5YR Native Tree Challenge - Orion_Metalhead's Tsuga Canadensis

[Orion_metalhead]

And the second entry, same deal as the EWP. I collected this last weekend while up at my house in PA. This was growing behind a fallen tree. I bagged it, brought it up, and tossed it into a grow-out box. Will work on initial styling next spring. I hear these are hard to work with, so it's progression should be all the more fun. Goal right now is to get it through winter and growing again in the spring.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice. I have a few, one tray planted with seedlings, and one landscape plant, in a 20 gallon nursery pot. They are good subjects for bonsai, even if they are slow to develop. Keep the closest in to the trunk foliage, they do not back bud on bare wood. They tolerate cold, no problem. They tolerate shade, though they do grow faster with 3/4 to full sun.

I imagine your future tree is in the first few branches on each trunk.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks as always for your insights Leo. Right now, I just want to get it into next spring/summer healthy.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Update. Seems to have wintered well. Pruned the tips slightly the other day, and removed some branches that were in crotches to get some light in.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Budding out. Plenty of buds all over. Will get a solid prune this summer. Also threw a couple satchels of organic fert on it.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Worked and wired today a bit. Felt it was growing well and was confident it could handle a prune. . This will be the last work on this tree this year. Next year, going to try and get it into some better soil.

Nebari on the two trees:


Before:


After a guy wire and some structural on the small daughter tree:


Next I wired some of the long term branches I know will be part of the final tree and removed some of the vigorous upper branches I knew would not be part of the final design to get more light to the rest of the branches.


New leader on main tree:


Showing the wired new leaders of each tree together:

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Virt:

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Before and After:





Bottom right pad needs to be thinned further and flattened. Will work on that next year. Going to leave it be til spring now.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

It had grown strongly so I felt comfortable pruning it again.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

End of year.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Did some spring clean up. Nothing major pruning or structurally.. a couple crossing branches were removed for sun.

Waiting for first flush to see how strong it is. Seems like it will be very full.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Have not touched this year. Growing it out for a planned repot next year. I want to move the small tree to the back.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Weeded and then put back on bench. Its getting afternoon shade now once 1pm hits.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Tree is looking primed for this year. No buds popping or showing yet. Keeping an eye on the tree though because I do still plan on repotting if possible. Going to try a slightly less dry mixture with this tree, given hemlock's preference for consistent moisture. May only repot the left side. Need to see at the time.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Looking good, and good plan.
I’ll repost the soil mix that has worked well for me with Tsuga c. : Boonish mix of large particle, 1/3’s pumice, akadama and aggregate like lava or expanded shale. Amended with 5%-10% spaghnum and compost. Longer pieces of spaghnum are better and sift the compost for large particle size too.
I think this gives plenty of moisture retention and air, though I water frequently. I can crank up the high N fert too, with Agriform fertilizer tabs to get tons of growth over the season. In development or not, it’s not like we are worried about leaf size, right?
Mine have already started to move this Spring.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Thanks for the recommendation. Ill incorporate some sphagnum in... i have two bags.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Today. Hasnt started moving yet.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Exploding!!!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Had @Tidal Bonsai stop by today and we worked on this tree together. A second vision on a tree could be really helpful!

I had done some basic pruning on this about a week ago. We wired today. Ill leave the wire on til the spring when I plan to repot.

Before, on the bench. Apologize for the background clutter.


After:


This styling helped set structure a lot more. The small tree needs to move back behind the larger tree next year at repot.