middle revealed a live vein that has crawled up to feed the shoots on the top.   One can feel it under the bark. The rest of that branch was dead.  And not even that.   Once I have started to remove the bark  I have realised that the dead part is much bigger than anticipated.   2018  So this is the starting point for the next season.  Hardly can wait to see how I am going to tackle this challenge...

Winter solstice with its longest night of the year has passed and from now on the nights will be shorter and shorter.   It is way too early to get out to sniff out the first gusts of spring, but we know it is on the way.    Just be patient, have some winter sports if you care and for sure enjoy the planning of next development of your trees.    Have a great time.     Thank you all who visit this site now and then.    A special THANKS to Luďek, Mark, Maros, Peter, Rasťo and Salvador for their effort letting  me know they have cared.   Prunus mahaleb_Fat belly 2015  2016 Spring 2017 Winter A bit blurry pic 2018 Winter Pruned in November.   Second round of carving focused on the jin on the back side.  

Another growing season for this interesting flowering quince.  In the part one I have given quite lengthy comments on its collection so no need to repeat myself ( https://doriyama.blogspot.com/2017/12/flowering-quincetrunk-it.html ) 2017  winter Building the basic structure of primary branches & leader &  I should not forget the other "foot" that I have also started ( see below the youngest part of it  - yellowish new roots ).   Anyway, for the time being it is still called Long John Silver...   The bark is showing its age.  I know nothing to compare with some other species,  but this is Chaenomeles. 2018 Pics taken today ie 18. Dec.  Nice bright sunny spell.   John is still with remains of green leaves and a number of developing new leaf buds.  He obviously did not pay any attention to the season ( there were few nights with temps close to - 10°C )  Tough guy as much as his namesake... With all these developing branches John looks a

This little tree has been collected about the same time as the Zorro.  So, quite a long time ago.     But it was only in 2015  when I have decided to pick this little Ciderella and move it to the next stage... 2015 Development of lowest branches and the top leader to get some taper. 2017 The top leader has reached desired thickness and it will be shortened in the course of 2018 .   The lowest branches have been pruned back as well. 2018 The basic structure of the lowest branches is there.  Now I need to focus on development of branches in the top section.   I also plan to move the tree into a flat wooden container to work on surface roots.