Quiet Crow Bonsai

Project

Midget Crabapple or Kaido Crabapple

Malus × micromalus A deciduous Shrub growing to 13 ft by 9 ft, it is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

This tree’s initial styling was at Brussels Shaner at Brussel’s Rendezvous 2008 with Kathy Shaner. We completely defoliated and styled the tree. At that time we agreed to try some grafting on the strong straight trunk. The style should ensure lots of movement and wildness

By September a whip was long enough to line up and attempt a thread graft. But the real effort would be to get the tree full of leaves and healthy. By looking at the branch growth, you can tell that pointed leaves are juvenile and rounder leaves are mature.

In 2009 it was potted into a mica training pot. To get it down to the size of the pot, I sawed off a very large portion of the lower roots which were quite thick and trunk-like a good 5 inches in diameter. That year it had some die back of branches. The thread grafted branch had a good terminal bud, and I was hopeful. By 2010 it was ready for its display pot an aqua glazed pot and I cut the thread branch, however it had not taken at the cambium layer.

The tree has been gaining strength, endured wiring to create wildness and it started blooming in 2011 with resulting apples a beautiful shiny red

In the fall of 2013, I had the opportunity to work with Kathy on refining the styling. She suggested a slightly different angle for repotting which also will add height to the apex. Kathy grafted two buds which may not take but the process will be the same in Spring. Trim a good bud, cut a T shape into the trunk and after creating a very sharp edge inserting it into the T. Wrap with parafilm then raffia. It was a great training exercise.

Typically I have been wiring this tree in early spring, Kathy said wiring this tree in early Spring at the peak of its growth will cause expansion and wire scars.