What is this tree construction?

A friends son is walking across the country (from Rockaway Beach NY to Rockaway Beach OR) & posting photos and stories as he proceeds http://imjustwalkin.com/. This tree construction is a mystery to those following Matt's trip, unless the gal' guessing "Egyptian squirrels?" got it right.

Any ideas?

Chris,
Clearly the work of Nick Lenz.

Mark

Mark wrote:Chris,
Clearly the work of Nick Lenz.

Mark

Someone trying to shore up the tree to keep it from blowing over would be my guess. Don't think it will work.

I understand that a hollow trunk gives a tree more stability in severe weather.

Could it be a message from a tree hugger to potential loggers or bonsai enthusiasts?

Hi Chris.

Looks like ugly tree surgery. Poor tree.

You can see the cambrium slowly trying to encase the dreadful repair work.

Maybe the tree got hit by lightning in the past and some well-meaning tree enthusiast a few decades ago thought it would be best to fill in the gaps. Maybe the tree is in a county that is prone to accident litigation and had an amateur arbor contractor come in to repair trees on county trails to prevent future lawsuits from falling trees? Honestly, it would have been cheaper and more merciful to cut down the poor tree. It is more of an eyesore than an enigma.

As a bonsai enthusiast, I can understand preserving old trees which have sentimental value. But that ugly tree surgery is made of phail. I remember Banyans (F. benghalensis) which were brought to Hawaii by Princess Kauilani's Scottish father Archibald Cleghorn in the late 1800's needing some repair work in the 1960s. It was customary at the time to fill-in the rotted and structurally unsound park trees with cement and such. Banyans, however, are aggressive and fast growing in tropical regions. Any repair work would have healed over with new cambrium in a short period.

Best regards and warmest aloha to the ancient IBC gang,
Geoline

Hi Geoline... HooRah!!!!!!!!!!!! It is wonderful to hear your voice. A true original returns to IBC! Is "Little (Space) Havener" in long pants, yet?

IBC's colorful contributors who seldom appear, today, are recalled warmly. In addition to you, Hud, Bonsamurai (Stefan), Phil Stephens ("Life is a blur of meat & Republicans."). SandyV et al.. I'd like to think each occasionally recalls IBC while crafting a bonsai. I wonder about Andy Walsh, who is an incredibly thoughtful IBC friend I've not seen or heard in ages. Is Andy kicking around in ABS circles?

I treasure your origami-- "Happiness" & "Hugs" (now, 15 yrs old). As an iconic memory of former days, they decorate my bookshelf.

Geoline! Welcome back!!!

I was thinking of you and Hud just the other day. Now all that needs to happen is for the Haikumatic to show up!

Please stick around and bring us up to date.

Geoline,

Greetings again! How goes the [latest incarnation of the] Haiku Café -- if I remember correctly? Hope all is well.

Robert J. Baran
Researcher and Historian
(Ancient IBC, in 1995-96 signing on under my buddy's Bfurdy@aol account)
Arizona & Colorado

I have been moving around frequently due to family illnesses so I had to abandon horticulture and many specimens over the years.

New house and stability means I can set down roots again.

I accidentally grew a legion of various Japanese maple seedlings in the refridgerator last year. I didn't expect such a high viability in the seeds I had stratified in Miracle-Gro Moisture Control potting mix. Never used the product before. I thought the moisture mix and tannins in the organic matter would help control fungal growth.

Incidentally thanks to Miracle-Gro Moisture Control potting mix, I now have legions of Roma Tomatoes, Cilantro, Basil, Sunflower, Snow Peas, Chinese Cabbage and Catnip overrunning the house and backyard in pots. The lawn needs work to get rid of broad leaf weeds and crabgrass before I will commit anything directly into the soil. I don't want the husband to accidentally kill my seedlings. Even the Catnip and Sunflower are in pots. The Sunflower I am growig for my birds, while the Catnip I am growing for mosquito and rodent control. Catnip is supposed to have behave like Citronella as far as mosquitoes go. I am also hoping the neighborhood cats would help guard the barn/garage from rodents. I am a fan of the internet LOLcats phenomena so seeing few stoner cats adds to much amusement.

When the lawn is properly weeded and seeded, I'll be able to stick most of the potted vegetation into the ground. I am contemplating landscaping a Zen sand and rock pond but worried that our stoner LOLcats will use it as kitty litter box.

Meanwhile, this year, to make up for lost time on the bonsai front, I am cheating. I am approach grafting some of the stock to each other and introducing some stress to the juvenile trunks to artificially make the refridgerator saplings look older and grow faster and fatter.

A few of this years seedlings have odd mutations. I am excited to see if the mutations will survive. I am more interested in the trunk mutations. I have never seen Japanese maple with a contorted growth habit.

Toward the end of fall, I am aiming for collecting more seeds and scion woods.

I am also rock hunting. Memphis, Tennessee is noted as the birthplace of Rock, but in terms of Bonsai and Suiseki, it is flatland and I can't find decent rock for miles around.

Much aloha,
Geoline