Some trees I'm working on...
- Thread starter coh
- Start date
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Hinoki. I've had this tree since 2013 or 2014. Think I've figured out how to keep it healthy, but still trying to
understand pruning and how to keep it compact.
This is the most recent image, from a few weeks ago. I've done some thinning but need to make another
pass through it. Need to clean up some of the dangling fronds, especially in the lower right area, develop some
separation in the pads, etc. It's due for both repotting and wiring, so at least one of those tasks will be done
in the spring.
Older pic from 2014, shortly after acquisition.
understand pruning and how to keep it compact.
This is the most recent image, from a few weeks ago. I've done some thinning but need to make another
pass through it. Need to clean up some of the dangling fronds, especially in the lower right area, develop some
separation in the pads, etc. It's due for both repotting and wiring, so at least one of those tasks will be done
in the spring.
Older pic from 2014, shortly after acquisition.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
So this is the one tree I've acquired this year (so far, of course). It's a larch purchased from the estate of a club member who passed away earlier this year. It was repotted on the late side (before I got it, but after it had leafed out) so this year the only goal has been to keep it happy...which meant a somewhat shaded location and a little pruning to keep some of the longer shoots under control.
It's obvious the previous owner spent a lot of time developing fine branching but I feel like the canopy is too large (wide) for the thin trunk. So one goal moving forward will probably be to reduce the width and encourage branching further back toward the trunk. I'm also not sure about the low branch on the right, it may have to go. I made some virts and uploaded one of the more extreme ones, with the branch removed and the other branches significantly reduced. Not sure about going that far back, will have to think about it. Any thoughts or suggestions, please share!
Tree as it is right now:
Virt with lowest branch removed and others reduced by about half:
It's obvious the previous owner spent a lot of time developing fine branching but I feel like the canopy is too large (wide) for the thin trunk. So one goal moving forward will probably be to reduce the width and encourage branching further back toward the trunk. I'm also not sure about the low branch on the right, it may have to go. I made some virts and uploaded one of the more extreme ones, with the branch removed and the other branches significantly reduced. Not sure about going that far back, will have to think about it. Any thoughts or suggestions, please share!
Tree as it is right now:
Virt with lowest branch removed and others reduced by about half:
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Couple of ficuses...both willow leaf. The first one is from a seller on ebay, it has a scar/deadwood area on the trunk which is not common in ficus. Also has a wider base that is currently buried. I've had the tree since 2012. Tree is in a deep pot to encourage growth but I think the next repotting will be to a much shallower container. Still need to develop ramification but it's a slow go in this near arctic climate. Tree was defoliated this spring but I never got around to taking a pic.
Tree looked like this (defoliated) in 2013. The lowest branch (red arrow) has since been removed and the branch above it trained
down slightly and forward slightly (and is currently the lowest branch on the left). In the current image above, tree is rotated to the left (clockwise)
relative to this view.
The other willow leaf, was obtained from Meehans in 2011. I may be putting this one up for sale on facebook this weekend (the 99cent group).
If anyone here might be interested, send me a PM before Sunday.
Tree looked like this (defoliated) in 2013. The lowest branch (red arrow) has since been removed and the branch above it trained
down slightly and forward slightly (and is currently the lowest branch on the left). In the current image above, tree is rotated to the left (clockwise)
relative to this view.
The other willow leaf, was obtained from Meehans in 2011. I may be putting this one up for sale on facebook this weekend (the 99cent group).
If anyone here might be interested, send me a PM before Sunday.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Personally, I'd be hesitant to remove a nice, low branch like yours on a Larch. It seems the upper branches are getting too much foliage/growth, look to be a bit thick.
I look at it, (and it's a beauty, by the way), and I want to grow it some for a larger tree/image. With that low branch.....
I think removing that branch and the image your left with, really narrows your pot choices, I feel. Then as the tree ages and future design options are considered, well, all that's left after this is "literati" and I don't think the trunk will be able to pull the look off....you can always leave the branch for thickening/deadwood for the future.
Growing the branch on I think widens you container shape selection a lot. And still leaves a few more re-design options for the future
Like @M. Frary mentioned......
Is 8 AM too early for Sangria?
Just thought I would throw some thoughts at ya'....have a great weekend!!!
I look at it, (and it's a beauty, by the way), and I want to grow it some for a larger tree/image. With that low branch.....
I think removing that branch and the image your left with, really narrows your pot choices, I feel. Then as the tree ages and future design options are considered, well, all that's left after this is "literati" and I don't think the trunk will be able to pull the look off....you can always leave the branch for thickening/deadwood for the future.
Growing the branch on I think widens you container shape selection a lot. And still leaves a few more re-design options for the future
Like @M. Frary mentioned......
Is 8 AM too early for Sangria?
Just thought I would throw some thoughts at ya'....have a great weekend!!!
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
It stands 31" above the pot. Needles are quite short, I'm not sure what species this is...
Top will definitely be thinned but the main goal for this year was just to keep it healthy and happy.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, as mentioned above...top is definitely dense and will be reduced.Personally, I'd be hesitant to remove a nice, low branch like yours on a Larch. It seems the upper branches are getting too much foliage/growth, look to be a bit thick.
I look at it, (and it's a beauty, by the way), and I want to grow it some for a larger tree/image. With that low branch.....
I'm definitely hesitant to remove that branch, and will have to think a while (and make some virts) before doing so. I'm curious though what you are thinking when you say "larger tree/image"? Are you talking taller or just wider? This about the upper limit of tree height that will fit upright in my car for transport, so that's one constraint I have to keep in mind. It will eventually be repotted into a slightly shallower container, so I may have an extra inch or two to work with but I don't think I'd want to go further than that...
I think removing that branch and the image your left with, really narrows your pot choices, I feel. Then as the tree ages and future design options are considered, well, all that's left after this is "literati" and I don't think the trunk will be able to pull the look off....you can always leave the branch for thickening/deadwood for the future.
Growing the branch on I think widens you container shape selection a lot. And still leaves a few more re-design options for the future
I'm not too worried about the pot choices, but once the branch is gone...it's gone! No turning back, so it will definitely take some consideration...it might look OK with that lower branch if all the branching is cleaned up and organized and foliage brought in closer to the trunk. Right now it seems to be a "young tree" image to me, which I don't have a problem with in general...but I don't think it's the best choice for this material.
Just thought I would throw some thoughts at ya'....have a great weekend!!!
You too! I always appreciate thoughtful suggestions.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Here's an Engelmann spruce I purchased from Nature's Way nursery about 5-6 years ago. Thought it had a neat structure suggestive of a couple of major "life events" that killed off the main leader twice. The remnants can be seen in the abrupt trunk shift and somewhat phallic deadwood near the bottom, and the residual dead apex hidden within the foliage near the top (highlighted with chalk in the second pic).
I almost killed this one the first year...watering issue, it was in pure pumice and seemed to be staying too wet so I went against advice from Jim Doyle and cut back on the watering...too much as it turns out, lost a lot of growth and it took a few years to get back to full strength. Now there is plenty of healthy growth and I'm going to need to make some big decisions over the next few months. Probably will thin out some over the next few weeks, then have another go at it in the spring. It needs to be thinned and cut back quite a bit I think.
I'm not sure if this will be the exact front, but it's what I've got marked right now. I want to be able to see the evidence of the past events and also the old dead apex partly hidden by the new growth around it.
Black background:
Grey background:
I almost killed this one the first year...watering issue, it was in pure pumice and seemed to be staying too wet so I went against advice from Jim Doyle and cut back on the watering...too much as it turns out, lost a lot of growth and it took a few years to get back to full strength. Now there is plenty of healthy growth and I'm going to need to make some big decisions over the next few months. Probably will thin out some over the next few weeks, then have another go at it in the spring. It needs to be thinned and cut back quite a bit I think.
I'm not sure if this will be the exact front, but it's what I've got marked right now. I want to be able to see the evidence of the past events and also the old dead apex partly hidden by the new growth around it.
Black background:
Grey background:
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
That tree looks like it's so ready to be something. And that moss is amazing, how are you growing such nice moss in a full sun tree?
I like your larch too, and would be torn about that lower branch just like you are...
I like your larch too, and would be torn about that lower branch just like you are...
BigBen
Shohin
Very nice work Coh.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
You know, the moss is the strangest thing. I have 2 or 3 trees (a boxwood is another) that grow moss like crazy, but most of my trees don't. And they're all in pretty much the same exposure (sun until around 3 pm, then shaded by a large tree). I have to go through and pull clumps of moss off the spruce multiple times each summer, otherwise it grows too thick and tall. I don't even think I've ever actually mossed the tree, I think it is a variety that just took up residence on its own.
The larch, I'll probably try to incorporate that lower branch and see if I can make it work once I trim back everything. Right now the canopy is just too wide in my opinion so it's tough to be sure.
MountainExplorer
Mame
Very nice.
PiñonJ
Omono
You mean like this?
I live in one of the driest climates with the most intense sun exposure in the country. The moss survives by frequent watering (takes a whole season to get established on a newly potted tree). My biggest problem with moss is birds attacking it.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Now that I've embraced my "inner parrot", I figured it would be a good time to update some trees I'm working on. As usual, feel free to make suggestions or criticisms if you desire.
This is a dwarf boxwood that I bought from a bnut member in 2014. If that person wants to come forward, great but I won't "out" them. Just repotted this spring and did a minor trim.
Now, here is the progression. The first photo shows the tree as offered in spring 2014. Honestly...when I look at this image I wonder what I was thinking when I bought it. No offense to the previous owner, but it was certainly a scraggly thing. Perhaps I liked the base and thought it could be worked into a spreading oak style? Can't really say. This image is from what is currently the back side. Several of those branches were weak and some died back pretty far.
The plan was to pot into a larger container and just let it grow, so a couple of months later (summer 2014):
The next photo is from 2016. By this time I had realized I had to pull down the main branches to reduce the height. Guy wires were used since the growth is so dense and congested.
Last image from fall of last year. Looks pretty similar to the current image except for the pot.
This is a dwarf boxwood that I bought from a bnut member in 2014. If that person wants to come forward, great but I won't "out" them. Just repotted this spring and did a minor trim.
Now, here is the progression. The first photo shows the tree as offered in spring 2014. Honestly...when I look at this image I wonder what I was thinking when I bought it. No offense to the previous owner, but it was certainly a scraggly thing. Perhaps I liked the base and thought it could be worked into a spreading oak style? Can't really say. This image is from what is currently the back side. Several of those branches were weak and some died back pretty far.
The plan was to pot into a larger container and just let it grow, so a couple of months later (summer 2014):
The next photo is from 2016. By this time I had realized I had to pull down the main branches to reduce the height. Guy wires were used since the growth is so dense and congested.
Last image from fall of last year. Looks pretty similar to the current image except for the pot.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
That is looking good Chris! It was me that Coh got this tree from, when I purchased it from Wee Tree, I bought it for the same reason, the base. You've used that to good advantage, by pulling the whole tree down. Progress, nice to see.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
I like the larch narrowed. It has a better feel. Somehow I miss a larch without deadwood. I would love to own one but can't here. No way to get some age into it?
skip
skip
skip
I like this boxwood. You have brought it along ways since purchase. Just one comment. Anyway to pull that left side in some? That bulge of green on that side is distracting. The right side is great and symmetrical and the left seems strange. Looks very healthy.
skip
skip
skip
I like this boxwood. You have brought it along ways since purchase. Just one comment. Anyway to pull that left side in some? That bulge of green on that side is distracting. The right side is great and symmetrical and the left seems strange. Looks very healthy.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Al, thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree with you about the larch/age issue. However, I just purchased the tree last spring and it had been repotted a little late in the season, so I really couldn't do anything other than take good care of it last year. Going forward I will be looking at whether I can jin some unnecessary branches or maybe parts of branches that will get shortened. Unfortunately the trunk doesn't yet really have the aged bark that larches will eventually develop.
The boxwood, yes that left side is an issue. I'm still trying to determine how wide I want the canopy. One problem, to me at least, with this tree is the lack of branching. It has, essentially, trunks and foliage masses. There is no secondary branching or ramification visible. I've noticed this is not uncommon with smaller dwarf boxwood bonsai I've seen, but I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to develop some of that branching and make it visible. Also want to avoid too much symmetry overall.
The other issue is that jagged/angular old branch/subtrunk on the left side, it is all dead and in front of the main foliage mass. I'm wondering if bringing the base of the left side foliage pad down and forward, to partly cover that, would make it look better...or perhaps growing out that small central mass to the left. Or maybe cutting the dead branch back.
Thanks again for your thoughts!
OK, you outted yourself! I think when I purchased the tree I was thinking of a taller tree, possibly about as tall as it was at the time. But in person I realized that probably wouldn't work (especially since some of it died back), and that the best way to take advantage of that base was with a much shorter tree. I've enjoyed developing this little guy, so thanks for selling it!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Boxwood are very peculiar and singular in their growth habits I've found. You sort of have to work with the tree as it presents itself for the most part. But you have certainly done well. Kudos. I had far too many trees at the time to do this one any justice. I think I was up near 75 trees at that point LOL.
