This is my largest Mountain Mahogony. All though I can pick it up by myself if need be, it much better to have two people lift and carry it. This tree was collected in October of 2016. The current plan for this tree as of 3/21/18 is to let it grow out where ever it wants to build up its strength. Another goal this year is to try to get the tree to grow new roots closer to the trunk. I plan on pulling back the pumice and scoring the trunk and using rooting hormone powder on the cuts. I may add some Sphagnum moss around the this area. The tree is planted in pure pumice right now and it will be allowed to stay in for the time being. I am assuming that there is native soil under the pumice to. There is a very long root that goes from the trunk to the opposite side of the plastic container. Hence the reason on try to grow new roots closer to the main trunk. If successful the long root will be trimmed back slowly. I did wire one branch and moved to the right on the tree just to set it for future styling. The tree has allot of natural dead wood on it which is one of its main features, the main feature is the very mature dark bark on the main tree. The has very tiny leaves about the size of ones small finger nail.
As of today 03/21/2018 I added a layer of Plant Tone to the topsoil and replaced the Sphagnum moss. The tree is just now starting to leaf out in the Denver Botanic Gardens greenhouse.
I do have a plan to style it and I am just waiting for more growth to happen on the tree. This may take another 2-3 years. I do know that this species does bud back. The yamadori collector did cut back on the taller branches and it budded back several inches below the cut. I have another tree that buds back where ever it wants to and I remove them unless I want to keep the new branch.
I am very excited to have this tree in the collection and look forward to its continued development.
I will post updates as the tree develops. Current tree height 36″ and it has around a 6″ trunk.
New 04-23-2021:
The new pot for the tree arrived and I was hoping the tree would fit in the pot and it did. I did have to cut off about 2″ inches of the end of the root ending in the corner of the pot. There not many fine roots at the end of it so I felt it would be ok. The tree was planted in pure pumice other then the original soil from when it was collected. I followed my previous blue print for potting one of these trees up. I did not disturb most of the roots on the tree and did add regular Bonsai soil with mushroom compost in it. My first tree responded really well with this mix and put on a lot new growth. The plastic container the tree was in was brittle and starting to fall apart and the tree had to be repotted this year. I basically just broke the plastic pot off in small pieces. I did have to use a chop stick to remove pumice from around the root ball.
My biggest problem with this tree in repotting it was the weight of the tree and the fact the large trunk was going to have be on one edge of the pot. The tree was going to be top heavy no matter what. I did want to try to stand the trunk up more then the way it was in the plastic pot. This was not possible because there were roots directly under the large trunk and the soil would wash off of these roots. The planting angle of the tree could not be changed because the depth of the pot was 5 inches same as the plastic container. Ok on to figuring out how to keep the tree from falling over. I decided to buy a piece of Structural Aluminum Angle to use in the bottom of the pot. I cut the piece to fit from corner to corner. I then marked it where it crossed over the drainage holes. I drilled holes through the metal to use with heavy aluminum wire the metal bar to the pot. Two wires went from the center hole to each corner and tightened down. Another wire went from corner to corner and wired down. Before installing the metal bar, holes were drilled in the vertical part of the bar every so often and would be used to anchor the long root that went from corner to corner. Heavy aluminum wire was fished through these holes to anchor the tree to the pot. Heavy aluminum wire was also used from drainage hole to drainage hole. All of the wire was used to anchor the tree down. The tree was very stable in the pot after tightening the wires down and new soil was added. The tree will not fall now and unfortunately it is very heavy, much heaver then in the plastic pot. I am probably going to need help in moving it. I do not have a photo of the tree in the pot yet.
Gallery of the tree and the deadwood on the tree. What a tree it is going to be. The tree has put on a lot of new foliage since the time I received it. I have been using plant tone organic fertilizer and an azalea fertilizer with iron in it on the tree.
New 01-03-2021:
I have ordered a new pot for the tree, the current plastic one is falling apart I doubt it will survive in tack for another season of growth. The tree was not allowed to grow taller for the last two years. The tree responded with new lower growth all over. In the spring the tree will be repotted and into a Sara Rayner big 18 pound 20″ long pot. The big challenge will be to figure out how to keep the tree in the pot and not fall out of the pot. I do have a couple ideas floating around that might work or might now work, time will tell.
Gallery added: 03/21/2018
