Fireswept Style? E. Nicholii Tanuki...

[FlyBri]

Gday folks!

Recently, Mitchell started a conversation regarding a "fireswept" style, and this discussion had got me thinking about my first attempt at playing with fire. Please find attached a number of photos of my E. nicholii Tanuki in progress. (Please excuse the size/quality of the images, as they were resized to fit within bonsaiTALK's bandwidth limits.)

December 2006:

Honeysuckle_stump_1.jpg

Honeysuckle_stump_2.jpg

Honeysuckle_stump_3.jpg

Honeysuckle_stump_rooted_02.jpg

H_stump_rooted_carved_3.jpg

H_stump_rooted_carved_top.jpg

H_Stump_Burned.jpg

H_Stump_Burned_Grooved_F.jpg

H_Stump_Burned_Grooved_B.jpg

H_Stump_Detail_3.jpg

Sticks_In_Pots.jpg

H_Stump_Seedling_1.jpg

H_Stump_Seedling_3.jpg

H_Stump_Seedling_5.jpg

H_Stump_Final_Stage_1.jpg

January 2008:

Nonsai_Jan_08_01.jpg

Nonsai_Jan_08_Detail_01.jpg

Nonsai_Jan_08_Virt_02.jpg

August 2008:

Nonsai_Aug_08_01.jpg

Nonsai_Aug_08_02.jpg

November 2010:

Nonsai_11_10_01.jpg

Nonsai_11_10_02.jpg

As you can see, I have neglected this 'Nonsai' setting for some time, mostly due to the fact that the grow box is too large and heavy to be moved easily. In my next installment, I'll show the steps I am taking to bring the thing back from death's doorstep...

Thanks.

Fly.

[Ash]

G'Day Fly,
This is really quite interesting. I have never done anything like it. How do you preserve the wood and keep it black?
regards
Ash

[BGM1971]

What a great job FlyBri.
I've been thinking of try to do something similar myself with a phoenix graft.
I'd really like to know if you used a preservative on the wood.
Please keep us posted on it's progress.

Brad (BGM1971)

[FlyBri]

How do you preserve the wood and keep it black?

I'd really like to know if you used a preservative on the wood.

Gday Ash & Brad!

The blackened finish was achieved by using a blow torch more-or-less all over the exposed section of the trunk. Of course, the flame from the torch did not reach into the folds, creases and crannies on the trunk, so I applied a spirit-based stain (Wattyl?) to blacken all the gaps. I applied many coats of a wood preserver/fungicide, but I cannot remember what brand (I seem to recall that it was simply a combination of hydrocarbons, so it soaked into the wood readily).

I don't normally apply preservatives to deadwood, but I was concerned that the lightweight, fibrous wood of the Honeysuckle stump would turn to pulp in a matter of months. As it turns out, the Honeysuckle wood is outlasting the 2 artificial roots I added for visual - and actual - balance, and they were from Apple and Camellia wood.

I hope to get some more photos up later today.

Thanks.

Fly.

[Craig]

G'day, Fly i also really like what you've done here. It's going to make a great Bonsai one day, do you think the live veins/trunks will thicken and fuse together in time? can't wait for some more progression of this tree Craig

[Mitchell]

I did just reply to this... Anyway....

That awesome! Love the sinuous movement in the live veins.
Can't wait to get a better look at it, when I get home from work.

[FlyBri]

do you think the live veins/trunks will thicken and fuse together in time?

Love the sinuous movement in the live veins.

Gday Craig & Mitchell!

You both mentioned 'live veins' in your replies, and I'm sorry to say that my ongoing neglect of the planting has meant that only 5 of the original seedlings are still alive. To make matters worse, of the 6 remaining seedlings, only 4 have survived any way up the deadwood trunk: the other 2 are sprouting from lignotubers nears the soil level. Not to worry - I think I can still work with it... I'm thinking that the story of this tree could be that it was nearly destroyed once by fire, and as it rose from the ashes, it was struck by another, less severe burn.

I bought an overpriced E. nicholii in a 100mm pot, and have attached it into one of the old grooves (I had to significantly widen/deepen the groove so that the 8-9mm trunk would fit). If I come across cheap seedlings in the future, I might consider attaching more to replace the dead ones. All the other trunks (alive or otherwise) have been cut back significantly to create movement and/or taper.

Nonsai_11_10_03.jpg

Nonsai_11_10_04.jpg

Thanks.

Fly.

[bodhidharma]

Shame on you Fly for coming up with such a wonderful idea and then neglecting it. I reckon you can save it though. Can you keep us updated with its progress as i am interested to know how natives go being grafted like that