James W.
Chumono
Anybody with updates?
Even if your jam is dead I would like to know why.
Even if your jam is dead I would like to know why.
Let's see those dwarf Alberta spruce jams
- Thread starter Soldano666
- Start date
stewarjm192
Mame
last time I saw this it had lost a few trunksView attachment 119155
Surely you have seen this one at Bonsai West @Soldano666 made from Alberta Spruce? This one has a couple decades head start!!
This thread inspired me to go to IKEA and get a discount Alberta early 2017 or maybe 2018? Like all eager beginners I hacked it down without too much consern about all the basic rules of bonsai. It has been one of my least favorite trees and many times I have thought about getting rid of it. All I have done is watering and bud pinching until last winter when I decided to restyle it. So, 6 or 7 years between the photos.
I did a video on the restyle if you would like to check it out and support what I am doing.
I think this tree is ready for some detail Styling and maybe a bonsai pot?
I did a video on the restyle if you would like to check it out and support what I am doing.
I think this tree is ready for some detail Styling and maybe a bonsai pot?
Attachments
Actually I realiced the very same tree has been mentioned a few times in this thread mentioning different years of purshase. Definetely one of my pre corona trees. Maybe 2018 or 2019? Anyway long time ago and old mans brain 
I don't want to take part in age inflation that sometimes happens in the bonsai world
I don't want to take part in age inflation that sometimes happens in the bonsai world
D
Deleted member 47471
Guest
RJG2
Omono
Cruiser
Chumono
D
Deleted member 47471
Guest
I like it! I, too, will pursue a slanting style (In about 100 years when mine is ready 
)
)
D
Deleted member 47471
Guest
In my second photo, there is a twin trunk behind the front smaller and curvy (3rd) trunk. I’m unsure, at this point, if I’ll remove it and reduce to two trunks. Three might be interesting.
Pigskin Pete
Yamadori
Here's my DAS and what I did with it back in October. It's still kicking. Not sure if it will survive a summer here in zone 7b. This last summer was brutal.
Stormwater
Shohin
Mine have done fine here in DC. What about loosing those lowest two bar branches (might be a back branch)? Guess that would depend on the depth to soil in the pot.
Pigskin Pete
Yamadori
Attachments
Stormwater
Shohin
I’m horrid at photography , but here is mine after a year without wire and in need of a trim. 
D
Deleted member 47471
Guest
This is really nice and very representative of a realistic spruce found in nature. You nailed it!
I got this beast out of the landscape of a house being torn down. These images are about 3 weeks old at this point. Since then, I’ve had a little bit of needle burn at the top but nothing else. I haven’t done much to the tree other than trim a few bottom branches. Waiting till October or later to do much more, plus I want to see if it survives the transplanting.
Beneath the soil is a base that gets to be about 7 inches across at its widest.
Right now it is in about 30 gallon grow bag, and I did collect it with a ton of roots even after I trimmed them to fit in this bag.
I’m tempted to just leave it for a year, protect it next summer under a bunch of shade cloth, and try winter 2025 for a serious repot because the damn thing is nothing short of unwieldy right now.
I’d also like to see what happens with the lower branches I cut back to stubs, whether they produce new growth or not, because while this thing is super dense at the tips there’s nothing to cut back to in the interior past the outer 3-4 inches or so. So if it will back bud, that’s good to know. Unfortunately, it will probably kill of the branches I trimmed back because it doesn’t need them with all the other healthy foliage.
I’m also tempted to cut back to the dull last year’s foliage to maybe inspire some back budding and to reduce the profile by about 2 inches all around.
Any thoughts? I can take more pictures if detail is needed.
Beneath the soil is a base that gets to be about 7 inches across at its widest.
Right now it is in about 30 gallon grow bag, and I did collect it with a ton of roots even after I trimmed them to fit in this bag.
I’m tempted to just leave it for a year, protect it next summer under a bunch of shade cloth, and try winter 2025 for a serious repot because the damn thing is nothing short of unwieldy right now.
I’d also like to see what happens with the lower branches I cut back to stubs, whether they produce new growth or not, because while this thing is super dense at the tips there’s nothing to cut back to in the interior past the outer 3-4 inches or so. So if it will back bud, that’s good to know. Unfortunately, it will probably kill of the branches I trimmed back because it doesn’t need them with all the other healthy foliage.
I’m also tempted to cut back to the dull last year’s foliage to maybe inspire some back budding and to reduce the profile by about 2 inches all around.
Any thoughts? I can take more pictures if detail is needed.
Attachments
Great video on DAS project. I just got a pretty nice smaller one here in zone 6. If I can ask a few questions pls? Is it ok to prune off some branches now, if so what % of un-needed branches can I remove, and is this the right time of year to do that? Also, I was impressed with the camera you were using. What camera is that if you don't mind? Thank you, August
PS: It is in Nursery container and I will not re-pot until next spring.
Dabbler
Chumono
- Messages
- 652
- Reaction score
- 1,002
I don't do any work on Spruce until mid winter when their sap is not flowing and the bark is pulled close in - you might be able to do that now but you might get some sappy wounds - and I'm using a sony alpha zv-e10, it's a pretty good camera for what I need and down the road I might upgrade to like an A7 or something
houterig
Seedling
What a big beast! I would wait like you said untill next year winter before doing anything, if healthy put it in full sun.
This one bought in januari 2022 in a clearance sale. Repotted spring 2022 and then cut back in the same winter when it showed good growth. Quite small and the trunks are warped towards the sun. I took the wire out and replaced most with guy wire... They take quite long to settle and new growth goes very fast facing up. This winter will be cleaning up the trunks (remove most jins since i dont like them), reducing foilage. Tiewrapping the right branch to a metal pole to straighten it out and repot in a different angle in spring.
I have another bigger one, wich I repotted spring 2023 and responded with good growth these 2 years. It will be hard cut this winter
Bonsaidoorguy
Chumono
Felt the urge so I went at this DAS that I had. I don't think it turned out too bad for old material laying around.
Similar threads
