Colorado Spruce No. 1

[Shogun610]

Colorado Spruce , originally collected and initially styled by Todd Schlafer. Very excited to add this to the collection and to be next caretaker of this specimen. It’s pushing new growth. Next spring it will go into a container or stone , then developed in the years to come. Super stoked , I had the confidence of working on spruce by what I learned at Kifu , and felt I was ready to push my skill. Will pot other photos of all sides, there it is in its spot on the bench.

 

[Shogun610]

Better pics

 

[Colorado]

Sweet spruce! I have a similar one likely collected from the same area. I love Colorado Blue Spruce for bonsai!

 

[Hartinez]

Lovely tree. Do you know when it was collected?

 

[Shogun610]

Lovely tree. Do you know when it was collected?

I believe this was collected in 2017

 

[Shogun610]

Sweet spruce! I have a similar one likely collected from the same area. I love Colorado Blue Spruce for bonsai!

Thanks ! I’m excited, If I get the Ben Oki scholarship I’ll most likely use it for a class with Todd

 

[Shogun610]

Extending growth to fill it in more, 2 of the wired branchlets did not bud out , that’s the chance you take w spruce so once they fully show their buds I’ll decide which pairs to keep to eventually wire those out to continue the design.

 

[discusmike]

Very nice trunk movement for spruce

 

[Shogun610]

Doing well with buds all over , and accent flowers a nice touch. But some of the new growth needles appear to be scorched or burnt? I can’t find any literature on this. It gets 8-10 hours of sun and watered every 2 days or every other day depending on temperature but I don’t have a hard rule. I sprayed a few times for tip moth , borers and mites with Captain Jacks Deadbug and Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens.. I do have a Bacillus Thurengiensis I may try if I see more of these needles on this years growth.. any thoughts ? I’m in 6b and this tree was in a 5b zone prior to me .. I will def protect before needle break next yesr

 

[Shogun610]

Bumping this again. It’s perplexing and want to figure out what it is. I have contacted other blue spruce bros but we are still looking to see I have not seen examples like this before .. I can think of either of blight, needle miners or mites

 

[Patrick K]

I’m not too far away but have a couple engelmanns purchased from Jim at natures way. He recommended keeping in dappled shade/filtered sun, not treating like pines and giving full sun. May just be getting too toasty. Nice tree.

 

[Shogun610]

I think i finally figured out it’s water needs ? No more tips burnt .. picture after it’s watered , looking healthy, buds all over for next years growth. I plan on repotting this in spring

 

[Tycoss]

Good to hear it seems to be improving. I have some englemann and can confirm they like more water than pines etc.

 

[Shogun610]

Good to hear it seems to be improving. I have some englemann and can confirm they like more water than pines etc.

Yeah that’s definitely true about spruce in general but they come from high mountain micro climates in Colorado , but the humidity I think is why it needs to adapt w more water, it’s finding that balance than what it normally would need if it was still collected and kept in that same climate.. it def needs a repot , the container is packed and it’s cracked on one side near the lip

 

[Shogun610]

I’ve been putting this tree in shade and watering when it needs it , the field soil definitely holds water especially in shade. It’s doing well I think I figured out care until repot. Buds are phat and set.

 

[Shogun610]

Repotting today , picked out two pots as options, buds are swelling no green yet, but a lot of rain in the forecast next couple weeks I just really want to get it out of this collected soil. I will be using 2:1 Akadama and Hyuga Pumice , bottom layer of pumice

 

[Shogun610]

Limit reached left a lot of field soil near the core.. and cut a few long roots back

 

[Shogun610]

Not the final pot or prob planting angle but I mossed it up. Initial wiring is starting to outgrow due to all the good back budding and elongated growth . Needs to be in a rectangle one day. But this Sam Miller round will do for now

 

[Shogun610]

 

[Shogun610]

Great buds all over , even alot of back budding , just waiting to start to pop. Even branches that had some needle die back have buds behind them. Again as I’ve said before it has a nice layer of pumice at the bottom of pot and akadama and pumice remainder of the soil mix.