I planted out some Parsley hawthorn whips a few years ago. True to the old adage, “first year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps,” this year I’ve noticed a number of the specimens have put on some heft. A few have reached my minimum for lifting, namely, a trunk base of 1″. While I’ll certainly leave most to get bigger still, it’s nice to have some smaller specimens to offer.
I’m not sure what happened to this one or when, but it’s grown itself into a raft. Nice.
Here’s the first one on the potting bench. I have to choose between two leaders, either of which would do fine. You can see I’ve got some good roots to work with. My experience with hawthorn has been that they do quite well with a lot less root than you think they need when collecting them. My survival rate through the years has been 90% or better.
Yep, not much root at all. I’m still trying to decide on the leader.
I went with the straighter one. Not sure if it would have been better the other way, but the good news is this tree will produce multiple buds where I chopped that other leader. If I want, I can grow a new leader from one of those buds. So it’s not a big deal one way or another.
And here’s the raft, all potted up. I’m thinking this is going to make a very cool bonsai. What do you think?
I lifted this Huckleberry today. I’m very excited about it. I see a round pot and foliage confined to the upper part of each trunk. It’ll take a season or two to grow the left hand trunk the way I want it, but the results should be spectacular.
I have a choice of more than one front with this specimen. Which would you choose?
One of these looks very similar to a slippery elm (I think) I collected this fall here in Massachusetts. I will try to attach photo…would love your advice
Zach….I have a question I have yet find to find answered on your site…..all of the info on caring for the sorts of bonsai I am interested seem to assume I am keeping them outdoors. I’m not. …….they are all (3 so far) being kept as indoor plants. I mist them daily and keep the soil wet. Is this going work? Joe Thanks.
Joe, I don’t write about keeping bonsai indoors because I don’t do it (except for a few tropicals I have that need to come in when it freezes each winter). I can’t really give experience-based advice for those who maintain their trees indoors. If you have a good light setup and can maintain the right humidity level, you can certainly keep tropicals indoors. As for temperate zone trees, it’s not likely to work for long. Good luck!
Wow, great specimens!—wished i lived in your area.
Long term outcome–1st view
Thank you, Delmon.
Nebari on the 2nd view is more interesting, but to me the 1st view is more elegant and unique; that’s the front I’d choose. A real eye catcher of a tree, Zach.
Thank you, Richard.