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Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 24th, 2010, 7:53 pm
by Jester
Hi there crazy Kids!!!

I was up at Ray Nesci's last week and thought I would show you a photo of a Prunus x Blireana I picked up for $40 (Can you believe it)? .
I was lucky in that a good friend of mind spotted it for me and it was the only one there. Firstly, I would like to apologise for the
large file size as i am still trying to get the hang of this new camera. I would like some suggestions as to how I might go about
styling this lovely little specimen. My plan was to cut it back to the top of the main trunk and create a broom style so that come next spring, I will have a tree with a beautiful thick
bouquet of flowers.

Thanks in advance kids!!!

John

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 24th, 2010, 8:07 pm
by kvan64
Very good bargain! I'm envy!

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 24th, 2010, 9:02 pm
by astroboy76
awesome find jester. look forward to seeing its progress :D

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 10:13 am
by astroboy76
i spoke to ray myself about a flowering plum i have and his advice was forget flowering for a year or two and focus solely on building the basic branch structure. he said prunus are easy to do this to, just wait till first flush of growth starts to harden then cut back to 2 or 3 nodes. keep doing this until you have the desired ramifications then focus on flowers. if you want branches thicker then let them extend until the required thickness achieved, then cut back and build ramification.

Once you have obtained a basic branch structre getting flowers is easy. these trees flower on last years wood and sometimes 2 years old wood. so once ramification is acheived simply let the new growth grow (wire if necessary) then cut back in fall to maintain shape. next spring (or late winter) last years growth shoudl flower. once flowering is over cut back to the basic branch structure and allow new growth to grow again.

i have a ttached a pic of what you could prob achieve with that great trunk. both these pics are prunus mume terees but the affect woudl be the same.

oh, since blireana is a cross between a plum and an apricot, when it flowers can be different for each tree. some will flower solely on one year old wood (l;ast years growth) as do apricots, some will flower on 2 year old wood like most plums and some will flower on both. you will find out soon enough tho :)
4659698500_89224e778b.jpg
prunus-armeniaca-bonsai.jpg

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 5:50 pm
by Joel
astroboy76 wrote:i spoke to ray myself about a flowering plum i have and his advice was forget flowering for a year or two and focus solely on building the basic branch structure. he said prunus are easy to do this to, just wait till first flush of growth starts to harden then cut back to 2 or 3 nodes. keep doing this until you have the desired ramifications then focus on flowers. if you want branches thicker then let them extend until the required thickness achieved, then cut back and build ramification.

Once you have obtained a basic branch structre getting flowers is easy. these trees flower on last years wood and sometimes 2 years old wood. so once ramification is acheived simply let the new growth grow (wire if necessary) then cut back in fall to maintain shape. next spring (or late winter) last years growth shoudl flower. once flowering is over cut back to the basic branch structure and allow new growth to grow again.

i have a ttached a pic of what you could prob achieve with that great trunk. both these pics are prunus mume terees but the affect woudl be the same.

oh, since blireana is a cross between a plum and an apricot, when it flowers can be different for each tree. some will flower solely on one year old wood (l;ast years growth) as do apricots, some will flower on 2 year old wood like most plums and some will flower on both. you will find out soon enough tho :)
4659698500_89224e778b.jpg
prunus-armeniaca-bonsai.jpg
I thought Blireana flowered on spurs from growth 2 or more years only? I know Prunus persica flower on last years (and sometimes 2 years growth) but i have read differently for Blireana. Perhaps i am wrong. Better read up Jester!

Joel

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 9:37 pm
by astroboy76
i know crab apples fruit of spurs. plums and apricots and peaches all flowered mainly on last years groth and sometimes 3 year old growth. will find where i leanred this and double check

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 9:40 pm
by astroboy76
hey joel you are right!!! cant believe i confused it. im sure thats what ray said though but maybe i confused it with other advice. i ask alot when i am there hehe. here is a quote i got from flemmings nurseries

Plums fruit on one-year-old wood, on older
wood and often form spurs also.
Most fruiting will occur on wood which is
two years old. They also produce freely on
permanent fruiting spurs. If allowed to grow
unchecked the plum tree will become unruly
and produce fruit in large quantities which will
cause the branches to break from the weight.
Plums should be pruned to keep the fruit close
to the main framework branch.
As a ‘rule of thumb’, pruning plums is simply a
matter of pruning off anything growing out of
reach and leaving the rest.

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 9:55 pm
by astroboy76
will ask again when i go to rays next. my bros girlfiend bought a small one from there and i could have sworn that was the advice he gave but im clearly wrong!! just when u think you understand things you realise you know even less hehe

Re: Bargain Blireana

Posted: August 25th, 2010, 10:02 pm
by Graeme
astroboy76 wrote:just when u think you understand things you realise you know even less hehe
Ain't this the truth but??

Sortta like, "You never know what you dont know".