Carpinus betulus in training: suggestions?

wouterotten

This European hornbeam is about 70 years old and in training since 1994. This it how it looked like without leafs in January 2005.

Any suggestions/ideas?

(Sorry about the bad photo-quality.)

Attached Images

carpinus1 2005 01 10 voor small.jpg (67.7 KB, 187 views)

__________________
Everything of value is defenseless

Advertisement

Carl_Bergstrom

I don't understand. The tree has been in training for 11 years, but the nebari is buried? The first thing to do is to uncover the nebari, and choose the best front. Then you can start thinking about what to do with the branches.

- Carl

__________________
In love with trees

wouterotten

I'll try to make you understand.
11 years ago I was 18 years old and just (fanatically) started digging up trees from hedges since i was fascinated by the first bonsai i saw in a book and the later notion that you can actually create bonsai yourself! I had never heard of nebari at that time.

Since then, i mainly focussed on shaping the branches. In that respect, this tree was an excellent exercise. I learned a lot from it.

I might dig up the nebari one day. Frankly, i'm quite curious about what i might find Maybe I'll have to forget about the whole tree...
But it was a good exercise.

__________________
Everything of value is defenseless

Carl_Bergstrom

I'm glad that you learned a lot from your exercise. Here's a suggestion for next time: Whenever you go to syle a tree, start by uncovering the nebari and selecting the best front, taking the nebari into account as well as what lies above it (and weighing the various flaws that you see by difficulty of correcting them). Then, once you've chosen your front, you can proceed with shaping and developing the tree.

-Carl

__________________
In love with trees

wouterotten

Dear Carl,

Thanks a lot for your advice.

__________________
Everything of value is defenseless

Attila

During these 11 years how many times did you repot this tree? You must have done it several times since otherwise the pot would have been bursting open by the growing mass of roots.

graulus

Dear Wouter,

You write "Maybe I'll have to forget about the whole tree..." ?
The day you decide to forget about this tree, give me a call, I will
come and collect it. (t'is maar een half uurtje rijden voor mij)

I find it a tree with great potential. No matter what the nerabi looks like.

__________________
http://home.versateladsl.be/graulusjl/

wouterotten

Dear Attila,

The first time I planted this tree in a growing-container was in 2003. Until that year, I trained it while it was planted in full ground. It has never been repotted, but I think it’s time to repot it this coming spring.

__________________
Everything of value is defenseless

wouterotten

Dear Graulus,

I’ll give you a call whenever I give up on this tree Untill now, it’s still in my heart. Let’s see what I find when I uncover the nebari.

__________________
Everything of value is defenseless