Intro Post - CO Blue Spruce

[Arejay4]

Hey Everyone, I am new to the forums and new to bonsai. Been reading a lot and watching quite a bit of instructional videos from a lot of different pros.

I just bought a colorado blue spruce from lowes half off from their holiday collection. Looks healthy and to my beginner eye I like the nebari as well as the slight movement in the trunk.

My plan is to repot into inorganic soil and new pot in the spring and not really touch the foliage until the following year.

Would it be inappropriate to do a basic clean up (remove dead or weak branches, remove needles growing directly on the trunk) now? Or should I just leave it alone for the time being?

Any tips, tricks or suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks

 

[Colorado]

Welcome! Colorado Blue Spruce make fantastic bonsai material. You have a good plan to focus on the roots first. When the buds first start to show blue/green is the perfect time to repot.

You can remove dead branches, dead needles without worry. Once you start removing live foliage, then you start to roll the dice with impacting winter hardiness. I’d probably just wait until next fall to start cleaning up the branches but if you want to remove a few weak branches now it would *probably* be okay. But mid-winter is really not the best time to prune spruce.

Hope this helps!

 

[Arejay4]

Welcome! Colorado Blue Spruce make fantastic bonsai material. You have a good plan to focus on the roots first. When the buds first start to show blue/green is the perfect time to repot.

You can remove dead branches, dead needles without worry. Once you start removing live foliage, then you start to roll the dice with impacting winter hardiness. I’d probably just wait until next fall to start cleaning up the branches but if you want to remove a few weak branches now it would *probably* be okay. But mid-winter is really not the best time to prune spruce.

Hope this helps!

Thanks! That’s what I was looking for.
As far as what I want to do is irrelevant because I want to jump in and start designing and cutting!!! Lol But the biggest thing I have learned from these forums is to have some patience and work from the bottom up!
I have seen some of your posts Colorado on your Blue Spruces, any other tips tricks or good reference material on this species would be great!

 

[sorce]

"Weak" for health can mean strong for design.

Welcome to Crazy!

Better to Repot in Summer IME.

Sorce

 

[Arejay4]

"Weak" for health can mean strong for design.

Welcome to Crazy!

Better to Repot in Summer IME.

Sorce

Touché Sorce!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome Aboard BonsaiNut! It’s great to see new folks joining the forum.

Only thing I have to add is to get online, use the search engine here and/or in some other internet and print etc resources and learn as much as you can about the horticultural care of your tree as a bonsai.

Then look at styling options and learn how to wire correctly.

btw Bonsai Mirai has a couple three free videos teaching wiring.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Arejay4]

Welcome Aboard BonsaiNut! It’s great to see new folks joining the forum.

Only thing I have to add is to get online, use the search engine here and/or in some other internet and print etc resources and learn as much as you can about the horticultural care of your tree as a bonsai.

Then look at styling options and learn how to wire correctly.

btw Bonsai Mirai has a couple three free videos teaching wiring.

cheers
DSD sends

Thanks for the input, I have watched quite a few videos on bonsai Mirai. He breaks things now and explains them well.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Greetings, Traveller!

Glad your boots landed here, in ths fertile substrates of “The Tiny Forest”! The Woody Dwarves (Pa-is) are pleased.

Enjoy this wonderfully diverse, communal library of knowledge and experience. Read all you can STAND... then start filling your own shelves..

Listen to the members currently present here, about your Picea.

Pleasure to make your acquaintance!