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My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ...
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Author:  daryl [ 05 May 2011, 22:38 ]
Post subject:  My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ...
I've been very pleased with the way most of my trees have come back after the winter. Last year's regular feeding with Miracle Grow seems to have paid off but I have a few that, although healthy, have very little in their favour.

I thought I'd put them here in a thread. Please feel free to comment in any way you like - I know they are rubbish and I won't cry. However if you can see any potential in them please let me know ::dunno:

Feel free to add your own 'worst trees' too. I'm sure we've all got them.

So, here's my three

The first was a much taller larch but the top died back a few years ago and I've done nothing with it since. The growth you can see is just on one single branch.
Image
larch2

This juniper was neglected for years but has responded to feeding last year and has just started to show some strong growth in the pads. I did wire it once but as soon as I took the wires off after a few months it just sprang back to its previous shape so I gave up!
Image
juniper

And this last one I believe is a hornbeam. Horrible straight thin trunk with rediculous horizontal branches sticking out at the top!

Image
hornbeam

::dunno: Have fun! :smallthumb:
Author:  John Farnan [ 05 May 2011, 22:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
I like the Larch and am going to do a similar arrangment on one of mine
i would make the pad a wee bit smaller on yours taking it from the right hand side.
If possible put some extreme movement into the jin above the pad to make it look older and storm damaged
Author:  Jamie Mullen [ 05 May 2011, 22:57 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
Just my inexperienced opinion but here goes nothing!

Number 1 - I'd remove the top section of trunk (above the foliage) and wire the current growth downwards, hoping for some lower buds to form. Nice character in the trunk by the way.

Number 2 - Lose the right and left trunks, keep the middle one which would leave taper. Try again to add some movement into the trunk and wire the three foliage pads towards each other to create a literati.

Number 3 - Pass!
Author:  Jamie Mullen [ 05 May 2011, 23:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
I've looked again, number 1 has no hope and should be disposed of. The best way to do this is carefully box it up and send it to me! I like it!
Author:  daryl [ 05 May 2011, 23:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
Thank you, John. I hadn't done anything with the larch because I didn't think it was worth much but now that you have said that, I probably could make more of the dead top by shortening it and breaking the top a bit but I don't think it will bend. It's about a centimetre thick and very dead (rigor mortis has well and truely set in).

Jamie, those are interesting suggestions and things I had not even considered. I like the idea of bending the larch branch downwards. Not sure about the juniper - can you manage a virt?

:lol: Then I read your second post! :lol:
Author:  John Farnan [ 05 May 2011, 23:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
daryl wrote:
Thank you, John. I hadn't done anything with the larch because I didn't think it was worth much but now that you have said that, I probably could make more of the dead top by shortening it and breaking the top a bit but I don't think it will bend. It's about a centimetre thick and very dead (rigor mortis has well and truely set in).

Jamie, those are interesting suggestions and things I had not even considered. I like the idea of bending the larch branch downwards. Not sure about the juniper - can you manage a virt?

:lol: Then I read your second post! :lol:


Larch dont backbud so its unlikely that it will do so here.

Well i say they dont, i have never seen one back bud tht didnt already have the bud there in the first place and am sure quite a posts have went on about it here as well
How tall is the larch for reference.
The one i have thats gonna get a very similar treatment this weekend is about 12" tall I know Don has or at least had a larch with very similar styling also
Author:  John M [ 06 May 2011, 00:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
Jamie Mullen wrote:
Number 2 - Lose the right and left trunks, keep the middle one which would leave taper. Try again to add some movement into the trunk and wire the three foliage pads towards each other to create a literati.


I totally agree with you, Jamie - it's worth a shot Daryl! Good literati there if you get it right. J.
Author:  bkohler [ 06 May 2011, 02:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
I like the larch too Daryl! I would take the whole dead top off and let it grow a year or two...see what she wants to do. Maybe a windswept for the juni? That's the way I would go. As for the hornbeam...IDK... ::dunno:
This is a great idea for a thread and I will post some of my ugly trees tomorrow when I can get the camera out. Prob make you feel a bit better about yours!
Regards,
Barb
Author:  daryl [ 06 May 2011, 07:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
bkohler wrote:
Prob make you feel a bit better about yours!
Regards,
Barb

:smallthumb:
Author:  MKonig [ 06 May 2011, 07:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: My worst trees - have a laugh, say what you think and ..
I have to disagree with the others on the larch. I would remove the dead part of the trunk and wire the remaining branch UP to produce a new leader and then style from there as an informal upright style. ::dunno:
BTW, I love the bark on that little larch. :201thumbup:
The juniper looks like a long term project to me and I cannot really give any advice at the moment.
As for the hornbeam, that looks like a good candidate for a trunk chop and a few years in the ground.
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