Shohin Hornbeam Airlayer

A few shots of this promising bit of material airlayered from a parent tree two years ago.  It’s been recovering from its first rootprune and repot earlier in the year.  No new shoots this year so I’m leaving it to bounce back and next year I’ll consider pruning and styling.

The front showing a possible reverse twin trunk image

From the back showing good trunk movement and taper

Future nebari needs covered and thickened

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Upright Hornbeam Wired

 

My upright European Hornbeam, again wired and styled by a friend.   Last year it was air layered at the top and a thread graft performed lower down to provide a new branch .Both techniques worked and this year it has been left alone.The picture on the left was taken in March.  The trunk was chopped further recently and hopefully this will promote adventitious buds in the spring.

Immediate future plans:

1. Leave the thread graft to thicken before removing in the autumn.
2. Fertilise well to increase new branch girth.
3. Defoliate selected branches in the summer.

Planning New Nebari for this Hornbeam

Another ‘victim’ of the ground layering technique.  A European hornbeam that has taken a long time to thicken up and more girth is still needed for this one.  A curling, thick taproot is useless so hopefully in a couple of years time, I’ll see healthy, new surface roots in the bonsai mix the tree has been replanted in.