Tree ID/Rescue mission

[Rhiannon]

So, as a bonsai newb I'm nervous about experimenting with my Jacaranda Christmas present as I don't want to kill a gift. However, there's this particular tree in my backyard that I thought could be a pretty experiment as it blossoms really nicely. This is, I don't know what it is - it's simply referred to as "the plum tree". I figured one of you might know:

Bonsai 008_.jpg

Bonsai 009_.jpg

There's seedlings popping up all over the place that I thought I could grab, for which I'd need some advice on what to do. But there is one rather established tree right next to the fence that my mum intends to pull out so that it doesn't distort the fence as it grows:

Bonsai 011_.jpg

I had wondered if I could save it from tree heaven by using it for something. To give you an idea of size, that fence is about 6 foot high. Which begs the question - can this be utilised for a bonsai at all, or is it too tall?

If so, there's about a dozen others shooting up around the tree. These range from about 10 to 40cm:

Bonsai 010_.jpg

[IS2SXC]

does it produce fruit ???

to me the big tree is a prunus which are the classification for plums cherries and etc.

but looking at the bark colour and leaf colour

it could be a prunus nigra

[Jamie]

the tree near the fence is quite usable, it can be chopped back to a reasonable height and you should get back budding. i am not sure of where you are and whether getting it now would be a problem, but my beleif is in a lot of cases its the after care that will tell if the tree is to surive or not! if you give it the right treatment after being dug up you shouldnt have a problem


jamie

[Rhiannon]

does it produce fruit ???

From memory, it produces grape-sized spherical plum(ish-looking-thing)s that are a deep red in colour. When I get a chance, I'll go have a gander and see if there's any on it now and snap a shot if there are/if it helps.

[EDIT] Just having a Google. Would Prunus cerasifera be right?

the tree near the fence is quite usable, it can be chopped back to a reasonable height and you should get back budding. i am not sure of where you are and whether getting it now would be a problem, but my beleif is in a lot of cases its the after care that will tell if the tree is to surive or not! if you give it the right treatment after being dug up you shouldnt have a problem

I'm in Epping (In Melbourne, not Sydney). How far back should I chop it? And what's the best tool (as I said TOTAL newb. I'll have to acquire tools as I go along, but for mow it's borrow borrow borrow).

[Jamie]

i would chop back to the lowest branch for now, keeping a little bit of folaige on it, then leave it for a season or two once it has been dug to help it regain strength.
i am hoping someone from your area can say whether they have dug at this time of the year or not, i dont want to be the cause of you going out and ripping the tree out and then have it die. i would use a saw to chop back depending on how thick it is, it looks about an inch. so a pruning saw should be more than enough.
i have lifted trees out of season before but i am in queensland so the temps dont change to much. i think it is all about the after care of the tree once lifted anyways.

with any luck keeping a bit of foliage will help the tree without getting transpiration through them, and hopefully it back buds really well so you can shorten it further down the track.

jamie

[Mojo Moyogi]

Rhiannon, Well Googled! Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' if it has pink blossoms or 'Attropurpurea' if it has white blossoms - Purple Leaf Plum. I dont thing it should be dug at this time of year, you may want to wait until after it has finished flowering in winter/spring.

Cheers
MM

[Rhiannon]

I think it has light pink blossoms, but it could be white (I should know this given that I've lived here for about 7 years and that there's identical trees all over the neighborhood lol). I'll have to wait and see.

Our backyard is atrocious and the soil (mainly thanks to my kelpie x coolie puppy with far too much energy for his own good) is so terrible it surprises me that there are so many trees are sprouting up over the last year. I mean, we can't even manage to grow grass haha. Towards the back corner of the yard it progresses to sand. I thought perhaps it might be better off in better soil, but if it's best to wait before digging then I will. I'll just have to convince mum not to kill it meantime.

I was wondering about one thing, though. When you dig up trees, do you put them in larger pots to recover, or straight into the shallow bonsai pots? If it's the former, do you put it in bonsai soil, or regular potting mix, or...?

Thanks to all for your help.

[Rhiannon]

One quick last question - could I cut it back now while it's still in the ground, wait til spring to dig it up and chuck it in a pot, then cut back further once it recovers from repotting? Or should I just not touch anything til post-flowering in spring?

Ta.

[Jamie]

i would be cautious on cutting back now even though we have a lot more summer time if it could cause probs if it gets colder, i would just wait i think. JMO.
the other thing is your mum might see a stick like thing in the ground then dig it and throw it out on accident

jamie

[Greth]

Into a big pot to adapt, definitely can't go straight into a bonsai pot. I wouldn't be moving it anywhere with the rest of the hot summer days to go, but you still need to wait for a relevant expert. Deciduous trees are quite forgiving tho, (they are used to having to produce all their foliage again) This one should be in with a good chance.

[Rhiannon]

Haha, Jamie, you have a point. I should hang a sign around its neck reading, "Do not touch - bonsai in waiting".

Thanks for the help. I shall be patient and wait for Spring to dig it out. What's a good time to wait for a tree to recover before attempting to cut it? I figure it's a species specific thing, cause all the "guides" I've been reading don't specify, just warn that you'll hinder your progress if you don't wait enough.

I'm tempted to dig out one of the littler sprouts meantime and experiment with it to learn more about the tree in prep for the big one. Where they are currently the dogs incessantly run over them in their efforts to get the ball, so they're not growing - just turning into sticks as the dogs knock all the foliage off haha.

[Greth]

Dig out a few sprouts and have a try. They are just young seedlings, will take them a year or two before you can even think about styling, but will teach you something about lifting them and give you something to care for.

[Rhiannon]

Sounds like a plan!

One thing that amazed me in inspecting the sprouts (apart from there sheer number of them - there's so many more flattened ones that are still somehow growing sideways!) is how flexible the are. You can literally bend them into a full circle and they don't even creak, let alone snap, then just bounce back into their original position. I thought it was cool haha. [/dork moment]

[Greth]

If they are so bendy, you could lift them and play around with wire and see if you can start something which might make an interesting bonsai one day..

[Rhiannon]

I actually, for some reason, have some really strong desire to so a double helix of sorts with two trunks. I know that's not really bonsai as it won't look natural at all. You see some trees that kind of twist around one another, but not as neatly as I picture this in my head. Anyhoo, dunno why, but I want to do it just to see what will happen, especially cause I can't find any pictures of anyone having done one before. There's one sprout that has a twin trunk that I'm tempted to do it with and see what happens when it thickens up. I guess if it looks crap it's no great loss since the tree will probably die if left alone haha.