New to Colorado Spruce, questions about styling

tibley · Apr 23, 2024

Hey, I just ordered a Colorado spruce tree from a nursery. Its going to arrive next week (Beginning of May). I was wondering if its okay to hard prune and style it initially when I get it and then leave it be for a year or so before doing any more work? I have read that the best time to do this is in the fall, but, I have also seen other people just go after it right when they get it. What's the best way to go about this?

WNC Bonsai · Apr 23, 2024

The conventional wisdom on spruce is to wait until August/early September for repotting, pruning, and styling. This gives them tome to regrow their roots, set new buds, and get ready for winter. Check the species guides on bonsai4me.com .

MACH5 · Apr 23, 2024

Colorado spruce in my experience is by far one of the toughest and dare say best spruces for bonsai. They can take a great deal of work and still bounce back with no issues. Very much unlike other more touchy spruce species such an Engelmann in which the work should be much more carefully staggered. I styled one last year in the summer taking off about 60% of the foliage, was left outside all winter long, was repotted this spring and budding like crazy now. The foliage is of course not as fine so planning for a larger tree may be best.

tibley · Apr 25, 2024

Do you think i should wait to hard prune it? It’s currently just nursery stock. Should I wait until the fall to go ham on it?

We're all Mad Here...🎩 · Apr 25, 2024

I would see the condition in which the tree shows up in, and perhaps giving it a year or more to grow out, and learn the species. I've been in this hobby a couple years now, and while it's been painful, I've learned over and over that going, HAM, as you say, right off the bat, leaves me wishing I had a whole lot of tree left to design and play with. Since your avatar says seedling, I can only imagine that you might be newer to the hobby, so I understand your desire to Edward Scissorhands, but maybe consider the other option of not hacking, perhaps intentional cleaning and pruning, and learning your spruce before chopping it to high hell.

Good luck, and sorry if you're not actually new to the hobby.

tibley · Monday at 9:26 AM

We're all Mad Here...🎩 said:
I would see the condition in which the tree shows up in, and perhaps giving it a year or more to grow out, and learn the species. I've been in this hobby a couple years now, and while it's been painful, I've learned over and over that going, HAM, as you say, right off the bat, leaves me wishing I had a whole lot of tree left to design and play with. Since your avatar says seedling, I can only imagine that you might be newer to the hobby, so I understand your desire to Edward Scissorhands, but maybe consider the other option of not hacking, perhaps intentional cleaning and pruning, and learning your spruce before chopping it to high hell.

Good luck, and sorry if you're not actually new to the hobby.

Thanks, I am about a year into the hobby so still definitely new. Glad I have people like you to continue to preach how important PATIENCE is. I will let it grow out over the summer and make more decisions come fall. Happy growin!

New to Colorado Spruce, questions about styling

tibley

Seedling

WNC Bonsai

Omono

MACH5

Imperial Masterpiece

tibley

Seedling

We're all Mad Here...🎩

Shohin

tibley

Seedling

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