Finally have my ground growing area!!!

Jasonb · Post by **Jasonb** » March 15th, 2013, 1:40 pm

Hey all, I just spent the better part of 4 hours trudging around in an old veggie patch ripping and hacking and maybe used a lawn mower for a bit of it.
Turned the soil and it is very nice clean soil, obviously put in purposefully for the garden. Very hard to clear completely of all green matter so I have done my best in that respect, and will just have to stay on top of any thing that wants to shoot back up. I got a few trees in there today, and will hopefully be able to muster some time over the weekend to get a few more in.

Start

2 hours

4 hours

A lot more room for trees to be put in, but until I have more, it will just have to stay bare..... Or rent it? Any takers? Lol, just jokes.

Jasonb

lackhand · Post by **lackhand** » March 15th, 2013, 1:48 pm

That's pretty sweet. I have a little strip in my back yard, about 1/3 of that maybe, that I'll be using once some of my seeds come up. I admit to a bit of jealousy though. That should keep you in good projects for a long time to come.

Jasonb · Post by **Jasonb** » March 15th, 2013, 1:57 pm

It really will lackhand, some are planned to be removed in 1 year, others are planned for 5 and I've got 2 or 3 that are set for 10 plus years in the ground.

Can't wait to see the results in a year or two.

Jasonb

DustyRusty · Post by **DustyRusty** » March 15th, 2013, 1:59 pm

Jasonb wrote: A lot more room for trees to be put in, but until I have more, it will just have to stay bare..... Or rent it? Any takers? Lol, just jokes. Jasonb

What's the going rate?

Jasonb · Post by **Jasonb** » March 15th, 2013, 2:11 pm

Haha, a beer would do me rusty

craigw60 · Post by **craigw60** » March 15th, 2013, 2:23 pm

Hi Jason, your soil looks good. The trees seem to be very close together, is there any room for them to expand ?
Craigw

jezz_39 · Post by **jezz_39** » March 15th, 2013, 2:44 pm

Nice job, Jason. Have you considered the development of nebari by planting onto tiles, or a bit of old chipboard?
Ive also recently got my growing patch going and set up an irrigation system around it, drainage is a bit of an issue but im working on it. Most things seem to have survived the transplant but all my Casuarina's sulked and browned off

A few buds popping from trunks so they should be fine

Good luck with the patch, get that soil nice and fertile and let the plants run wild for maximum thickness.

Jeremy

KyBonzai · Post by **KyBonzai** » March 15th, 2013, 2:51 pm

Sooooo jealous !! i have maybe enough room in the backyard/frontyards garden for maybe 3 trees

good job !

Boics · Post by **Boics** » March 15th, 2013, 3:08 pm

Looks great.

Although I do agree that a little more space between the tree's would be well worthwhile.
The intent is to grow them right!?!

Jason · Post by **Jason** » March 15th, 2013, 3:13 pm

Nice work dude, very jealous! Wish I had the room!

I'm currently looking into shelving options, as I've run out of ground space lol

Jasonb · Post by **Jasonb** » March 15th, 2013, 3:34 pm

I will have to go and have another look at the spacing. I didn't think it was too bad. I haven't done anything for nebari. I don't think any of my trees need that type of work ( for the type of finished look I'm going for with some of them ) by the time I'm ready for that work the shohin trees will have been removed and the larger ones will have been dug for root pruning, nebari will be tended to at that point I think.

Jason

jezz_39 · Post by **jezz_39** » March 15th, 2013, 3:51 pm

It all boils down to what species you're using, mate.
For me, nebari should be the first element to address, then comes trunk development, then the primary branches and apex. Ramification comes last.
If you can get a start on radial root development early on, not only will it encourage basal flare, but make it easier to get the tree in a bonsai pot when them time comes to lift.

lackhand · Post by **lackhand** » March 15th, 2013, 4:01 pm

jezz_39 wrote:It all boils down to what species you're using, mate.
For me, nebari should be the first element to address, then comes trunk development, then the primary branches and apex. Ramification comes last.
If you can get a start on radial root development early on, not only will it encourage basal flare, but make it easier to get the tree in a bonsai pot when them time comes to lift.

I second this, especially because good nebari will help with trunk thickening too, as compared to root growing straight down. I think they will also be easier to dig when the time comes if the roots have been kept shallow.

craigw60 · Post by **craigw60** » March 15th, 2013, 4:21 pm

Re spacing, you can pack in the deciduous and most broad leaved evergreens because you don't need to worry about maintaining branches, they will bud back. The conifers need much more light so they can maintain the foliage required for a future branch structure. So they need more careful spacing
Re nebari, this needs to be sorted before you put the trees in the ground, thats fundamental. Any problems you have with the roots will be amplified 10 times by field growing
Re branches, for deciduous and broadleaves don't even think about them Field growing is all about trunks most of the growth you achieve is going to be way to coarse to use for branches.
Craigw

Jason · Post by **Jason** » March 15th, 2013, 5:24 pm

jezz_39 wrote:It all boils down to what species you're using, mate.
For me, nebari should be the first element to address, then comes trunk development, then the primary branches and apex. Ramification comes last.
If you can get a start on radial root development early on, not only will it encourage basal flare, but make it easier to get the tree in a bonsai pot when them time comes to lift.

Very helpful post! Thankyou

AusBonsai