The Hemlock (Tsuga) Discussion THREAD.

[mudvein]

Looked it up myself! Wow Sagebrush and wester juniper as invasive species. Maybe the area is not so suitable for Hemlock!

Others have Hemlocks that are far into development in the area. I also live at a higher elevation in the Ponderosa forest (not in town) on the edge of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Plenty of partial shade. I also have a bunch of vine maples that do great, so I know the Hemlock should be fine in my micro climate. Quite a few as landscape trees around here as well.

Sagebrush and Western Juniper do thrive here, but further east into the lower elevations of the Great Basin.

After the repot, if it survives, I'll need to post some update pictures.

 

[River's Edge]

Others have Hemlocks that are far into development in the area. I also live at a higher elevation in the Ponderosa forest (not in town) on the edge of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Plenty of partial shade. I also have a bunch of vine maples that do great, so I know the Hemlock should be fine in my micro climate. Quite a few as landscape trees around here as well.

Sagebrush and Western Juniper do thrive here, but further east into the lower elevations of the Great Basin.

After the repot, if it survives, I'll need to post some update pictures.

I know of a collected Mt. hemlock that is thriving in Ashland. Higher elevation as well I believe.

 

[Cruiser]

I purchased this collected double trunk Western Hemlock last fall (2023). The only thing I've done so far is remove some exposed burlap and excessive dense soil on top of the pot and replaced it with pine mulch for the winter. Currently one of the trees has a few branches that look like they're drying out and curving up. It's never been dry. It lives in partial shade and sun depending on the time of day. It lives at 4000' elevation in a 6b zone and snow on and off throughout all of the winter.

Any thoughts on what could be causing these branches to do this? Only thing I can figure out, possibly blight?

Thanks for your help/suggestions.

Video showing the branches: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Y0Jt2xCj_/?igsh=cGNzYWJ3ODBuMmRz

When was the tree collected?
Could you post pictures of the weakened areas and also the strong parts for comparison?

Another thought: W. hemlock does not produce taproots. They usually develop shallow spreading root systems. If the tree hasn’t had time to colonize the whole pot it’s possible that most of its roots are near the surface and were damaged when the surface soil was removed.

 

[mudvein]

Update… Decided to do an emergency repot on the Hemlock today. Has a bunch of great looking healthy roots. Had some dead ones as well, so they got cleaned out. Removed about half of the mountain soil and the decomposed pine bark that it had been planted in after collection.

I have it in a shaded spot in the nursery about 10’ from my other Hemlock that I brought back to life and is starting to look a lot better.

video and pictures: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5cE7IoxX0B/?igsh=MW5peWo3angxMG5vYg==

 

[Cruiser]

Update… Decided to do an emergency repot on the Hemlock today. Has a bunch of great looking healthy roots. Had some dead ones as well, so they got cleaned out. Removed about half of the mountain soil and the decomposed pine bark that it had been planted in after collection.

I have it in a shaded spot in the nursery about 10’ from my other Hemlock that I brought back to life and is starting to look a lot better.

video and pictures: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5cE7IoxX0B/?igsh=MW5peWo3angxMG5vYg==

Roots look fine.
FYI, that’s mountain hemlock, not western.

 

[mudvein]

Roots look fine.
FYI, that’s mountain hemlock, not western.

Thanks… for the identification as well

 

[MrFancyPlants]

One of my trial Tsuga c., to see if they can hack it in the coastal Carolina heat, is doing pretty well. I repotted them all in to bigger pots, but this one got more of a slip pot up.

I’ll give them another year before risking my collected one by bringing it down. It is in safe hands now.

 

[NaoTK]

I collected this big one last fall with @Ruddigger. It officially survived so I'm allowed to start dreaming now.

Somewhere in this angle looks best and I may reduce the top as shown. Not touching it this year of course. I learned the hard way to keep these in more shade.

Currently reading this thread for interior maintenance and compaction tips.

 

[Ruddigger]

I collected this big one last fall with @Ruddigger. It officially survived so I'm allowed to start dreaming now.

Somewhere in this angle looks best and I may reduce the top as shown. Not touching it this year of course. I learned the hard way to keep these in more shade.

Currently reading this thread for interior maintenance and compaction tips.

View attachment 541849

Heck yeah. I know you weren’t super jazzed about collecting it, but I really like that tree. That portion above your desired apex would make a nice tenjin.

 

[Cruiser]

Mountain and western hemlock foliage side-by-side.



Mountain (left) western (right). Samples collected from same height and exposure on trees spaced 20’ apart.
3300’ elevation.



Star-shaped arrangement of mountain hemlock needles around twig.


Western hemlock needles can also be oriented in the star pattern. Particularly in high elevation and sunny locations. Needles usually are arranged in a flat plane to maximize light capture.


Undersides.

M.

W.



Mountain hemlock needles (bottom 4) average longer and are more curved.




Probably the best way to distinguish the two species is the cones. Mountain hemlock cones are much bigger.

M.

W.

 

[PerryB]

Mountain and western hemlock foliage side-by-side.

View attachment 550279
View attachment 550288
Mountain (left) western (right). Samples collected from same height and exposure on trees spaced 20’ apart.
3300’ elevation.


View attachment 550282
Star-shaped arrangement of mountain hemlock needles around twig.

View attachment 550285
Western hemlock needles can also be oriented in the star pattern. Particularly in high elevation and sunny locations. Needles usually are arranged in a flat plane to maximize light capture.


Undersides.
View attachment 550286
M.
View attachment 550287
W.


View attachment 550289
Mountain hemlock needles (bottom 4) average longer and are more curved.
View attachment 550290
View attachment 550291


Probably the best way to distinguish the two species is the cones. Mountain hemlock cones are much bigger.
View attachment 550292
M.
View attachment 550293
W.

Hmmm.
I grew up in western North Carolina with mountain hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) all around me, and I've never seen a Tsuga canadensis with cones that large. All of your foliage pictures seem to agree with my experience, but what I've seen are always needles and cones at about 1/2". Even at different altitudes and locations from far southwestern North Carolina to Northern Virginia (a distance of about 500 miles) needles and cones are always 1/2 to 3/4" tops.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Hmmm.
I grew up in western North Carolina with mountain hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) all around me, and I've never seen a Tsuga canadensis with cones that large. All of your foliage pictures seem to agree with my experience, but what I've seen are always needles and cones at about 1/2". Even at different altitudes and locations from far southwestern North Carolina to Northern Virginia (a distance of about 500 miles) needles and cones are always 1/2 to 3/4" tops.

The “Mountain hemlock” @Cruiser is referring to is a west coast species. I’ve never heard canadensis called mountain hemlock, but that is the rub with common names. I usually hear “eastern hemlock” or “Canadian hemlock”

 

[River's Edge]

Mountain hemlock Tsuga Mertensiana!

 

[Cruiser]

The “Mountain hemlock” @Cruiser is referring to is a west coast species. I’ve never heard canadensis called mountain hemlock, but that is the rub with common names. I usually hear “eastern hemlock” or “Canadian hemlock”

Correct. Tsuga mertensiana.

 

[snowman04]

Mountain and western hemlock foliage side-by-side.

View attachment 550279
View attachment 550288
Mountain (left) western (right). Samples collected from same height and exposure on trees spaced 20’ apart.
3300’ elevation.


View attachment 550282
Star-shaped arrangement of mountain hemlock needles around twig.

View attachment 550285
Western hemlock needles can also be oriented in the star pattern. Particularly in high elevation and sunny locations. Needles usually are arranged in a flat plane to maximize light capture.


Undersides.
View attachment 550286
M.
View attachment 550287
W.


View attachment 550289
Mountain hemlock needles (bottom 4) average longer and are more curved.
View attachment 550290
View attachment 550291


Probably the best way to distinguish the two species is the cones. Mountain hemlock cones are much bigger.
View attachment 550292
M.
View attachment 550293
W.

Very helpful!!!

 

[August44]

I collected this big one last fall with @Ruddigger. It officially survived so I'm allowed to start dreaming now.

Somewhere in this angle looks best and I may reduce the top as shown. Not touching it this year of course. I learned the hard way to keep these in more shade.

Currently reading this thread for interior maintenance and compaction tips.

View attachment 541849

Nice!

 

[pandacular]

I plan to repot one of my hemlocks (the one mentioned above in this very thread). Despite my earlier damage to it, it is growing quite strongly, with a significantly greater number of buds than my other two hemlocks.

Here’s a picture from about a month ago.


I will repot this tree this spring. Considering this planned scope of work, should I consider wiring in the fall? These are some possible approaches I’m considering:
* detail wire only
* structural wire only
* guy wire two lower “trunks” only
* full wire

In all cases, I will use copper this time, as well as my vastly improved wiring experience and lean on my mentors, both of whom have advanced training in hemlocks.

 

[NaoTK]

I plan to repot one of my hemlocks (the one mentioned above in this very thread). Despite my earlier damage to it, it is growing quite strongly, with a significantly greater number of buds than my other two hemlocks.

Here’s a picture from about a month ago.
View attachment 568301

I will repot this tree this spring. Considering this planned scope of work, should I consider wiring in the fall? These are some possible approaches I’m considering:
* detail wire only
* structural wire only
* guy wire two lower “trunks” only
* full wire

In all cases, I will use copper this time, as well as my vastly improved wiring experience and lean on my mentors, both of whom have advanced training in hemlocks.

I feel like hemlock are flexible enough you can do a full wire and it will be ok to repot in spring. They get loaded with snow all winter? Maybe hold off on heavy raffia type bends?

My hemlock from above post after some branch clean up earlier in July. I cut back the straight section at the apex and trimmed long branches in closer to stop interior dieback. I'm planning to do a full wire this winter. @Ruddigger

 

[Ruddigger]

That’s going to be a killer tree once it’s wired. We could work it together, I was thinking about going up there in November.

 

[Velodog2]

A Jervis I styled at a workshop a Natures Way nursery last year when fresh. Sorry for the clutter. It’s grown a lot and I’ve edited more, but I’m having some difficulty w needles browning from the tips and subsequent die-back on the lower branches.