American Hackberry [ Celtis L. ?] Life / Death and a Miracle

Hello to All,

talking to Jesse brought back these memories.

Here is a Hackberry from seedling [ three leaves ] from Lafayette, Louisiana. When I returned home to the Caribbean, I planted this one in the front yard trough and it sprang up. I later replanted in a 5 gallon container. That damage you see on the front is my fault. When I went away to study, I insisted that the tree be placed in full sun, and over winter the top died and regrew itself in spring. This was my first chance to learn how to clip / grow and defoliate.

First image [the off colour white] is 1996 - 15 years old
Height - 35 cm - 14 inches
Width - 40 cm - 16 inches
Trunk - 3.5 cm - 1.5 inches.

Second image - April 1st 1999 - out of the refrigerator

Third image - May 1999 - pruned and re-sprouting. Styro grow box.




Fourth image - about 2003 and re-sprouted and trimmed 2nd branch removed

Fifth image - 2006 all grown out for late Summer.




2008 - I missed the two week watering and this tree dried out.
Tree died.
But ..............

Tomorrow I will show you the miracle,
Stay tuned.
Khaimraj

Ooh I like the suspenseful thread! Well played. Can't wait to see what happens.

Morning to All,
Hello Jim.

Well I just finished the morning watering and took the shots. I will resist the urge to play the cliffhanger to the hilt.

Anyhow, it took just under a month to realise that the tree was permanently dormant, as I had to watch all the other trees bud and leaf out. It was very sad, but even with the knowedge that the tree was dead, I kept the lumber in bonsai pot moist. If ever I needed supernatural help this was the time.

One day I walked down into the garden, checked the stand and was pleasantly surprised to see a green shoot coming out of a root on the dead tree. I had to live with the corpse for almost a year as I watched the shoot on the root grow to a 2 foot tree. Then I detached the mother from son.
Mother was burnt entirely to become an ash glaze for a pot. [ Just in case you didn't know gentle reader, I am also a potter -amateur - of as many years as I am an oil painter.]

Using the information from the various issues of Bonsai Today [ 1 to 35 or so and a few others - can still be had on Ebay and Amazon ]on growing trident maples and black pines, I sent the young shoot after the refrigerator, to the back yard growing pit. Planting in very freely draining soil in a plastic rice strainer [ $1.00 Store ] colander - I gained a 1/4 inch.

This year, it went to the better soil in the front yard trough and still in the plastic rice colander.

What I did with the mother was chance and experimentation. Hopefully I can apply the knowledge and experience to this one and produce a quality Bonsai.

Later, I will add an image of what a hackberry looks like coming out of the fridge.
I hope this information is of use to someone.
As usual feel free to ask or comment - nay or yay.
Khaimraj

close-up



whole tree and friend

That is a great story; the Phoenix! What kind of refridgerator do you have? A walk-in type?
Would you post a picture of it?

Thanks, Todd

Todd,

walk-in - ha ha. No just a beat up old thing my dad used to use down at the beach back in 86 or so.
Images will be added this evening my time [ 1 hour + Miami time if you are using Daylight savings, if not, then use Miami time.]

15 inches - 38 cm is a very convenient size - isn't it ? How many can you fit in a refrigerator.

Just to let you know I started a new project - every year I take a root, allow it to sprout, grow one year, with no refrigeration, then uplift and take a root from that tree. The idea is some day down the road, one root may adapt fully to the Tropics, as the Catlin root did.
Until.
Khaimraj

The Walk-in Refrigerator -
Khaimraj

Thanks you for sharing the life cycle of Bonsai come full circle. Would be cool if the root cuttings led to an adaptation with some plants...I should try it with a couple of plants to see if I could get them to raise their cold hardiness for Utah...

Jesse,

Jim Lewis left the hardiness map directions lower down on the Bonsai forum page [ this forum,]
I noticed that Celtis L and Celtis O are growing in Colorado. Overwinter in unheated garage ?
So hopefully this will inspire you to get a few seedlings and try.

They should grow at a good speed on your side as well.
The book says for Zelkovas look for the one with red buds, supposedly more twigging and finer leaves.
As usual questions, just ask.
Khaimraj