claire20
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:41 pm
Location: Idaho zone 4b

Best Christmas Ever + Styling Suggestions for Others

Though Christmas was over a month ago.... :) I was waiting for the Elm to shape up a little bit, shipping was a little rough on the poor thing.

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402513170/Image

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5401925837/[/img]

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402484912/[/img]

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402505124/Image

[img]https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402539086/[/img]

It's sleeping in a cold frame right now; it's in an oversized pot to grow out the roots. Hopefully I'll be able to start it off as an ROR this spring.

Western Lights Azalea:

[/img] https://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402543930/Imagehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402562818/Imagehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402567428/Imagehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/57121601@N07/5402576348/[img]

Yeah, that's... awesome. I'm also going to reduce the lengths of all the branches.

(On a side note, does it look like that's waking up to anyone else? The buds are turning green, but not quite extending yet... and I hope it's not, because, well, it's supposed to be in the negatives again this week... :( :shock: )

I was also thinking of taking off everything but the second lowest branch and styling it as a semi-cascade. I'll have to think on that one though.

Thank you in advance for comments and suggestions! Have a great evening.
Last edited by claire20 on Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

claire20
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:41 pm
Location: Idaho zone 4b

Dang it, those pictures didn't post.... Looks like I've gotta become more computer literate! Does anyone know if posting pictures from flickr work??

User avatar
manofthetrees
Senior Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:14 pm
Location: west seneca ny

flicker didn't work for me either. try photobucket it works the best I just went back after trying other places.it can pull pics right off your phone or computer and its as easy as copy and paste

JTred
Green Thumb
Posts: 380
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 2:05 am
Location: Elizabeth, PA

claire20 wrote: All of the elm's branches are from two nearly opposite points on the trunk. I want to take off the lower cluster of the two and re-wire the other side for a new leader. The only problem I have with that idea is that I will need to take off nearly all the branches and leave pretty much only one, and in doing so, will create a lot of scarring around that single branch. Another problem is, where all the branches are from two points, it bulges pretty badly at those points. Would it heal from me taking those bulges off, and in the case of the new leader, taking off the bulge around it?
I see its potential as a broom, in which case opposite branches wouldn't be a problem.

moulman
Cool Member
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 1:35 pm
Location: Idaho, USA

Claire,

you said "at the first sign of spring, they're heading outside."


A word of caution - do not place these outside "at the first sign of spring".
They are not hardy at this point, and a sudden frost will kill them. Wait until all likelyhood of frost has passed before placing them outside, and introduce them slowly to the elements (over several weeks).

I see that you are in zone 4, so that will likely be after mid-may. I am in Moscow, and we are zone 6. We routinely have frost well into early May, so be cautious.


Matt

claire20
Newly Registered
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:41 pm
Location: Idaho zone 4b

Thank you for your concern Matt-- it's nice to see another Idahoan on here! I should have made that "true spring," or what it will be more likely, "summer." :lol: The weather in the valley is so variable that half the time I don't even think the weather knows what season it's supposed to be-- for example, if I would have followed what I said in my OP, then they would have been out last week (low 50's), and then, well... bye bye trees.... we got another three inches of snow last night alone!

I'll most likelly start them outside in late April, for a few hours a day, then by May they'll hopefully be acclimated enough to start their outdoor lives. April can't come soon enough though! The juniper's starting to look a little on the dull side and I've been worried about it ever since I got it for Christmas.

I didn't think about creating a broom style from the elm, but the more I look at it, the more it seems like that's what it wants to be. I'll also probably cut off that dead knob on top-- when I pruned a few dead branches about a month ago (after the cat knocked it out of its pot and it sat on the tile... with no dirt... all day long.... :shock: ), the tree put out about six new buds around the wound! So far I'm definitely in awe with this hobby; everything is a learning experience!



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