Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) Forest/Clump

[NHATIVE]

Hi All,

I'm starting a thread for this Mountain Hemlock I recently acquired from a local nursery. It seems they bring them in every year and I finally bit the bullet and picked one up a couple weeks ago when they showed up. It is a field grown material that is grown at high elevation in Oregon, then brought down to lower elevation for nursery sale in stages. There were a couple hundred to choose from, each one being incredibly unique, clearly influenced by a life at high elevation. I was primarily interested in this field stock as I've yet to find the magic combo on collection trips through the Olympics and Cascades, specifically looking for Hemlock growing in rock pockets. In the meantime while I continue to play in the mountains and search for the right individuals, I can get a jump start and learn more about the species with a root system that's already contained. Anyways, I'm excited about this project and can't wait to see how it develops over time.




Long-term inspiration when choosing material out of the pack was without a doubt the below Mountain Hemlock forest from Michael Hagedorn. I love the interaction of each trunk, and the natural form is a direct representation of what you see up in the alpine zones around here.



I'm thinking the first step will be to gently repot in the spring to get it into a more suitable soil for fine feeder root growth, but also juggling with leaving it alone for a full year just to get a better understanding of the tree's health. In readings from Graham Hues and Anton Nijhuis, growing these into a fish mulch called "Sea Soil" is recommended after collection to establish a healthy system of fine feeder roots. Would you assume the same to be true for a field-grown nursery material? Sea Soil isn't available here in the U.S., but I came across what appears to be a directly comparable product that just so happens to be produced locally. Should I repot in the spring, my plan would be to remove the root ball from the burlap, gently tease out fine feeder roots, and plant into an Anderson Flat or grow box with a mix of this fish mulch and pumice.

Hope you enjoy and looking forward to any and all feedback!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Be aware foliage needles closed up on themselves, not open/happy. Should do nothing until tree/roots at peace with new home. Magnify, observe needles on Michaels trees for guidance. Believe Mt Hemlock not happy with much root disturbance. Perhaps send Michael email questions?

 

[August44]

That clump looks nice until I looked closer. I have never seem Mt Hemlock foliage that looks like that friend. Also, where, 'grown at high elevation in Oregon' are these collected/grown if you know and what does this mean by the way..."brought down to lower elevation for nursery sale in stages".

 

[hinmo24t]

i think that looks like a great nursery find

i have eastern hemlock yamadori and was surprised to find one at home depot recently that i didnt buy since i have 4

good luck with yours. my home depot comment was a heads up to folks that youll randomly find a cool speciman at big box store sometimes

 

[NHATIVE]

That clump looks nice until I looked closer. I have never seem Mt Hemlock foliage that looks like that friend. Also, where, 'grown at high elevation in Oregon' are these collected/grown if you know and what does this mean by the way..."brought down to lower elevation for nursery sale in stages".

Interesting comments on the needles being closed up. I'll have to keep an eye on that. That said, this is what most of the trees in the lot looked like. As far as "bringing down to lower elevation in stages", I was told that after collection, they slowly bring the trees down from high elevation in order for them to acclimate to the changes.

 

[JEads]

I don't think i would be concerned with the foliage like that. younger/strongly growing mountian hemlock foliage growth looks like that all the time. These trees look to be in the 10-40 year old range. With time and bonsai training, they will lay out, flatten and look more like the "finished" foliage pads that everyone sees on "finished bonsai". The foliage like that tells me that it is very happy and growing strongly. Even Micheal's tree pictured shoots out foliage that looks like that every spring. It is then removed so that the shape is maintained.
Regarding the "sea soil": it is a composted fish waste, some other non-organics and sand. We would always remove that soil from any trees that we got from Anton as soon as we could safely. I do not think that a compost of some sort is a bad idea, but i could cut it heavily with pumice, especially in the Pacific NW. We used 80% pumice, 20% compost, otherwise the soil mass stays too wet.
I think you have a good idea to remove the burlap and slip pot it into something slightly larger than it is currently in with some pumice/compost mix around the edges and let it sit for a few years. Then, once it recovers you can think about more aggressive root work to remove the mountain soil from the existing root ball.
In the meantime, as long as it is healthy, you can begin light wiring and cutting to begin setting some shape.
FYI, M. Hemlock do not back bud at all, so you really have to protect the inner shoots and try to keep them strong so that one day you can cut back to them.

BTW, I was Michael's apprentice for two years and spent a good amount of my time in his yard working on the very tree pictured above.

Best of luck. it is one of my favorite species to work with.

 

[ghues]

Greeting from the 50th, Looks like a great find.
I can assure you that Mountain Hemi’s can and do have different looking needles (colour, length, shape). It’s natural range is large and the various/different climatic and environmental conditions do effect the growth characteristics.
Most of my Hm are in a mix of pumice, lava and sifted oceansoil or Seasoil. I quickly learned the hard way that one shouldn’t try to rush them by two insults in one year.
Another great source here is @River's Edge who has lots of experience with these as well.
Good luck......and get some more lol.
GMan.

 

[NHATIVE]

Be aware foliage needles closed up on themselves, not open/happy. Should do nothing until tree/roots at peace with new home. Magnify, observe needles on Michaels trees for guidance. Believe Mt Hemlock not happy with much root disturbance. Perhaps send Michael email questions?

I just did a quick search online and found a comparison between high elevation Mt. Hemlock foliage and low elevation/landscape. It looks consistent with what I'm seeing in my tree. Any thoughts?

Tsuga mertensiana | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University

landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu

 

[JEads]

I just did a quick search online and found a comparison between high elevation Mt. Hemlock foliage and low elevation/landscape. It looks consistent with what I'm seeing in my tree. Any thoughts?

View attachment 407081

Tsuga mertensiana | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University

landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu

I think this resource is correct, as well as ghues. The species has a huge growth range and the characteristics have a huge range depending on where the tree is from.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

These are not "field grown" but rather collected by commercial tree harvesters who take them from the mountains and sell to retail nurseries.

 

[Cruiser]

I just did a quick search online and found a comparison between high elevation Mt. Hemlock foliage and low elevation/landscape. It looks consistent with what I'm seeing in my tree. Any thoughts?

View attachment 407081

Tsuga mertensiana | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University

landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu

Some high elevation conifers grow their needles in tighter bundles as an adaptation to reduce water loss. This may or may not be what’s going on here. Just a thought.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I don't think i would be concerned with the foliage like that. younger/strongly growing mountian hemlock foliage growth looks like that all the time. These trees look to be in the 10-40 year old range. With time and bonsai training, they will lay out, flatten and look more like the "finished" foliage pads that everyone sees on "finished bonsai". The foliage like that tells me that it is very happy and growing strongly. Even Micheal's tree pictured shoots out foliage that looks like that every spring. It is then removed so that the shape is maintained.
Regarding the "sea soil": it is a composted fish waste, some other non-organics and sand. We would always remove that soil from any trees that we got from Anton as soon as we could safely. I do not think that a compost of some sort is a bad idea, but i could cut it heavily with pumice, especially in the Pacific NW. We used 80% pumice, 20% compost, otherwise the soil mass stays too wet.
I think you have a good idea to remove the burlap and slip pot it into something slightly larger than it is currently in with some pumice/compost mix around the edges and let it sit for a few years. Then, once it recovers you can think about more aggressive root work to remove the mountain soil from the existing root ball.
In the meantime, as long as it is healthy, you can begin light wiring and cutting to begin setting some shape.
FYI, M. Hemlock do not back bud at all, so you really have to protect the inner shoots and try to keep them strong so that one day you can cut back to them.

BTW, I was Michael's apprentice for two years and spent a good amount of my time in his yard working on the very tree pictured above.

Best of luck. it is one of my favorite species to work with.

Thank you John. Knowing you are a Michael apprentice I bow to your most excellent advice.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Greeting from the 50th, Looks like a great find.
I can assure you that Mountain Hemi’s can and do have different looking needles (colour, length, shape). It’s natural range is large and the various/different climatic and environmental conditions do effect the growth characteristics.
Most of my Hm are in a mix of pumice, lava and sifted oceansoil or Seasoil. I quickly learned the hard way that one shouldn’t try to rush them by two insults in one year.
Another great source here is @River's Edge who has lots of experience with these as well.
Good luck......and get some more lol.
GMan.

Very nice tree.

 

[Chop_n_Change]

I got 2 similar clumps last year and the growth/bark looks similar — maybe a little stressed… I planted them both on a driftwood piece I found. Nearly 4 feet tall right now, hoping to first style Next Year. I wanted to give them a year of unchecked growth. Good luck! Wait to repot till the buds are just starting to open up. I got a little ahead of the game this spring and managed to repot on a late snow day mid February — probably would have been easier later in the spring as doing the bonsai shuffle with this monster was a bit of a chore, but it handled it.

Edit: planted in 100% akadama

 

[ghues]

@Chop_n_Change
Great combination with that interesting driftwood piece. Do you know what type of wood it is?

 

[Chop_n_Change]

@Chop_n_Change
Great combination with that interesting driftwood piece. Do you know what type of wood it is?

Tough to say, I found it in a river in eastern Washington, it was old pithy in the planting surface that I dug out. I put 2 cans of wood hardener on it

 

[Potawatomi13]

Edit: planted in 100% akadama

Would not brag about it. Or admit it.

 

[cishepard]

I'm thinking the first step will be to gently repot in the spring to get it into a more suitable soil for fine feeder root growth, but also juggling with leaving it alone for a full year just to get a better understanding of the tree's health. In readings from Graham Hues and Anton Nijhuis, growing these into a fish mulch called "Sea Soil" is recommended after collection to establish a healthy system of fine feeder roots. Would you assume the same to be true for a field-grown nursery material? Sea Soil isn't available here in the U.S., but I came across what appears to be a directly comparable product that just so happens to be produced locally. Should I repot in the spring, my plan would be to remove the root ball from the burlap, gently tease out fine feeder roots, and plant into an Anderson Flat or grow box with a mix of this fish mulch and pumice.

I’ve met Anton and have been to his nursery to buy trees. This is what he told me. His newly collected trees are immediately put into mounded Seasoil for root recovery. Having the mounds above ground creates an air pruning effect and facilitates the growth of feeder roots close to the trunk. He collects in Fall and the PacNW rains keep the compost wet, but the mounds create good drainage. After about a year, he checks root systems and pots the trees in nursery cans, using mostly the same seasoil, but also a mix of whatever he has on hand. These potted trees are all for sale, and he advised me that any tree that I chose could be repotted into a bonsai mix at this point.
Perhaps, if your tree has already been established in a pot, with good root recovery from collection, it would not need to go through this process?

 

[August44]

I went over to Central Oregon (Bend) this last year in July and found some Mt Hemlocks in a nursery over there...about 50 or so that I find had been collected late that spring, potted up and sold to the nursery. At least 60-70% looked like they were on there way to death row. I have no idea if it was the same collector but I certainly don't buy digging and selling in the same year, especially within the first 6 months after collecting. The ethics of that are pretty greedy IMO. Also, in regards to the OP, trees, "grown at high elevation in Oregon," and "brought down to lower elevation for nursery sale in stages." is total BS and just a sales gimmick. They might have been collected at a high elevation, but the distribution to nurseries started soon thereafter. IMO, they should be held over for a year and then sold. Just my opinion of course.

 

[River's Edge]

Should I repot in the spring, my plan would be to remove the root ball from the burlap, gently tease out fine feeder roots, and plant into an Anderson Flat or grow box with a mix of this fish mulch and pumice.

Just to clarify a few points, the mix you suggest is fine for root recovery above ground with excellent drainage. Not advisable for bonsai pot without modification. Also when trees are recovered in sea soil and pumice they have not necessarily been repotted in the sense that the native soil has been removed. Collectors rarely bare root collected trees. Often they are just surrounded by the sea soil and pumice and mounded as described by others. It is always important to note the changes required when adapting collected trees over time for life in a bonsai pot.
1. native soil should over time be removed using timing and techniques that suit the species.
2. soil mixes used in bonsai require sufficient stability for roots and anchorage. ie: addition of some heavier inorganic to balance such as lava or granite. Just pumice and sea soil will be too light and likely too high in organic for a bonsai pot. This will affect drainage and stability very quickly.
3. Find out from the collector or nursery what the particular situation with respect to native soil is and carefully examine the root ball before deciding on the mix to be used next or the amount of repotting to be done in the first session or two.
4. Mt. Hemlock vary in recovery time, as collected trees the root condition is unique to that tree. Be prepared to take time.
5. Foliage does vary with collection site variables and genetic differences.
6. Foliage does vary from climatic and genetic variation throughout the natural ranges. For experienced collectors they can often identify the nature of the collection site from the appearance of the foliage and tree form.