September 21-24
This past September I went to my Bonsai Intensive 3rd class at Eisei-en. And yes I was able to look at my Hinoki. I think about that tree quite often. The thoughts are not all rainbows and cheeseburgers. Some are, can i keep it alive? Will i find a correct pot for it? When this tree is in my care full time. Will i find help to repot or do major work when needed? A tree this size. A tree of this caliber, which I hope it is of high caliber. Will require me to be on my game. Which is the reason I am leaving it at Eisei-en.
Bjorn's garden is beautiful! I take this shot every first morning. I try to be the first one every morning. I want to walk among the trees in a peaceful state. View them with no interruptions. Take pictures of my favorite trees. Look for ones that I have worked on. Look for something new!
A big native to Michigan, sugar maple! This tree intrigues me. If the wallet allowed it. I could see myself owning this giant tree.
I walk through the trees every morning. Sometimes looking to see if anything is in my price range? The trees Bjorn has are nicer than anything I have available to me in Michigan. I am always looking for JM. He has some good starter JM that have good genes and good movement. Most of the trees I see in Michigan have little movement.
This is a picture of a JM clump not for sale. I think its his dad's? I took the picture because I purchased a clump and using this as a reference.
I wired and placed some pieces of wire to spread the clump. This tree is young so the front may change. The trunks may be wired a bit different later years. I see a way I want the tree to go. The tree might have another suggestion. I believe the tree has the final word each year. I am there to help and tweak.
This tree will stay in this pot for another growing season. Wire will be removed after flush hardens off. I will start to fertilize when the buds swell, using ozmocote plus (high nitrogen). I will prune after flush hardens off, prune back to 2nd leaf. I might guide wire if needed. I do not like to wire the summer months, far to easy to forget and trunks thicken.
I try not to head to my tree right away. There are plenty of beautiful trees to see! My tree sits down under the shade cloth. It is not in a pretty pot so I do not assume to find it in the upper two areas. Maybe one day it will sit among the awesome looking trees?
It has filled in beautifully! It's doing what it should! Now its my turn to give it some refreshments.
Sorry for the weak photo. This time around. I cleaned up under the pads. Any downside foliage I pulled with my fingers. Hinoki can be pinched with finger or pruned with scissors. When you pitch with fingers the foliage reacts with super tight compact clumping. I do a mixture of both. When pinching with scissors it keeps the foliage more natural. The lower right branch i didn't touch. Still looking for it to bulk up. The branch with the blue tag. Is a reminder to keep that branch extending outward. Be the dominant branch. I added and tightened up some guide wires. A hinoki can be tightened up 2 times a year. Once after the first push of growth, mostly on elongated foliage. 2nd time in early fall as a restyle and light bending.
The winter a hinoki can change to a brownish purple color. When that gorgeous green turns back in the spring, its the best time to repot. Especially if you are make big root work. Next class in 2023 should be the right time for repotting. I do not have the correct size pot. I am trying to not just use a slab. I made a cedar grow box around the correct size. It will live happily in that for years. I will always be on the look out for a ceramic pot. I will be trying to find someone to make me one. I will be practicing my pottery skills just in case I need to make one.
So if anyone reading this. I am looking for help on the correct pot.
Thanks
Ted
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