AusBonsai

Hey Boys and Girls,

Got me a few nice trees a week or two ago. I'm gonna drop some pics in here and also show some photos of my base preparation for planting. Enjoy, and hope it's of use to someone.

OK, so here is the first tree. It helps to have a four year old who takes great pains in painting Dip 'n Root onto the tree's exposed cambium.
Love the movement on this tree.

Next up a photo showing the flat-cut base. No roots on this sucker, so she's got some work to do to make it to the otherside! That cut facing you was a necessary evil to get it out from between some serious rocks (two chainsaw chains later!!!)


Next I took a die grinder with a flat router bit and ran it along the edge to give a 45 degree angle. This way, when the roots grow out, they don;t head straight down into the growing medium.
Then get a small person to paint rooting hormone juice onto the newly exposed cambium and I normally allow it so sit like that few about 10 minutes to give the tree time to absorb the fluid. Not in the sun!!! I use Dip n' Grow, a local product and mix for hard to root plants and give it an extra little squeeze for good measure! Very scientific!!
Finally on this tree, check out the base. It is interesting to see the difference in colours between the heartwood, sapwood and cambium! I think this tree has been around for a while! I'll have to give it good care to ensure I do it justice!
Here is the second tree that had the same treatment . .
Here is another yamadori which had the same treatment and you can see the root growth from about 12 months in a tub of pure riversand.
Cheers

Hi Andrew,
Awesome trees, and a great description of the processes. Is that last photo taken near the foot of the tree?

Regards Panda

Hi Andrew, awesome work mate, great movement. Looking forward to seeing it develop. I've got three little helpers myself for the trees. Invaluable sometimes, other times not as much!! Keep up the good work.
Andrew

Awesome big olives Andrew! I was gonna say, before i saw the growing site that with that kind of flare they must've been on some rocky ground.

I'm always on the hunt for that elusive flared olive, good job

Nice work Andrew, and skillful use of the little person

Lovely tree
I was wondering if you woudl cut a slab off to make a stand, Such wonderful colours there mate

Always handy have Mame sized kids around to help out

Ken

That will make a magnificent Bonsai Andrew. I hope you keep us informed with lots of photo progressions.

these are monster champ! should go well in a few years, there would be a lot of energy in those tubers! should power on soon!

Like your style Andrew, well done mate!!
I am sure you will do them justice!
Did you get a chance to count any growth rings for an estimate of age?
Please keep us updated as these progress.
Cheers, Dario.

Dario,

I'll take a hi res photo of dem rings tonight and post them for guesses! One thing I do know is that they are older than I am!

Thanks Andrew, I tried to count them but got lost in the pic and when I zoomed in it got a little too blury to count. Look forward to a closer look.
Thanks, Dario.

OK Guys,

Here is a high res version of the photo. Difficult to get the white rings and dark rings well exposed, but here you go all the same. Its quite a big file so I hope it does not cause problems. Mods, please delete it if it is too big!
Anyone know how to age an olive from a cut like this? I have heard varying techniques including two growth rings per year!

Comments?

Hi there have you got any current pictures of these olives

Growth rings are indeed dubiuos aging measures. Light and dark growth rings are indications of fast and slow growing periods, not necessarily years. If there's a good spring and autumn but a tough summer the tree may well put on 2 rings in one year. The only way to tell is to compare the growth rings to another tree of known age from the same area and try to get a match of wide and narrow bands that will correspond to a few identifiable years. Even then local variations in microclimate may distort the picture.
Does it really matter how old the tree is? Isn't it more about the impact of the final result?

shibui wrote:Does it really matter how old the tree is? Isn't it more about the impact of the final result?

Dido ! And that is a mighty nice trunk Andrew !!! Any updates ???