Bjorn at MACH5's (Subalpine Fir)

[amatbrewer]

Thanks for posting and updating this.
I love sub-alpine fir and hope to learn as much about them as possible, so I am following this eagerly.

 

[MACH5]

Here are some photos from today.

 

[fredtruck]

I think this tree has a great future. I love its style.

 

[PiñonJ]

Flexible and back buds readily.

I’ll say!

Yours is looking awesome!

 

[MACH5]

@PiñonJ, @Arcto and others with experience with this species. Do you pinch or let new growth extend and then cut back? If you pinch, at what stage do you do it exactly?

 

[PiñonJ]

@PiñonJ, @Arcto and others with experience with this species. Do you pinch or let new growth extend and then cut back? If you pinch, at what stage do you do it exactly?

Depends what you’re trying to accomplish. If you have the length you want and all the back buds you need, then pinch to maintain the silhouette and transfer energy from stronger to weaker buds. If you need back buds, let new growth harden off, then prune to a bud.

 

[MACH5]

Depends what you’re trying to accomplish. If you have the length you want and all the back buds you need, then pinch to maintain the silhouette and transfer energy from stronger to weaker buds. If you need back buds, let new growth harden off, then prune to a bud.

Thank you! Do you know if you cut back the new growth after it hardens, will you get back buds on that new growth?

 

[PiñonJ]

Thank you! Do you know if you cut back the new growth after it hardens, will you get back buds on that new growth?

If it’s anything like mine, it will back bud everywhere. Just give it a lot of fertilizer. According to Ryan, as a general case, the longer you wait to prune, the more back budding you get.

 

[Wilson]

I can't speak for western sub alpine fir, but the balsam fir in the east needs constant wiring. The first season without wire, and the tree reaches for the sky. They do backbud like crazy though!

 

[MACH5]

I can't speak for western sub alpine fir, but the balsam fir in the east needs constant wiring. The first season without wire, and the tree reaches for the sky. They do backbud like crazy though!

Do you know about their "memory"? Spruces tend to forget they were wired rather quickly. Wondering if it's the same with fir in general?

 

[PiñonJ]

If you pinch, at what stage do you do it exactly?

Forgot to answer this part. You can treat them the same as a spruce. When the bud opens into a tuft, or pom-pom, you can pinch off about half of it. There are a couple of videos in the Mirai Live archive about managing spring growth that illustrate this really well. The first features Todd Schlafer presenting to the Bonsai Society of Portland. One of the trees he works on is an Englemann Spruce on which he pinches exterior shoots. Ryan then comes back in another video a week or two later and pinches the interior shoots that have since elongated.

 

[MACH5]

Forgot to answer this part. You can treat them the same as a spruce. When the bud opens into a tuft, or pom-pom, you can pinch off about half of it. There are a couple of videos in the Mirai Live archive about managing spring growth that illustrate this really well. The first features Todd Schlafer presenting to the Bonsai Society of Portland. One of the trees he works on is an Englemann Spruce on which he pinches exterior shoots. Ryan then comes back in another video a week or two later and pinches the interior shoots that have since elongated.

Great thank you. I have seen those two videos. I suppose all elongating species are treated in much the same way?

 

[PiñonJ]

Great thank you. I have seen those two videos. I suppose all elongating species are treated in much the same way?

Yes, but just taylor it to what the tree is showing you. So, for example, on my Subalpine Fir, there wasn’t a big difference between exterior and interior shoots - they all went crazy! I just pinched a few to control branch length. Once they harden off, I’ll go back and shoot select to maintain an alternating branch pattern and take threes and fours down to twos. I should have much more mature-looking pads next year. On my recently styled Engelmann Spruce, on the other hand, I haven’t pinched anything, despite having strong shoots, because I want more back budding. I’ll go back and prune to control branch length after they’ve hardened off.

 

[just.wing.it]

Beautiful new foliage on a really cool tree!

 

[MACH5]

Yes, but just taylor it to what the tree is showing you. So, for example, on my Subalpine Fir, there wasn’t a big difference between exterior and interior shoots - they all went crazy! I just pinched a few to control branch length. Once they harden off, I’ll go back and shoot select to maintain an alternating branch pattern and take threes and fours down to twos. I should have much more mature-looking pads next year. On my recently styled Engelmann Spruce, on the other hand, I haven’t pinched anything, despite having strong shoots, because I want more back budding. I’ll go back and prune to control branch length after they’ve hardened off.

Great got it! Thank you again!!

 

[MACH5]

Beautiful new foliage on a really cool tree!

I am a sucker for clumps. I really like this tree as it is of manageable size but with a very powerful trunk, interesting deadwood and varied trunk sizes. I am hoping to build more foliage mass in the next couple of years in favor of any styling concerns. The adelgid infestation last year, even though it was contained to just the shoots, really set back the developemnt of this tree.

 

[Arcto]

@PiñonJ, @Arcto and others with experience with this species. Do you pinch or let new growth extend and then cut back? If you pinch, at what stage do you do it exactly?

I agree with PJ. I’ll just remark, all my true firs don’t need much of an excuse to backbud. Primary’s, secondary’s, the trunk, everywhere. If Pines backbudded like this, there would be 30% fewer “How do I get it to” posts on this forum! I removed wire from the main branches on my big Grand Fir last fall after 2 years. No rebounding. Did my pinching 2 weeks ago. Candles 1 1/2-2” at the time. Hope this helps. Your tree looks great!

 

[MACH5]

Finally an update. It's been a couple of years since it was first styled by Bjorn in March of 2018. Now it was my turn to take it one more step forward. This is its second styling work.

The wires were removed last June and left alone the rest of the growing season. This is how the tree looked like right before I gave it its second styling.






After the styling work. Eventually I would like to put it in into a higher quality pot. What do you think? Rectangular, oval or something else?

 

[River's Edge]

Finally an update. It's been a couple of years since it was first styled by Bjorn in March of 2018. Now it was my turn to take it one more step forward. This is its second styling work.

The wires were removed last June and left alone the rest of the growing season. This is how the tree looked like right before I gave it its second styling.

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After the styling work. Eventually I would like to put it in into a higher quality pot. What do you think? Rectangular, oval or something else?

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Looking good! I might consider a round pot for this one?

 

[Potawatomi13]

After the styling work. Eventually I would like to put it in into a higher quality pot. What do you think? Rectangular, oval or something else?

Personally considering getting a couple of these custom made for Ponderosas.
Kurinuki containers
Kurinuki is a Japanese term referring to the hand-building technique of starting with a solid block of clay and hollowing it out to create an interior. It is an ancient technique that lends itself to unglazed bonsai containers. This style is also great for kusamonos.