American larch #1

[Eckhoffw]

Time for a repot on my tamarack. 2 yrs in nursery pot since purchased Found a large taproot was running to the bottom of the pot
Had to cut that back!
Got it reduced enough to get into the drum pot after realizing I needed to cut the taproot back more to fit it

Lots of good roots I hope I didn’t set it back too hard.

 

[Dogestoevsky]

Hey there @Eckhoffw — did you end up collecting anything from the bog this spring? Would love to hear about it if you did!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Hey there @Eckhoffw — did you end up collecting anything from the bog this spring? Would love to hear about it if you did!

Not yet! I actually plan on going this weekend. I think the extended cold has slowed things down a bit.
The one above is just starting to get green tips on it, and it’s been kept a little warmer in garage.

 

[Dogestoevsky]

Not yet! I actually plan on going this weekend. I think the extended cold has slowed things down a bit.
The one above is just starting to get green tips on it, and it’s been kept a little warmer in garage.

Sounds lovely! Pics please! A landscape I’ve always wanted to visit, but never find myself far enough north.

My tamarack from the nursery down here in MKE just pushed its first bits of foliage. Nice small needles because of the cold spring, although the trees themselves are young and not much to look at.

Looking forward to seeing your finds, and best of luck! Don’t fall in

 

[Eckhoffw]

Sounds lovely! Pics please! A landscape I’ve always wanted to visit, but never find myself far enough north.

My tamarack from the nursery down here in MKE just pushed its first bits of foliage. Nice small needles because of the cold spring, although the trees themselves are young and not much to look at.

Looking forward to seeing your finds, and best of luck! Don’t fall in

Thanks soo much. I’ll try to document and share the adventure well.
Hopefully we see some decent weather!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Since this Springs re-pot, I’ve let this one run wild -Hoping that it would establish itself in its new home sooner.
Is pruning at the peak of summer ok?
I’d love to get your take.
thanks!

 

[Corrado]

Looks very nice. YEah I would pinch the ends with your fingers while its tender. Youll get secondary side shoots .Unless you need a branch in the place where it is. Also too by letting branches grow longer near the base helps thicken the trunk faster. So its a job at yo ur own leisure as you see fit. Dont forget to feed it good so you get your results.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Decided to give it a quick haircut.
I think it should have plenty of time for new shoots to harden off b4 winter.

 

[vancehanna]

Looks fine. I'd leave it now and enjoy the simple triangle of beauty and watch the color blaze into gold this Fall....

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Looks great!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Lil update.
Not real yellow yet, I’m thinking that this year many of the needles will not change and simply fall off.
It’s got its first cone though.
Trunk and root flare is improving, so that’s cool.
I’ll be healing this pot into the earth and mulching again for winter.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

I have left mine on the ground for a few years now. Is that fool hearty? They are Zone 2 and I'm pushing 5

 

[AlainK]

Mature straight-growing larch have branches that bend downward : after leaf fall, I'd remove some of them, including the 1st one on the right even if it has a nice shape, and wire and prune them.
I think...

 

[Eckhoffw]

Mature straight-growing larch have branches that bend downward : after leaf fall, I'd remove some of them, including the 1st one on the right even if it has a nice shape, and wire and prune them.
I think...

Hmm… Ok, I see that. I do like the character of that lowest branch but once branches are wired down, it will be in the way. Thank you!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Ok, I was wrong. Enough Needles stuck around and are yellow now.

 

[AlainK]

Beautiful little tree.

I still think that the first branch will have to be removed sooner or later, but a nice, healthy larch is always a beautiful tree.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Spring photo update. Not sure if it would be advantageous to give it a prune now, or let it ride.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

I would like to hear more on this also. I have heard Larix do not back bud on old wood so easily. My thought on pruning is that this tree is in a pot. Since it is in a bonsai pot it is near finished. Pruning for maintenance would be advantageous. Summer is a good time to prune since the leaves are returning energy made by photosynthesis pushing root growth. The new growth of branches will be divided by the bud and latent bud count, therefore the growth that comes will ramify branches and be more compact. Also early summer growth has the rest of the season to harden off. When you prune in spring the new growth subtracts the number of buds and therefore magnifies the growth. Spring pruning will cause fast and coarse growth.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I would like to hear more on this also. I have heard Larix do not back bud on old wood so easily. My thought on pruning is that this tree is in a pot. Since it is in a bonsai pot it is near finished. Pruning for maintenance would be advantageous. Summer is a good time to prune since the leaves are returning energy made by photosynthesis pushing root growth. The new growth of branches will be divided by the bud and latent bud count, therefore the growth that comes will ramify branches and be more compact. Also early summer growth has the rest of the season to harden off. When you prune in spring the new growth subtracts the number of buds and therefore magnifies the growth. Spring pruning will cause fast and coarse growth.

Thank you. I’ve been leaning towards letting a lot of my plants run wild this year, and waiting till shoots harden off to prune.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Waiting too long to prune in the summer will catch trees off guard when fall arrives. The tree will still be pushing new growth and this causes new growth to not be hardy. It could cause massive tip die back around the whole tree.