Western larches

[wireme]

western larch are on my immediate list for collection. In my research among club members most tell me that the first year after collection they seem to indicate acceptance to thier new situation and then the second year they just slowly slip away. These are folks living in the flatland of seattle after collecting in elevation of the mountains.

When I asked them what they thought was the problem, most admitted no real knowledge but a quesss that some disease present takes over when they're moved down into a different climate
in the lowlands.

So not giving up on my quest to work with all native trees, I finally found a guy that has them in his collection for 5-6 years. Interestingly enough, he lives rurally, closer to the place of collection and higher up the altitude scale, then the other flatlanders. His collection methods and soil mixture are standard for other collected varieties. I'm hopeful this fall we can get together and I can see what I can learn.

Wish I could contribute more but at present, I'm seeking some first hand experience. Gotta love a challenge! Once i get them sorted, I'm kinda thinking Sitka Spruce is next.

Thanks for the info. When you mention the elevation change, I have to wonder if some of those peoples trees could have been alpine larch (larix lyalli)? Around here occidentalis is a very common valley bottom tree and in the subalpine areas its all lyallii.

 

[wireme]

I have collected Western Larch before with success.... I used the same principle when it came to field digging or repotting- only collect or mess with the roots when the buds are swelling and golden in colort. If they are open, forget it, GPS it and go back earlier next year.

When it comes to Larch you have (in the PNW anyways) 2-3 week window to do root work (digging, collecting, etc...) where you will have a much higher success rate.

Thanks Jason, any idea if those trees are alive and well now? After how many years?

 

[Bunjeh]

Ran across this thread today and I am curious about the status of the collected larch. I just this week purchased a Larix Occidentalis from the dead heap at a local mom and pop shop. I was careful not to do much root work but it was in desperate need of new soil as it was in a loamy-clay-y mess. Reading this thread it would appear that I got it in the middle of the three-week window discussed previously. I will post a pic later.

 

[wireme]

They are still packed in a bed of semi frozen pumice but all three are just starting to bud out already. I feel they will do just fine in containers, I'll update over time.
Glad to hear someone else is working one, looking forward to the pics.

 

[Bunjeh]

Here it is. Minimal wiring and root work. Just popped it in to a training pot. Thus far no wilt or stress apparent. Here's hoping.

 

[wireme]

View attachment 71366
Here it is. Minimal wiring and root work. Just popped it in to a training pot. Thus far no wilt or stress apparent. Here's hoping.

Looking nice and healthy, keep us updated.

 

[wireme]

A spring update.

Looks pretty good, trees are showing different stages of recovery from very good to very weak but still all alive.

 

[wireme]

View attachment 71366
Here it is. Minimal wiring and root work. Just popped it in to a training pot. Thus far no wilt or stress apparent. Here's hoping.

How is your larch doing now?

 

[wireme]

Update on the larches, the weak one has kicked the bucket unfortunately.
Here's the larger of the other 2. It looked great this spring, very strong growth. Something happened over summer and many needles yellowed. I suspect a watering issue ie: too much but hard to say for sure. I'm a little worried but not too much, next years buds look fine and healthy and spurs that didn't grow are showing a flush of growth now.

 

[wireme]

And the other, less growth than the previous tree but healthier needles now, good buds. I'll probably repot next spring, both of these.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

We lost about 60% of our to heat stress at the nursery this year all showed severe heat damage. I guess that's what happens when your getting 105 and up from the middle of June until the last week or so. It's been hell on plants. I'm beginning to understand why no one grows bonsai here.

 

[wireme]

You grow occidentalis in a nursery?
I never see them in in nurseries, all sorts of other larix though. It's one of the things that made me wonder if they are difficult in containers for some reason. Of course millions of reforestation plugs are produced, they do fine.

 

[Arcto]

Wireme, here are a few different larches I have. The lush one in the upper left is L. laricina, the 2 in the foreground are L. occidentalis, the far right one is L. kaempferi. The westerns I bought locally at a nursery, 1 gal stock. I chopped them and put them in a bed this spring. I was tearing out and replacing raised beds so they were transplanted twice more this summer. A bit of a lost year for them. Both the Eastern and Japanese larch were moved here from the Williamette Valley this April. We had hard freezes into May here. The Eastern and Western Larches took it in stride, but the Japanese lost its first growth and is still recovering. Personally, I feel that the Western is under utilized and has great landscape potential. I couldn't find them in the Williamette Valley. The local nursery people said that they didn't do well because of the soil, climate etc. I got some 18" tall liner tress and planted them there 3 years ago. They are now pushing 8' tall and grew 24" this year with a major drought. I'm hoping to collect a couple next spring. I am at the southern limit of Western Larches natural range here.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

Not sure on the exact variety seeing as we receive less than 10" of precipitation a year I imagine it's the most drought tolerant variety I'll ask the boss about it.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Thanks. Sounds like Larix are very different in the upper midwest. The site I have scoped out for collecting next spring is very soggy. Here if you see stands of tamarack, you can count on getting your feet wet.

I realize I am responding to a post you made a year ago. About collecting eastern larch, which is common in Wisconsin, especially north of Steven's Point, WI. Nick Lenz's book on collecting trees from the wild has an excellent, lengthy chapter on collecting eastern larch. There is better than anything I could tell you. It is still in print, available from Stone Lantern. You should pick it up, great collecting info and cultures info on eastern larch and several other species.

 

[wireme]

Wireme, here are a few different larches I have.View attachment 80868 The lush one in the upper left is L. laricina, the 2 in the foreground are L. occidentalis, the far right one is L. kaempferi. The westerns I bought locally at a nursery, 1 gal stock. I chopped them and put them in a bed this spring. I was tearing out and replacing raised beds so they were transplanted twice more this summer. A bit of a lost year for them. Both the Eastern and Japanese larch were moved here from the Williamette Valley this April. We had hard freezes into May here. The Eastern and Western Larches took it in stride, but the Japanese lost its first growth and is still recovering. Personally, I feel that the Western is under utilized and has great landscape potential. I couldn't find them in the Williamette Valley. The local nursery people said that they didn't do well because of the soil, climate etc. I got some 18" tall liner tress and planted them there 3 years ago. They are now pushing 8' tall and grew 24" this year with a major drought. I'm hoping to collect a couple next spring. I am at the southern limit of Western Larches natural range here.

It's cool to that you have a few different species on the go, it will be interesting to see how they compare.

 

[JoeR]

I absolutely love larch. Their fall color is stunning.

Is there any larch that can live in usda zone 8A? I am technically in 8a but right on the edge of 7b. I would really like to get one But I highly doubt they could handle the heat here.

Please quote this if you reply so I see it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I absolutely love larch. Their fall color is stunning.

Is there any larch that can live in usda zone 8A? I am technically in 8a but right on the edge of 7b. I would really like to get one But I highly doubt they could handle the heat here.

Please quote this if you reply so I see it.

Try Pseudolarix amabilis, golden larch, not really a larch, but close in appearance.
Brussel's sells them, they do fine in Memphis and Bham.

 

[wireme]

Hills are ablaze with western larch right now, glorious fall days!

 

[jriddell88]

Glad you posted just now ,first time I've seen the thread, those look very nice love the larches. Hope they keep on kicking look forward to more updates !