Czech Yamadori

   This little yew has been collected from a garden colony  in 2017.   It was clear that there is reasonable potential for a small cascade.   With a bonus  challenge presented by a straight trunk and one of the root.     In early spring 2019 I have managed to bend the trunk.  The yew has struggled a bit but being a tough guy it managed to make it.    9th March 2021    Earlier this morning I have taken the tree into the shop together with few stones collected in past few years with ROR in mind. And this is the result.   It would be much easier to have 4 hands rather than just two  but somehow I have managed to fix it.   The fit is not 100% but taking into account the size of the tree and the stiffness of the wood of yew - I can live with it.     As a next step I will put around the stone a plastic mesh to create a kind of container that should work as a incubator for the growth of new roots. I do not present the Before x After pictures very often.  And I will continue doing so for reaso

 I had never ever defoliated any temperate tree in February.....until today.     Frankly I was a bit hesitant taking the scissors but as there was no warning signals from my guts I have cut off the first leave. No shout.  So the rest has followed swiftly.    I have not done this kind of excercise on this little firethorn very often. Perhaps once few years ago?  Good to see that the structure is not too bad.    Unwired and cleaned a bit - few thorns and some twings - leaving a little stub there that will be reduced later in the growing season.   No need for any major repair - larger branches removal.  If I would need to remove any bigger branch I will wait til spring  Height:  19 cm

This was the damage done by a caterpillar to one of my birch.  The entire chunk of trunk has passed through the digestive tract of the beast .  The remains of the trunk looked a bit strange - too weak to hold the mass of foliage I have planned to build. August 2015 Luckily the birch was very keen to close this wound with a callus.  So I have decided to take an advantage of it and have tried to form an uro.   Using an adjusted piece of wood squeezed between both sides of  newly developed callus and fixed firmly to the trunk. October 2019 This is how it looks like from the front: And from the right side. Nearly 3 cm of new wood added forming nicely shaped Uro.   Surely not very often seen on a birch but very happy with it :)

...happens. I have been stricken by spotting fruits of  common spindle tree. It has taken me few years of search to find a reasonable sized trunk.  Just that.  So I need to build it from scratch.  Lovely. At the same time I was also searching for much smaller specimen to get a base for shohin.   It was even more difficult ( for me ) being as blind as Jan Žizka in his old age.  But at the end  ( as it should be in good Czech fairy tails ) I was lucky to stumble over something that has looked  ok.  If we forget the long nasty looking root and overgrown leader.  Collection in spring 2017.  Active growth for the full season.  Late spring 2018 - decided to ground layer the small beast.  Done.  Then really hot and dry summer.   The poor thing has lost most of its foliage.  First careful check of the ground layer in early September.  No visible roots there.  Luckily the autumn was quite nice and warm. I have been moving the pot with the tree around the yard to give as much

I have been planning to start with a broom for some time.  But it was only this year when I have picked nicely growing small elm with reasonable straight trunk.  With a little bit of hesitation, I have cut off the nicely developed leader and removed a bit of outer wood to make space for expected new growth.  All this happened somewhere in the second half of May.  During the first week after the cut - no signs of  the new growth.   OK, no problem. Too early - just a little bit of patience old man.   Second week - no action.  Third week - copy paste.  First signs of a despair in my face.  Have I lost a nicely growing plant just for my desire to have a broom?   Forth week - I have not bothered to check. Fifth week - a visitor came to my place.  While passing the bench I have picked the container with the stub to share my bad feelings.  While talking I have noticed a greenish dot  on one side of the cut face.  Algae? I have scratched it with a nail. No, it is something different.  A bud? 

I have spotted this little larch back in 2008 or so.   And our relations have evolved from " this is it" to  " well,  maybe later" and finally to "OK, lets go" in spring 2015. Why all this hesitation? First, I was not sure if I like the bulb shaped base of the tree.  And frankly, I do have doubts even now... Second - the major part of the trunk has been just like a straight beam.  No taper, no movement. Spring 2017. Time to work on the straight trunk.   My favourite (Double C)n  method =  multiple Cut and Close method.  Before After I have planned a bit more acute angle, but the tree was not very happy about it.  At a certain moment I have heard a cracking noise and after an inspection I have discovered quite nasty looking crack just above the cut.  So I have stopped it.  Hoping it was not too late... Spring 2018 The larch has recovered  and produced a good number of new shoots. The crack covered nicely by callus .  

Just kidding.  Showing lack of respect for a famous bonsai amateur.   A shame on my old bald head... The true fact is that looking at the weather fcast for this week I have made a quick conclusion: "The spring is just behind the corner - lets start with the first items from  my project list for this season.  Banzai." Root pruning Trying to reduce the size of a root ball with the main focus on reduction of the taproot and other main nowadays useless structural roots to get more space for hard working fine roots... Projects for this year 1.  Still need to work on a better transition between the "old and new" section.  I think I will let the current leader to have another full season of an unrestricted growth.  Once I am happy with the transition I will replace the current leader with the small side branch ( labeled NEW LEADER ) 2. Need to produce some additional branches on the  left and back side of the tree.   The first thread grafted branch

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 

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

Threadgrafting _modifications of standard technique  ( part 2 ) I know. I have promissed. And I have missed it. No excuse.  OR? I have spent the last few days just rambling in the vicinity of the place I live  as the weather was great..   Just a poor excuse to cover the  fact that I HAD A GREAT TIME Please fell free to enjoy  with me... One of my maples (Acer pseudoplatanus) in early morning  sunshine How many colours can you see?  One of my favourite spot.  Just behind the slope there is Prague... In fact I was not the only one who took a break to enjoy the warm autumn sunrays.  A crowd of firebugs  Pyrrhocoris apterus in the insect private sun spa... Well, back on the horsebacks now ... In this part of the article I am going to cover the so called OPEN THREADGRAFT and  THE TWO WITH ONE Threadgraft OPEN THREADGRAFT This is a method that combines an approach graft with a threadgraft and can be used later in the season  BUT it is limited to the gr

Threadgrafting _modifications of standard technique  ( part 1 ) MODIFICATIONS??  Why do I need that? Well,  there are at least a few more or less good reasons. - Genetic predispositions of some plants  that could  disqualify the threadgrafting techniques  ( majority of needle  trees, evergreen plants, plants with large buds - ie linden or leaf opposed buds. - Timing .  Too busy in the spring or just made a decision on a restyling later in the year - Tight fit .  A hole with a diameter equal to the diameter of the branch? OK, how about the buds? - Speed .  You can obtain two new branches/roots with a single threadgraft.  Or even new roots and new branches PREDISPOSITION As with the standard threadgrafting method you should plan the threadgraft at least one year ahead to grow a suitable branch or to get the right VIGOROUS  seedling for a root graft NOT be too much concerned about the right season to start - the most important factor to the     success is th