AusBonsai

This is a hawthorn that I like very much, and this is how I now treat my hawthorn (except if I am going to show them) by letting the spring growth extend without any trimming or pruning until the spring growth has hardened off. I then cut all the extended growth back to one or two leaves. The spring growth is from about 150 mm to 300 mm in length and at that stage very thorny.
My apologies for taking photos without a background (I do understand how difficult for you to see everything properly) but this tree is very heavy and I need assistance to move it around.

Lovely tree Watto - would like to see it with no leaves in winter.
Do you get any flowering from this one and if so what colour?

How large can the largest Hawthorn be in the wild to collect? Anyone? I thought I might do some collecting in my area as we have a LOT of wild Hawthorn around here. Knowing what to look for is the trick I think. Winter the best time?

That's a nice specimen Watto. Like the base nebari.

This flowers each year, but not all over as yet. Hopefully this pruning technique will assist the flowering process.

That sure is a monster, not surprised you don't move it just to take pics!

Do you have to wear sleeves and gloves when pruning it?

Sue, I have been pondering your question for a while and the size limits are really up to you. Tradition dictates that bonsai shouldn't really be more that 1200 mm high, but trunk width is optional. We have used chain saws many times to reduce the size of hawthorn so they are manageable and you can fit it in the back of a ute.
Because they shoot back on old wood they are a great candidate for collecting, but the specimen still needs some character, like movement in the trunk, to get you excited. But in the end, only dig those that you can manage.

Love your hawthorn watto. It has great character and a great base. Well done

Thanks Watto ,have put the word out to my farming neighbours and will have a look at what we can find. I will keep your wise words in mind.Thank you. I had a massive Hawthorn removed from my garden when I moved in as it's thorns ... 4-5 inch long!..kept holing the rider mower tyres and shaded far too much garden - it was a five trunk monster about 80 years old and towered over the house and sent babies in every direction.They are a declared weed in this neck of the woods so farmers glad to see them gone. I am looking for a cow pruned one with character- here's hoping.

Mel, you get used to the thorns but during the winter I do through my hawthorns taking a lot of the thorns out so they are easier to wire.

Cheers Watto

Reckon I'll be doing that for my bougainvillea trees as well!

Hi Watto, mate i have a yamadori i dug over winter, it's been "stored" at the nursery but i need to bring it "home". At the nursery i raked a hole in the gravel, stuck it in, noticed i hadn't raked out enough so just mound it up . It's about 200mm wide at the trunk and has sprouted profusely, am i able to yank it without trying to disturb to many roots and bring it "home" or should i wait til the branches harden off, prune it back hard and then bring it "home". I'd love to leave it til winter but the things gone troppo

It would be best IMO not to move it. I have dug plenty of hawthorn and I always recommend that you give them two years to recover. Also IMO they do not like to have their roots disturbed too much. I have lost a couple of good trees trying to shorten the needed time span for recovery.

Thanks for the post Watto. I love Hawthorns and that's a beauty.

When Tony Tickle was here he said he de-thorns all his Hawthorns. My delicate office worker hands appreciate it!

Matt.

watto....bro....mate....champion....but i gotta move the insectoid or the boss of the nursery (evil witch that she is) will discard with total malice, hence my quandary