Copper beech using the hedge cutter method i guess.

I airlayered the top off this beech about 5 years ago and then put it into my garden and have been cutting it with a hedge cutter since then . Ive just taken it out of the garden and put it into a training pot so i can now work on it as a bonsai.

This is the tree before i layered off the top


IMG_6626 27-09-2008 13-17-31 by smithyla67, on Flickr

The tree in the garden , purple bottom of the picture.


009 (6) by smithyla67, on Flickr

The tree today


030 by smithyla67, on Flickr

Excellent start point. Looking forward to seeing this one develop.

Always impressive, thanks for sharing!

Very nice start, indeed. By the way, is that a tulip poplar growing nearby? If so, be careful...they grow so fast, it may swallow your garden, which is quite nice  .

Thanks for the encouragement .

Dave Murphy wrote:Very nice start, indeed.  By the way, is that a tulip poplar growing nearby?  If so, be careful...they grow so fast, it may swallow your garden, which is quite nice  .

Yes thats a tulip tree. I'm sorry but that made me laugh Dave. We grow small trees and we keep them small by cutting them . Its been in the same spot for the last 6 years and hasn't grown any bigger in all that time. I also have a redwood in the garden ,it will only grow as big as i let it.  

Smithy wrote:Thanks for the encouragement .

Dave Murphy wrote:Very nice start, indeed.  By the way, is that a tulip poplar growing nearby?  If so, be careful...they grow so fast, it may swallow your garden, which is quite nice  .

Yes thats a tulip tree. I'm sorry but that made me laugh Dave. We grow small trees and we keep them small by cutting them . Its been in the same spot for the last 6 years and hasn't grown any bigger in all that time. I also have a redwood in the garden ,it will only grow as big as i let it.  

I guess you're being careful, then  . I've got them growing wild all over my property, the tallest being close to 80 feet tall. If I don't pull a seedling up the year it germinates in my garden it'll be 10 feet tall by year 3 and not look back. I've never considered them as good bonsai subjects due to the leaf size and long internodes but I hope you eventually show me otherwise. Please keep us updated on the beech, too.

I guess my property is a bit smaller as you can see so not hard to keep on top of the trees in my front garden. I'm not going to turn it into a bonsai but just a small garden tree.

The beech looks great;lots of ramification! It is certainly ready for another pot. Great job!

Very good tree Smithy.

A bit more twigs on top and less bigger branches on top, and it will look like a very natural tree.


regards,
jun  

Upon reviewing the branches Smithy,  I saw in the center main branches, some sub branches coming from a single point, It will create an ugly bulge in the portion. I think some branches must be remove.

regards,
jun  

Thanks Jun
Yes that is a problem there Jun. at the moment i've just dug it up and cut it back and shoved it in a pot. I haven't decided which of the problem branches are to go yet so its been put to the side while i get on with other repots and digging .

Tghanks Todd.

I took a couple of pics of my tulip tree without leaves . Hard to see properly without a good background.


006 by smithyla67, on Flickr


009 by smithyla67, on Flickr

Wow, very clean and natural. However you're pruning this one, keep doing it  .

What's the tree in teh yellow handled crate? Looks interesting?!

Its a Lonicera i was given last year. It is going to be cut down a bit or split up .


023 by smithyla67, on Flickr

Love the beech! Would like to see it with leaves, do they stay purple all year? How have you found it best to develop these? I have a couple and with the single flush of growth, find it difficult to commit to cutbacks sometimes...

I like the Lonicera - good luck with it - it looks like it has nice potential.

JT