Crab Apple Trees to Bonsai - Advice needed (Big Pics)

AaronJ

Hi Gang,

Further to my post in the Show and Tell forum about a wild Cherry/plum plant I have a few more I'd like to talk.

Being the complete newbie that I am and only being able to learn so much thus far I am stumped by what to do here.

The Story:

Four year ago I pulled out a couple of sick/dying grafted apple trees (roots and all). The next spring they started to regrow from what must have been some remaining roots. My guess is that they are a type of Crab Apple that was used for the root stock.

Now I have two 3-year old trees. The thing is both need to come out fo the ground as other plans are in store for the garden. Now that I am discovering the pleasure of bonsai I would like to try and turn them over.

The first is currently about 2 meters with a truck diam of about 30-35mm. I thought with this one I take the base of the trunk back to about 20cm and maybe expose the crown of the roots (its quite thicker than the trunk and was exposed until the latest layer of garden mulch was put down). I also though I could maybe do some air-layering at about the 1/3 and 2/3 points (these are just below some strong branching). That could give me 3 plants out of the one tree. What do you think?:




The second is about 3 meters tall and has a trunk of about 50-60mm (also much thicker just under the fresh garden mulch). There is an interesting bend in the base of the trunk that I and another interesting fork at about the 1/2 way mark up the tree. I thought both features may be useful. As with the first I thought to cut the trunk right back and to air lay at one point to capture the odd fork:







Being the newbie that I am I am still not quite up with 'visualising' a general end goal or the overall potential. I do know these are tough as gutts though so perfect for me to learn on.

I know the pics are not great, but I was hoping for some comments on my ideas and/or some other suggestions for how to best utilise these trees. With winter on the way very soon it'll be time to make my move in the comming months and I'd like to have a game plan.

Thanks,

Aaron.

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Hawthorn

I think you've got a wonderful opportunity here to try out a few different things.
Only suggestion I have is that you make sure that whatever you intend to do, dig and move, trunk chop, air layer, etc would be to make sure that you do it at the right time of the year. Now would be an excellent time for you to research this species and begin learning about it's timing. There is a best and a worst time to perform each of these things for each different kind of tree.
I think these trees could provide some excellent learning opportunities for you.

I dunno if you've found this site yet or not, but http://www.bonsai4me.com has some very good writeups on many techniques you could try out on these trees.

Have fun with them!

AaronJ

H,

You've got me excited now.

Still a few months before I can touch them in terms of digging and pruning, hence starting the process now.

I have than link thanks from my other thread.

Let the study begin.

AJ

Asus101

I would use it as an airlayer tree. Take many air layers off it, and it will slowly shorten. Good crabapples are hard to find in aus.

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waltr

Brent has a nice article on developing Crabs.
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/crabappl.htm

Hope this helps
walt

kcpoole

Hi Aaron and it great you are thinking of the uses you cam make of the tree before you take it out.

If you want to airlayer some sections off it, then do so before you dig uip the tree from the garden.

Too late now to do it so you will have to wait for spring.

Ken

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AaronJ

Thanks for the replies and link.

Ken,
Are you sure its too late to air layer? I thought I read it could be done late summer into autumn for CrabA's?

If it is too late, and considering I do want them out of the ground ASAP..., when the planting time comes around, how about I move them to large pots. From there, as the seasons pass, I can start to air layer them?

Does that sound viable?

Also, can air layering be done at several points along the main trunk at the same time? E.g. Say I wanted to air layer plant 1 at the 1/3 and 2/3 points at the same time.

AJ

Hawthorn

I think the key thing here is that whatever you want to do, move them, or airlayer them.. That you do one or the other and then wait to perform the next.. If you move them, you'll want to let the trees recover before attempting to air layer. I imagine it's possible to airlayer multiple places on the main trunk simultaneously, however your success rate will probably be much higher if you only do one at a time.

Patience, choose what you want to do first, it sounds like your most immediate priority would be moving them, so I would suggest you sort out the details of their move, do it when it's time and then allow them to recover before beginning your air layer attempts.

Good Luck!

kcpoole

Hi Aaron

You may get away with doing airlayer now ut in Melb i would think it is slowing down now.
I just do not think you would have time to get some roots on them that will survive the winter this late but there is no harm trying if you wre keen.

As for more than one airlayer at a time most definitely can be done. I have a JBP with 2 layers on it at the moment.

Ken

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