AusBonsai

Hi Josh , I'm quite sure this will work just as well if not better with the discs in a grow box . Can't take all the yard off the littlies , they may want to play ball and damage is easily done .

Cheers .Alpine

Well its training time at the zoo again . The old beds had a good workover and boxed up ready for stage 2 of the rock retaining walls .These have been dug out and had a root prune and back into the new grow bed . With 99 % of them fused together another season in the ground will do wonders for these little champs . Back to the grindstone .

Cheers Alpineart

Hi Alpine,
I like what you are doing.
Last year I did something similar but used trees of different years and sizes. I placed the larger tree in the middle and younger around the first tree, drilling the holes close together. I used perspex instead of the board so I could scratch the soil and see what was going on underneath as well. All the little trees are planted away from the centre tree so light will get to the main tree. The intention is to wait for all trees to "fuse" and then chopping all the small trunks so I will have one tree with a very large Nebari.
After the first year, they are coming along OK but I need to do what you are doing and stick them in the ground. At present, they are still in Orchid squat pots.

Hi Maple , mate this could be done with any type of material for the tourniquet , and varying the ages of the trunks has its pro and cons . I find young whips fuse quicker than aged trunks be it in the ground or potted . For thicker varied trunks simply trim some harder than others and leave a centre one to run riot .

I have a major slater issue with fused trunks making for a comfortable home for them and the ring bark numerous trunks and die back is inevitable . I am spreading fire ash and chelated iron to deter them from housing in the trunks this season , will see how it goes .

Cheers .Alpine

Alpine, after seeing all these posts about your various projects, I have come the conclusion you are part genius, part mad, and 100% awesome. I have to ask though, are you setting up a home nursery or something? (he says as an eager prospective customer )You have a serious amount of trees going on at your place.

Hi GreenThumb , Mate possibly all of the above may apply and add complete nutter . I was planning a big move to a farm , growing tree's for the future but shattered my leg and that put a stop to my dream .

I'm not a nursery but i do sell trainers to whom ever wants something a little different . I just enjoy producing and collecting different material to the norm' , always thinking outside the square . Some class it as Ebay shari , if thats the case its bloody good unique quality ebay shari .

Everything is for sale at a price or it just continues to grow older and is developed in the ground . I can afford to kill a few tree's as i have plenty to play with . I don't go out of my way to kill them , but push the limits to find an answer or two , learning every day . Sometimes I push myself too hard like the trainers , still cant work out my limit , no boubt one day I'll be planted in the ground .

Cheers Alpine

How's this experiment coming along? Did you dig them up again this winter?

Hi sheepdawg ,mate most of these have been sold . I have a few in bonsai pots and some in planter bags for sale this season , a couple are back in the grow beds with another batch of 2 yo clumps .

Cheers Alpineart

Hi there Alpineart,

I am always on the look out for new bonsai/stock. Would love to see what you have and what you want to get rid of.

I am currently looking for a clump style or forest to gift to a friend. Also wanting a double flowering prunus, but not too fussed on exact species.

Feel free to PM me if you have anything that comes to mind.

Kind regards,

Harry

nice work.. push the boundaries! This has given me an idea!