Sometimes I work on nursery trees, sometimes I work on client’s trees……and sometimes if I’ve been a really good boy I get to work on my own trees. Hopefully these regular visits will give you an insight into what goes on behind closed doors……….
Studio Stories – “The Dragon’s Tail”…..the story of a White Pine (Part Two)
Part one of this blog was posted on the 22nd November 2014 under Studio Stories. Having introduced you to the tree I had told his story to the beginning of 2012.
March 18th 2012 and I am in Pinderfields Hospital Wakefield, late Sunday evening having just been rushed in having a heart attack. If you’re thinking of having one don’t bother!… adjust your lifestyle now!
The pictures above were taken on Friday 27th April 2012. So here I am about 5 weeks later worried about my friend and relying on my helpers to literally help me with the lifting. (I was under strict orders!) The contours of the foliage clouds still look good and whilst his needles are short his overall colour is dull and his vigour is missing.(a bit like me!)
The roots around the outside of the rootball are black and some of them are dead. Despite making holes into the rootball from the surface his demise may be due to too much water around the edges and insufficient water reaching the centre of the rootball. The new pot is much larger but still quite deep….pines generally prefer a deeper pot.
The rootball is teased out to help him extend and take over his new home. A larger granule size of 50/50 akadama/bims is used in the middle and lower sections of the pot to aid drainage especially while the rootball recovers. At least he looks more comfortable in the larger pot.
Now I have to take good care of him, hope that someone will take good care of me and that we can both recover gracefully together.
Sunshine, food and water are his basic requirements now…..I suppose it’s like sending him to Tenerife to convalesce…….but if I can’t go, there is no way is he going!!!….he will have to make do with the best Havercroft has to offer! This is not so bad because I can make sure he gets what he needs, in the right quantities and at the right time. This can be crucial in aiding and promoting recovery.
Relax, enjoy the service and grow….it’s all you have to do for now. The first picture above is in April 2013, one year after the repotting. There are signs of growth and the colour has improved but some branches have been lost and the long branch continues to get weaker.
The middle picture was taken in October 2013. The smooth contours in the foliage clouds have been lost and the needles are much longer but look at the vibrant colour. His vigour has returned.
The final picture to the right was taken in September 2014. The long branch has been sacrificed but he has grown strong this year. He has a healthy bushy canopy that needs cleaning out, he is back budding inside …….his time has come………..I am feeling stronger too…….it is time to intervene again………….to be continued.