Japanese Larch Shohin?

[ghues]

@ghues what’s the latest?

Not a pretty sight at this point in time..... but hopefully I'll get additional roots grasping the rock on the one side that needs it. This season saw too much branch elongation but that was the intent....maybe I'll wire it up over the winter. The trick here is to keep the foliage compact and in relation to the size of the trunk and main branch thickness, alas the trunk doesn't thicken fast enough.

 

[M. Frary]

alas the trunk doesn't thicken fast enoug

Why not take it out of the pot and let it grow for a couple years?

 

[Smoke]

alas the trunk doesn't thicken fast enough.

Thats easy to solve.....

 

[ghues]

Thats easy to solve.....

It would be great if it put on some more trunk girth but looking back at this thread, it has grown decently over the last 6 seasons....much improved since post #1.
Many thanks for the idea.
I did consider the new raised garden beds or a much larger pot but it seems that you and @M. Frary are both suggesting doing something like that. One of the negatives about extra strong growth in a garden bed, would be the extreme growth that these can produce....which can be very juvenile growth, without continually cutting back to keep the shape and balance.
However, it was only put into this pot last spring (see post 83), and the current pot provides lots of room for plenty of roots. It should grow well again next season, which will also allow more root growth (girth), around the stone.
Maybe in another 5 years the tree will be much better balanced, in height, width, trunk, main branches and fused roots .

 

[ghues]

A trim and wired up for the winter....a little more balanced. Lowered the plastic wrap at the top and the main roots where they meet the trunk are fattening up and starting to form over the stone.
G.

 

[Vin]

Love this tree!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I too love this tree. Dramatic improvement from first post. I would not put it in the ground. Resulting growth would destroy the balance you have achieved. Nice work.

 

[Vance Wood]

Putting trees in the ground can help if the trees are young, but if you have a good bark starting to develop this can be counter productive.

 

[ghues]

Thank you Vin, Leo and Vance. This is my favourite "little" tree, even back in 2009 when I purchased it, the base had started to furrow so now (hard to see in the last photos) the bark is showing some nice maturity. They are robust in their growth so I'm hopefull that it will add some additional roots around/down the stone for better balance.
For me they (Japanese Larch) are fun to work and in Spring one can't help but enjoy their first little flush of new growth.
Cheers from the PNW.

 

[ghues]

Spring update,
Removed plastic wrap and remnants of black plastic pot and then covered with moss. Still requires a few more summers to expose more of the R/R, still like the idea of a slight mound at the base.
Will ponder a much more suitable container.....not sure if a traditional pot/tray is what I envision.....perhaps a handmade concrete landscape slab.
Cheers G.

 

[ghues]

Other side view.

 

[ghues]

These can really explode with growth when healthy so to restrain growth I keep them on the dry side when the flush is at this point. I've started removing the downward needles, trimming dead twigs (last years pruning).....still some to go.
Caught it late in the day.......could have finished if it wasn't for the hockey game.lol

 

[cmeg1]

One killer tree! I like the second angle in photo two....Awesome.

I always love the way larch look,but I heard they grow lanky and long needles in the heat of zone 7a southeast pa.

 

[erb.75]

These can really explode with growth when healthy so to restrain growth I keep them on the dry side when the flush is at this point. I've started removing the downward needles, trimming dead twigs (last years pruning).....still some to go.
Caught it late in the day.......could have finished if it wasn't for the hockey game.lol

looking great!

 

[ghues]

Here is a late summer update.....with our unusual warm (very warm for these parts)/hot summer and long daylight hours this one kept me busy pinching the lamus growth....it still has some new growth from buds that have recently burst and elongated lol. Oh yea the fish weights are used...to lower the branches instead of using wire....works for me. Still in the development stage....will need to think outside of the box for the right pot/container.

 

[LanceMac10]

today?

that means an update.....for some reason I'm thinking I had seen a more recent update....

 

[ghues]

today?

that means an update.....for some reason I'm thinking I had seen a more recent update....

Better late than never? Will soon loose its needles , then again it will be a winter wiring project.

 

[ghues]

Small gauge wire for its winter silhouette.

 

[ghues]

Warped and ready to be put into winter storage, wire is to stop birds that continually remove the moss. 9 years later.......confirmed that it is actually European Larch.

 

[Josh88]

Good to see you back!