Brett's Hornbeam

[alpineart]

Hi Bretts , nice to see the leaves coming out . I have had feedback from some American Hornbeams buyers which haven't leafed out , some are 2 yo others are 3 yo . All mine 1-2-3-4 yo are powering ahead , time to do some serious trimming on at least 50% of them and i give a few a defol to see how they go .

Cheers Alpine.

[Meagi]

Hi Brett
Can we get an update on some of your hornbeams

I've just recently purchased an American hornbeam
Are they easy to defoliate ?? And get leaves to reduce and grow back.
Yours are lovely and huge thou mine is 30 yrs old not near
As big as these bad boys!
They are great love their size and styling
Cheers

[Qitianlong]

I second Meagi's request! I got some very very young little hornbeams from ray... so small... so long to go...

[Bretts]

I have all the trees squashed into the automatic watering area at the moment from my last weekend away. Might be a few more days before I unpack them again. It is a good two or three hour job I need to get rid of more trees.
Here is big bugs from a couple of weeks ago, I will update the others shortly.

hornbeam.jpg

[FatMingsBonsai]

...but she looks healthy as though

I have slowly defoliated my European hornbeam bit by bit as I am still getting to know it. It is starting to shoot back nicely
Love the leaf design and structure of them..

P.S Me thinks yours needs a haircut mate,..just saying

[Meagi]

Wow Brett very nice indeed ... If your getting rid of trees count me in .
Cheers

[Bretts]

This hornbeam has been growing in this pot for several years so it is at the optimal time for ramification work. I have cut all growth back to two leaves several times this season, This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago and it is definitely due for another trim now although I am constantly tipping it every time I can spare 5 minutes. I think I will give it another two leaf prune and then maybe a harder design prune comming into the end of Summer. It will be interesting to see how much twigyness I have by Winter.

The others have not fared as well this season. They are the opposite of this one being freshly repotted and I took more roots of than I would have liked. Funny that Both American hornbeams where slow to bud out even though the smaller one did not have excessive roots removed.
All will be well though after the first cut back on the turk I realised that all the freshly repotted hornbeams need to just be let grow this year and replenish the roots.
Pics soon.

I would definitely be interested in selling off some stock trees but as I am out in the sticks it is difficult to arrange. I could bring some to Canberra on the 2nd.

[Mojo Moyogi]

Hi all.
I'm hearing an awful lot about this defoliation and ramification business lately and I just want to quickly and politely mention for the less experienced among us (and some not so inexperienced) that ideally, particularly in the case of deciduous trees, there are a lot of things that need to be taken care of in the design and building of bonsai that need to happen long before twigs and leaf size become relevant. Many people never get this into their heads, (myself included in the first couple of years) or don't do it in practice, that is a pity.

Maybe I should start a separate thread and elaborate, or maybe one of you super keen guys and or girls should ask: "Hey Mojo, what are you going on about?".

Cheers,
Mojo

[Bretts]

Maybe you should show us some examples with your trees?

[Mojo Moyogi]

Maybe you should show us some examples with your trees?

I should. I've just defoliated some mini Corkies as it happens, more to have good access to wire the primaries and secondaries rather than for any other reason.

Cheers,
Mojo

[Bretts]

Let me know when to exhale

[Matthew]

You two love birds at it again Mojo if your got some insightful knowledge and the time as i know your a busy boy please post maybe in either the progression threads with pics if possible or other appropiate threads. I know alot of people here especially new comers would appreciate it.

[Mojo Moyogi]

No worries Matt, I hope that you can contribute to the thread as well, your learning curve from the outset was steep and in the right direction, the trees that you have now reinforce the fact. I'm looking to communicate with the passionate newcomers that are not afraid to evolve.

Cheers,
Mojo

P.S. I will answer my phone once in a while .

[Matthew]

No worries Matt, I hope that you can contribute to the thread as well, your learning curve from the outset was steep and in the right direction, the trees that you have now reinforce the fact. I'm looking to communicate with the passionate newcomers that are not afraid to evolve.

Cheers,
Mojo

P.S. I will answer my phone once in a while .

Ill look into starting a new thread regarding defoliation, its benefits , why and when.

p.s
thanks for the praise. I was fortunite to spend 6 months in a bonsai nursery learning from what i thought was a great young artist at the time no matter how cocky some people thought he was unfortunity he has moved on from bonsai. Still think he has a 1970's juniper id sell my mum for

[Bretts]

Although this looks quite bushy at the moment I will not cut this one back this season. It will get a light trim after the leaves fall but that's it. The more growth I have up top the more root growth I get and that is what this tree needs at this stage.
I have been taught to plan root work on deciduous just like they do on Pines. Root work and shoot work are done over separate periods. This can be over several years of development.
I took of more roots than I liked to get the tree in the pot and that can now be seen in the leaf burn and slow growth. I have not even had to remove the wire yet All will be well and full vigor will return in time. Only then will I start to work the shoots hard to ramify.

hornbeam 001.jpg