Alpine Fir - Another Beat Up Old Thing

[grouper52]

Hello grouper....lol.......We are having a misunderstanding.. I meant letting it grow out to get healthy and present new pleasing configurations......then cutting it back as sparce as you would like... Just because it has very little foliage, does not mean that the foliage can not achieve pleasing shapes.

I have seen trees with literally, 2-3 tufts of foliage on them but each tugt or piece is so well placed and structured and the tree looks magnificent. I am fully aware that you want to keep the struggling liik with this tree

Whew! Thanks for renewing my faith in the whole shebang! We indeed were having a misunderstanding.

What is surprising about this tree is how robust the remaining growth has been when all around it lies in ruin. It has toned down a wee bit since moving it to non-nursery pots, but not that much, and there are buds a'plenty on what remains. What you propose should still be quite do-able (without immersing it back into a deeper or broader pot), and is indeed my plan over time.

G52

 

[grouper52]

Here's this guy after another season of occasional tinkering and tweaking. Probably still a season or two away from being presentable, but it continues to surprise me with its virtues. Enjoy.

 

[Attila Soos]

It looks beautiful.
I would make that top deadwood a little lighter (thinner, with some holes in it- not shorter), so that it doesn't look like a fat stub. And the pot is too feminine, you need a rectangular pot there.
The tree looks rugged, and that makes it great. I would love to have such a tree.

PS: oh, and the apex and deadwood seem to have the exact same hight. At first, I couldn't figure out what's wrong with the picture (beside that it was a little stubby), but then I realized that it is the height. Either taller, or shorter than the living tip, would help. Since you can't make the deadwood taller, you will have to grow the living tip a few inches longer.

 

[grouper52]

Thanks, Atilla.

I was thinking of naming this guy "Sasquatch," but I've already got another big, ugly thing named Sasquatch.

 

[grouper52]

Here's an update after a bit further refinement of the image. I may do a bit more refinement this season, but this guy is getting close to where I wanted him, and I may sell him to someone else soon.



It's been a very pleasing tree to work with, offering much satisfaction along the way.

 

[HotAction]

Right on!! I like it.

 

[fore]

Me too! It's come a long way!

 

[crust]

This tree absolutely kicks ass. Wonderful work. The tree is a blessing.

 

[tmmason10]

Love the deadwood grouper. Very gnarly indeed.

 

[grouper52]

Glad you all like it. Certainly one of my favorite trees.

 

[JudyB]

What crust said...

 

[grouper52]

This year's update, in a real pot now.

 

[grouper52]

Thought I'd post a few quick photos of Alpine firs that caught my eye today during a warm spell, and this is one - an old favorite, and one that is really hitting his stride lately. This thread is five years old, and should be showing a good progression. Once this bad boy breaks a few more rules I'll be proud enough to put it in a proper pot perhaps and show it someplace.

These trees are really a pleasure to work on and enjoy - I'm not sure why no one else seems to work with them. Anyway . . . Enjoy!

 

[wireme]

Pretty sweet!

I like the styling, I spend a lot of time amongst old alpine firs, especially wintertime backcountry skiing. I don't think there are any other conifers that tend to hold the foliage so close to the trunk. This one is convincing.

I found a good collecting spot for these this fall, really looking forward to trying some.

 

[wireme]

Here we go, skiing with fir, thought I must have pics of these trees somewhere. Kind of the ultimate formal upright in nature, super tall and skinny though.

 

[Tieball]

The Tree

Thanks for posting all the photos, showing progress and commenting. I don't have a tree like this at all. It's facinating and rewarding to follow along your path.

 

[edprocoat]

Grouper, first off I love this tree. To me it seem like it needs a little more foliage from just below the top third to the bottom of the existing foliage. Iyt seems like the massive trunk overpowers the foliage present on the tree.

This is what I had in mind, well at least as best I can represent my thoughts with limited graphic manipulation skills.
grouperfir by edprocoat, on Flickr

ed

 

[fraser67]

I just found this thread...what a great grisly old tree! I appreciate the progression and that you stuck yo your guns!!

 

[dick benbow]

Glad you brought the thread back up to be noticed. I have 2 sub alpine firs and two High Mt
Alpine firs. The high alpine firs have tiny especially green needles and a greyish white bark.
Both were dug two years ago and styled this fall. Hopefully this spring I can get them into a proper pot. Right now they're buried in for winter but hope to have some photos later next year.

As I cut down more and more on my inventory, I'm becoming more focused on american
Western trees.

 

[Si Nguyen]

I love this tree! Can't stop looking at it! The photography is gorgeous too. The jin and shari is spectacular. It's ready for show!

I played with it a little bit, if you don't mind. I reduced the height of the top canopy in order to expose the top jin. It may look older with it being shorter.

Cheers!