Flowering Plum

[alpineart]

This was collected 2 years ago when i purchased a big Maple in Melbourne , it had an ugly graft union

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which rendered it unsuitable for Bonsai .Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth i dragged it back home and potted it up .After reading Bodhidharma's tooth pick root stimulation method , i thought i would test it out .Last winter i set 16 picks around the swollen graft, 4 of which were set in the original trunk and the rest into the swollen section .Anyway i decided to get my act together and investigate the outcome .All but 3 fail to produce roots and to my surprise the one's that failed were in the original root-stock trunk

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. With a quick trim and basic wire this is the result

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The original root stock trunk will be potted up and hopefully survive for a good grafting base for Prunus Nigra or something a little different .the tree itself is another good trainer , no need for the chainsaw on this trunk ,but it has character .The base is around 80mm and it stands 800mm high .Cheers Alpineart

[fae]

Wow.you have really turned this plum into the makings of a great bonsai

After seeing this result I may try this process on an elm.

Thanks for your posting
Fiona

[Kyushu Danji]

Once again inspirational stuff alpineart. I saw your thread on spruce as well and would like to know how that one comes along as I am also thinking of airlayering a branch or two of an old specimen in the yard.

[Dumper]

the plum root stock will sure to back bud.
they grow like crazy,

[alpineart]

Hi fae , the thanks goes to Bodhi for posting this method , i simply tried it out .I will use this method on a garden Maple in an air layer situation to see if it works above ground . You wont know unless you try it out .Cheers Alpineart

[alpineart]

Hi Kyushu , thanks , the Spruce is green and buds are swelling up , more'so on the layered section than the base so i haven't killed it yet . Mate i try anything and everything .Good luck .Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Hi Dumper , considering the root-stock and original trunk was buried fro 12 months , it has made no attempt to sprout root above the original root mass .The bark is as was the day i set the tooth-pick layer . The neighbour has a double flowering plum so i may try a graft or use a Nigra for the purpose .Cheers Alpineart

[plantmanky]

Nice work alpineart!!!!!

I have a flowering plum that I've had for 20 years now and I just know your tree will be one of your favorites in a few years time. I just love mine in the early spring when it flowers.

Randy
Kentucky, USA

[alpineart]

Hi Plantmanky , i haven't seen this in flower so i will be a surprise when it does .It has a bronze leaf and the owner said it was covered in flowers . Its a pity the lower trunk hasn't got any movement but i plan to use the same method to maybe layer the top off at some stage and end up wit a Broom style for the base and an Informal upright for the apex .I know the toothpick method wort above the graft so food for thought for the future .I would like to see a pic of your plum ,Flowering , Dressed to Kill or Naked .Cheers Alpineart

[The Specimen]

Great work Alpine.. will be sure to give this a try

Just to clarify,u drill into the bulge, insert toothpics layered with hormones and ad potting mix?

[alpineart]

Hi The Specimen that's about it , i extended to top of the pot and filled it with potting mix , ie bonsai mix .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Well not much progress on the branch growth , i found a few broken limbs several weeks ago . I guess there's a few rough buggers around here besides myself .

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This is it bursting with flowers , still no idea of the correct name but for a grafted plum it will do until i find a better trunk .

Cheers Alpineart

[The Specimen]

I do like what you have done here and am glad you chipped into my post because I have 3 prunus types that have bulges and now I am going to take advantage of the bulges to great effect!

I shall post some photos soon as the blossoms are very attractive

Thanks again!

[alpineart]

Hi The Specimen , glad the info helped . Mate chipping away at creating something out of very ordinary material is the hard stuff . If we hade material like the guru's from overseas we would or could all be guru's .Some masters spend tens of thousands on trunks before the work them .Most wouldn't have that in an entire collection . Creativity is limited by you imagination and the assistance from forums like this . I learned the toothpick method from Mr Bodhidharma's post , so now its your time to learn the pass it on .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Well 12 months down the track and its coming along nicely considering its been neglected .

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Still a long way to go but its alive , can't say that for a lot of other plants around here .

Cheers Alpine