centaura

Here is a japanese hornbeam that I've been working on for a few years. One shot is the original nursery pot shot (I believe that was a spring 2007 purchase), and the other shot is from May 2009 after two years of work. I thought I had a current shot of this (which is why I thought to start this thread), but I guess I don't - I got some good progress on its ramification this summer and it was starting to shape up this fall. The primary branch (not the lowest "accent" branch) on the right hand side needs to come down a bit still, and that's on this winter's wiring list. Hopefully I'll remember to take a photo when I do that. I think I have the beginnings of a decent nebari, though while the roots are still young and "floating" above the soil line, they should hopefully fill out in 5 years or so and give me some nice flare. This tree went from over three feet tall to its current approx. 1 ft tall. Sorry, no scale shot.

-Centaura

Attached Images

	japanese_hornbeam.jpg (36.6 KB, 48 views)
	jhspring_2009.jpg (97.2 KB, 67 views)

JLDoggett

Wow, Centaura. A good eye for rough stock certainly helps. If that is 2 years of work, it will be absolutly stunning in another few years. Thank you for the inspiration.

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centaura

Thanks, I like this guy a lot and think he has a good future. I think I've found a better pot for him, this was mainly a training pot. I was quite surprised at his first repotting that I was able to get him into a ceramic pot straight from a nursery pot, I had assumed I'd need a transition pot, but his roots reduced beautifully on the first trimming. Here's a shot showing where my major cut was, plus a couple of notes for reference, hopefully that will help folks "see" the transition between the two shots. My graphic program is being picky on font size - so I'll translate:

"prime" is the current primary branch on the right
"accent" is the low accent branch on the right

The new apex is hard to see in this photo, since it was a low branch that was brought forward and up after the trunk was chopped. What was great about this material was the plethora of low branches to work with.

-Centaura

Attached Images

japanese_horn_notes.jpg (54.0 KB, 24 views)

centaura

Here's a current photo, with the one branch wired down, as well as a current canopy shot. As of now the wound has healed over from the trunk chop, and a couple roots are starting to be pushed near the surface. The movement that I put into the new apex will slowly fill in and straighten out, which was my eventual goal, so as to not be in complete contradiction to the lower trunk. I wanted a small bit of movement inside the branches. Right now I'm happy with the primary and secondary branch placements, and looking forward to developing the ramification. Right now its top canopy profile is a bit too oval - I need to get it to fill back a bit more, but I have a bunch of buds in good places, so that shouldn't be an issue. I just really like this little tree.

-Centaura

Attached Images

	jhdec._2009.jpg (52.3 KB, 30 views)
	jhdec._2009_canopy.jpg (88.5 KB, 28 views)

abebob

Do you have any pics that show the wound a little better? How long did you wait to carve it into more of a slant?

centaura

I used wound sealant, which means that I was able to make the original trunk chop at the angle that I wanted, and after only one year the callous has almost completely covered the wound. Its only when you do not use wound sealant that you have to worry about leaving stubs and carving them out later. By late spring the callous should be completely together, and in 5 years should almost be naturalized into the trunk.

I make this point since I do know folks who are totally against the use of wound sealant, which baffles me. To each his own, and I don't try to convert them over to my view, but I wouldn't dare do the kind of cut I did here if I wasn't going to seal it off, and it would not have been as healed as it is now.

I've circled the main trunk cut in the apex shot, I don't have any other shot that shows the chop. From the top it looks completely sealed together, which its not yet - the little branch hides the gap that's there.

-Centaura

Attached Images

jhdec._2009_canopy_w_circle.jpg (71.0 KB, 19 views)

abebob

Centaura - thanks! looks awesome. Yeah there seems to be a lot of debate about that- Walter Pall recently posted something about it on his blog

Walter Pall Bonsai Adventures: field maple development

"As one can see it is absolutely NOT necessary to use any wound sealant." - Walter Pall

centaura

He is correct - its not necessary. And as long as a person understands what they need to do with making wounds that they don't plan to seal, more power to them. My personal preference is for sealing, as I like the results you get and the flexibility it gives. But its one of those things that folks can argue about endlessly.

-Centaura