Flowering Apricot Progression

[FlyBri]

Gday folks!

I had a bit of time up my sleeve, and a wad of holiday pay burning a hole in my pocket, so I bundled the little girl into the car and we made our way to Bonsai Art Nursery in Heatherton, SE of Melbourne. This was my first visit to Bonsai Art (well, second if you count me going all the way down there last week to find that it was closed for the day, but that's another story... ) and I can't believe that I have been ignorant of the place for so long. Seemed very reasonable prices for some great material, but that's also another story...

The point of this thread is that I came away with a tree labelled 'Flowering Apricot', and as the blooms had already passed, I had to inquire as to the 'flowerability' of the tree, and had to take it on good faith when the lady there replied: "Oh, that has lovely blossoms!" (I realize now that I did not even ask what colour the blossoms are/will be... ) Not to worry - that lower trunk and (apparent) nebari was more than enought to convince me to part with $152AUD.

Please find attached some pics as it is now. Don't expect it to stay like this for long...

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_01.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_02.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_03.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_04.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_05.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_06.jpg

Sorry about the pics - I'll try to get some better ones tomorrow...

Thanks.

Fly.

[buddaboy]

Hey Bri, nice tree

[FlyBri]

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_07.jpg

[anttal63]

good 4 you fly, enjoy it and i look forward to your romance with it.

[FlyBri]

...i look forward to your romance with it.

Thanks Antonio - so do I!

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_09.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_10.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_11.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_12.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_13.jpg

Mmmm... Roots...

[FlyBri]

Mmmm... Roots...

Yes - lots of roots, but they are far from a perfect nebari... The pic below shows just a couple of problematic roots:

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_14.jpg

The root at [A] is nice and thick (maybe 10mm where it leaves the main trunk) and divides nicely into smaller rootlets. However, in this photo, the root leaves the trunk at an angle of between 30° and 45°, rather than at a nice 90°. Unfortunately, the root is too thick to move.

The long, thick root at [B] is too straight to stay intact, and it also leaves the trunk at a slightly acute angle. It will have to go eventually, but it might take years to chase that root back.

The root marked [C] starts near the base of [A] and crosses under [B]. It is pretty useless where it is, but its angular orientation to the trunk is kind of nice.

Dealing with [A]:

Unfortunately, the root is too thick to move.

Or is it?.. This view is about 90° clockwise from the view above. The LH end of the turnbuckle is attached to [A] and the RH end is attached to [B].

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_15.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_16.jpg

Dealing with [B]:

It will have to go eventually, but it might take years to chase that root back.

Well, it can't be chopped now, as I have used it as an anchor point for the turnbuckle (as above). So, if I can't cut it back, how can I hope to chase it back towards the trunk? I wonder if root [C] might be of use...

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_17.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_18.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_19.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_20.jpg

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_21.jpg

Unfortunately, I did not get a pic of the result, as I thought I'd better hurry up and get the thing into some soil. I did however get a photo of the roots I cut off - I hope to strike them as root cuttings, but am not holding my breath.

Flowering_Apricot_Sep_09_22.jpg

More updates soon...

Thanks.

Fly.

[Jordy]

Looks Great!

Yes - lots of roots, but they are far from a perfect nebari...

Is there a way you could have grown it so the roots weren't quite so out of control? and so stop them from growing in 'unwanted' directions?
would it have made more sense to turnbuckle the roots (wire them if thats possible) before it was so large and developed?


I really love the progression posts
so much better than just being told how to do something!

Jordy

[FlyBri]

Is there a way you could have grown it so the roots weren't quite so out of control? and so stop them from growing in 'unwanted' directions?
would it have made more sense to turnbuckle the roots (wire them if thats possible) before it was so large and developed?

Very good point Jordy - I believe that getting onto the roots early is one of the most important aspects of Bosnai culture. While I do love working with the roots of deciduous specimens like this, I hope that the steps I have taken here will prevent me from having to be quite so brutal in the future.

I have only had the tree for under a week now, and from what I can gather, the tree had been growing in the same poly tray for some years without a root prune. I don't imagine that Bonsai nurseries have the time required to such in-depth rootwork on all their stock. The tree is still really rough stock (as the price tag suggests), but as such, I think the roots are pretty decent. Of course 'pretty decent' won't cut it for long...

Thanks.

Fly.

[Jordy]

Ah ok

So what other methods are there for adjusting root structure if u don't mind me asking?
Besides trimming and the use of turnbuckles.

because i believe i have a bit to do on my Japanese. Maple that i bought from a nursery

[Scott Roxburgh]

Nice stock Fly, i look forward to seeing its progression.

btw what colour are the flowers?

Scott

[alpineart]

Hi Fly i hope those screws are solid brass ,nice work .Cheers

[FlyBri]

So what other methods are there for adjusting root structure if u don't mind me asking?
Besides trimming and the use of turnbuckles.

because i believe i have a bit to do on my Japanese. Maple that i bought from a nursery

Gday Jordy!

There are numerous methods of training Bonsai roots, including trimming/pruning, wiring, grafting and splitting. The turnbuckle thing is not something I've seen before, although I don't dare think I've come up with something new. The root training method(s) you choose to work with will be entirely dependent on the roots in question and the result you desire. Depending on the severity of your root issues, you may choose to begin a completely new root system via layering.

btw what colour are the flowers?

Gday Scott!

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know - when I bought the tree, it had already flowered, and I was so taken by the lower trunk that I neglected to ask... I'll tell you this time next year.

Hi Fly i hope those screws are solid brass ,nice work .Cheers

Gday AA!

Yup - solid brass. I have some brass washers around the place too, but couldn't find them. I wonder what sort of anode/cathode I've set up by using different metals in this set up...

Thanks all!

Fly.

[anttal63]

wow fly impressive engineering! you got too much time on your hands. on a tree that still needs this much developement, i would have just chopped off what is no good and grown new ones. when you cull back hard and run the top, new roots every where.

[FlyBri]

...on a tree that still needs this much developement, i would have just chopped off what is no good and grown new ones. when you cull back hard and run the top, new roots every where.

True Antonio, but where's the fun in that? Besides, why put up with the roots that Mother Nature grows when I can wrench them into shape myself? (Where's the Mad Scientist' emoticon?)

Peace.

Fly.

[anttal63]

and so be it, enjoy my friend.