Shohin Blackthorn

Height: 15 cm as it stands now with the target around 12 cm
Pot: training


Nov 2015





Nov 2016





Plans for 2017?
The little sloe would need a bit more pruning in the early spring next year as I have left the  the new shoots a bit longer now.   Then I should start to think about the direction to move with the dead wood.   But the biggest challenge is covered in the soil.  This is the reason for a pot a bit larger than one would expect.   I have tried to graft roots with zerro success rate.  I am considering an air layer but the reports on the air layering of sloes are quite rare and not very exciting.   We will see...

perhaps cutting "windows" in the bark under/at the soil line and applying some rooting hormone paste and finely grated sphagnum moss would encourage some rooting in the desired area... i have had some success with this method...

regardless, that is going to be a nice little blackthorn !

Csescz Vlad,

I really like your way to bonsai.

You're not building "instant bonsai", you're accompanying a tree that is developping.

No excessive dead wood, a taste for elegance vs spectacular carving, a mind for the future: keep on the good work

It is definitely an experience  worth trying Kevin.  Thanks a lot.  

Salut Alain,  Thank you for your comment.   I am doing this stuff for a pleasure and not for a living  or to present it on a show.  That makes quite a difference

Bonsai is never finished.  
Journey is the goal.

Vlad wrote:
Bonsai is never finished.  
Journey is the goal.

Looks like you're on a good trip

I really like this one. Very good.

Spring 2018



Autumn 2018
Needs to visit the barber shop but that will happen next spring after the blossom season.  
Badly need to see some blossoms on this little thing after all these years of cutting and pruning  






Height: 16 cm  
Pot: Oversized but need to keep it for the moment due to the status of roots.

Wonderful style, lovely shohin.

any luck with the window cutting for new roots ?

Yet another excellent tree Vlad! Developing well.

Doesn't seem to be a lot happening on this forum nowadays but when I see you've posted something I know it's going to be worth stopping to take a look.

Thanks for sharing the update.

Regards

Richard

@ Kevin Frankly, I am tiptoeing around this tree. Have tried some non invasive technique this year though - such as a nice featherbed sorry I mean mossbed on the top. On the other hand I have used the technique you have mentioned on one of my field maple. I will share the tree and results later in November.

@ Richard It is a bit quiet here right now We surely need some strong, charismatic leaders... Kevin, where are you?

Thank you @ John. Happy you like it.

I look forward to seeing it in bloom. What month will it bloom in your area?

I think that blackthorn is of the roseacea family and can have some rose techniques applied to them. Such as sweating. This is where the plant can be sealed into a slightly transparent polythene bag, such as a trash bag, and put in good light as it breaks dormancy. The higher temperature and humidity will encourage new growth and the low light level forces the tree to extend its growth in the search for light. If you do this and apply a rhizo tonic new roots will sprout from everywhere.

Hi Vlad,

That's a sweet little blackthorn. Do you plan on moving it into a smaller pot?

John Quinn wrote: What month will it bloom in your area?

Its March/April, John.

john blanchard wrote:I think that blackthorn is of the roseacea family and can have some rose techniques applied to them. Such as sweating.  

Thank you for bringing this interesting point, John.
I have never used this technique on reasonable developed trees but yamadories or trees that did have some problem to start up.   On trees like this one I try to apply the method mentioned by Kevin or as it is the case with this blackthorn - a layer of moss on the surface.  The reason why I did not used the "window" technique on this tree is the massive shari on one side of the trunk  - I did not want to challenge the remaining live vein.    Maybe I am overcautious but thats me   .  
Practical point of window or mossbed technique - you promote growth of surface roots to improve nebari.   With sweating you do not control this in my oppinion.    

john blanchard wrote: rhizo tonic

I do not have any experience with this substance.  Probably will not cause any harm but not sure if there is any positive effect for the plants.   Its maybe the same as SuperThrive.  
On the other side - I have never made any reasonable test on it so my position is just based on gut feelings and articles about plants physiology.   Will be happy to learn more from you or others if they use it.

Thomas Urban wrote:Do you plan on moving it into a smaller pot?

I know your passion for smaller than small pots, Thomas . Whats wrong with this one?

Vlad wrote:

Thomas Urban wrote:Do you plan on moving it into a smaller pot?

I know your passion for smaller than small pots, Thomas   .  Whats wrong with this one?  

Nothing wrong with it, I just thought it might be a trainer but as you say maybe I like the pots a little smaller, just to give the tree a little more BOOM. Maybe this taste can be blamed on Mirai, Michael Hagedorn and Walter Pall?

Vlad wrote:
Height: 16 cm  
Pot: Oversized but need to keep it for the moment due to the status of roots.

Bad luck. I thought we could raise some emotions

Thomas Urban wrote:but as you say maybe I like the pots a little smaller, just to give the tree a little more BOOM. Maybe this taste can be blamed on Mirai, Michael Hagedorn and Walter Pall?  

I think the former of the three

its called mesMIRAIzed

Don't know if you can get your hands on Rhizotonic as it's manufactured in the UK. But Harry Harrington has carried out and shared some trials;

http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/AT%20Rhizotonic%20for%20Bonsai%20Roots.html

john blanchard wrote: But Harry Harrington has carried out and shared some trials;

Interesting reading, John. Thank you for the link

I do believe there are some substances that promote growth of plants. Just have a look at the willow.  It roots like mad.  What is the reason for that? The presence of IBA seems to be only a part of the story.  Who knows?  Cytokinin? as it is in Keiki paste?
The bad luck is that while the science is still at loss the sellers are quite sure about them.  Vitamines, extracts from desert plants/rainforests plants etc.  

I am sure that the Dutchmen behind the Canna are experts, don't get me wrong.   The quality of Dutch horticulture is well know.

Vlad wrote:

Vlad wrote:
Height: 16 cm  
Pot: Oversized but need to keep it for the moment due to the status of roots.

Bad luck.  I thought we could raise some emotions  

Good try

I should have read all of the comments beforehand

Also the dutchmen and their cannabis?

@Kevin mesMIRAIzed - nice

The blossoms wither within next week or so.  Lot of traffic around but mainly by the wild bees ( mining ones I guess ) It seems that these forms are overtaking more and more from honey bees.

Bravo! It was worth the wait. Splendid little tree!






























1

@Bruce thank you. I hope that at least some of the blossoms were pollinated. Would like to have some fruits here and there.