My Instant Bonsai

[Giga]

Thanks Giga!
Did you put some of the old soil back?
I heard conifers don't like barerooting, so how the heck did you get this one to survive?

I think you might be confusing why conifers are not bare rooted. You don't need to put the old soil in the new container. Conifers get their strength from their roots and why it so harsh to bare root them. Also you may be thinking of mycorrhizal, which is what you would want to put back and that deals more with pines, mostly.

Are you suggesting that the bad part of bare rooting is that the roots miss their original dirt instead of the process of bare rooting damaging them (i.e., it rips the fine hair roots off that do most of the mineral adsorption)?

This is the main reason why conifers don't like bare rooting. I didn't have a choice to bare root this one, as it was soil clay and came off all at once. So, I placed it back on the ground immediately and took a very long time to remove the soil. I think it didn't skip a beat it because I didn't cut any roots and took a really long time to try and get every root.

A couple of observations/suggestions if you please. Don't be in any hurry to put in anything but a growing container until tree is developed enough to display or show. Also conifers normally use unglazed pots and while red would be pretty not normally appropriate for conifer.
As for the trunk inverse taper two things I will or have used myself. #1 split the lower trunk so as not to damage the main or important roots and put small wooden wedge in that is approximate width of trunk so as to fill empty space and it will heal around it faster. Do this perpendicular to narrowest width of trunk. Can use cut paste to cover if desired. #2 TIGHTLY wrap lower trunk(clear down to soil root level)with wire(about 3mm)over the lower thinner trunk area and use smaller wire(about 1.5 mm)above that to lowest branch level and allow to grow into(become part of)tree. This will expand wood it as it swells growing around wire and in time will also make trunk more interesting. If doing this do not wind wire too evenly so it will not look phony. Could also use both techniques together and make lower taper/trunk even bigger.

Interesting ideas, thanks for the suggestions- have pictures of said techniques?

 

[Vance Wood]

Hmmm...

You're reverse taper could be a graft. The upper part has remarkably different bark than the lower part, and it is V shaped...

Just a thought.

I agree there are a couple of cultivars of CBS that are grafted because they do not reproduce well from seed. This one looks like Wellingtonii and is a grafted cultivar.

 

[Adair M]

Giga,

Please don't do the wire cutting in on the trunk thing. That's not a JBP that grows a lot of bark at an early age. When they do this with JBP its when the trunks are pencil sized. And even then it might look pretty bad.

The technique is done in Japan in the commercial nurseries where they do this with thousands of trees. A decade later, when the wire is absorbed, they cull out the really bad ones, and keep the better looking ones. It's not a sure fire technique.

 

[Tentakelaertje]

I think you might be confusing why conifers are not bare rooted. You don't need to put the old soil in the new container. Conifers get their strength from their roots and why it so harsh to bare root them. Also you may be thinking of mycorrhizal, which is what you would want to put back and that deals more with pines, mostly.

Ah, well, that explains a lot. This offers new options, thanks!

Also thanks to you, @0soyoung

 

[Adair M]

mycorrhiza spore are in the air. There are many varieties. Different trees favor different mycorrhiza. It will populate the pot on its own. You don't need to add it.

 

[Giga]

Giga,

Please don't do the wire cutting in on the trunk thing. That's not a JBP that grows a lot of bark at an early age. When they do this with JBP its when the trunks are pencil sized. And even then it might look pretty bad.

The technique is done in Japan in the commercial nurseries where they do this with thousands of trees. A decade later, when the wire is absorbed, they cull out the really bad ones, and keep the better looking ones. It's not a sure fire technique.

I would never do that even on a small tree like a pine. I knew that this was done on pencil size pines. Just curious if @Potawatomi13 has actually pics of this done on a spruce like this that wont have much trunk thickening past this point.

mycorrhiza spore are in the air. There are many varieties. Different trees favor different mycorrhiza. It will populate the pot on its own. You don't need to add it.

This is true it's why I said mostly but it still doesn't hurt to put some back in the pot to kick start things-whether it's moot or not I still feel good about it

 

[Potawatomi13]

I think you might be confusing why conifers are not bare rooted. You don't need to put the old soil in the new container. Conifers get their strength from their roots and why it so harsh to bare root them. Also you may be thinking of mycorrhizal, which is what you would want to put back and that deals more with pines, mostly.



This is the main reason why conifers don't like bare rooting. I didn't have a choice to bare root this one, as it was soil clay and came off all at once. So, I placed it back on the ground immediately and took a very long time to remove the soil. I think it didn't skip a beat it because I didn't cut any roots and took a really long time to try and get every root.



Interesting ideas, thanks for the suggestions- have pictures of said techniques?

Knew I did that I would cause dissent. This can be a good thing. I do not have spruce. Have done on pine but have no pics. Wire has mostly grown in after about 4 years. Maybe 5. A form of doing this is in John Nakas Bonsai Techniques. I have gotten a couple of rescued trees from a Bonsai nursery that had been "neglected" and had the wire all grown in except for the end. That was how I discovered it works. Yes it takes time but is better than throwing out a tree that otherwise might be a good subject. Time and patience are the key. As for the "I would never" comment we all use different techniques and have different perspectives. As Americans we are developing our own unique techniques on our unique American Bonsai trees and doing(or adding)new things that someone else won't does not mean it is necessarily the wrong thing for us to do. This is something that can cover up for an obvious graft or to get an interesting trunk where none existed.

 

[Stickroot]

mycorrhiza spore are in the air. There are many varieties. Different trees favor different mycorrhiza. It will populate the pot on its own. You don't need to add it.

But can it only help to add it? Or will it hurt?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Adair M is right, no real need to add mycorrhiza spores. Usually, a healthy tree, that had mycorrhizae before repotting, enough mycorrhiza will remain attached to the roots during the repot to re-colonize the fresh potting medium. In addition, native mycorrhizae from trees in your landscape, will release spores as they come into fruiting in various seasons all year. These spored will land in your pots, some will take. So no real need to added mycorrhizae.

But personally it makes me feel better when I use a commercial mycorrhiza spore product. Mix according to directions and dip tree or drench soil with the solution. Makes me feel better, not really necessary.

 

[Giga]

Think i'm going to let it grow free, like the wind, this year

 

[Heavy_Set]

Think i'm going to let it grow free, like the wind, this year
View attachment 103195

Love me some blue spruce!!!! Your tree is looking awesome, the trunk seems to be working its reverse taper out....maybe its just the photo angle,but its looking damn good!!!!

 

[barrosinc]

doing good!
I love spruces

 

[Vance Wood]

I would not argue with your decision but I would caution to not let the aqex of the tree get out of hand. It is surprising how fast the lower part of a Blue Spruce can be weakened by letting the apex go free.

 

[Giga]

I would not argue with your decision but I would caution to not let the aqex of the tree get out of hand. It is surprising how fast the lower part of a Blue Spruce can be weakened by letting the apex go free.

True - I guess I should have said controlled freedom - I will keep energy in check but still allowed to gain strength for the work next year

 

[Giga]

growing strong! this is the backside

 

[M. Frary]

It has some great color.

 

[Giga]

It has some great color.

Yeah - it draws the eye in my garden. I call it blue steel!

 

[M. Frary]

I've noticed in the landscape they change color. Blue one year,more green the next.

 

[barrosinc]

wow, changed from green to blue

 

[M. Frary]

wow, changed from green to blue

They do. The blue is a waxy sunscreen the tree puts out to protect the needles burning in the sun. White spruce get blue also. I've seen blues that are silver blue,blue,blue green and green.