Blue Spruce

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Hello all I’m new to Bonsai and I just got this tree for my birthday. I hope I didn’t do to much but I started to wire the branches in a downward direction. Please any feedback is welcome.
 

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sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Nice!

Happy birthday!

Lance slacked!

It looks legit like a fake Xmas tree!

You're off to a start!

If you can manage to keep it healthy it's gonna turn out nice!

Sorce
 

PiñonJ

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Hello all I’m new to Bonsai and I just got this tree for my birthday. I hope I didn’t do to much but I started to wire the branches in a downward direction. Please any feedback is welcome.
Feed it heavily between now and your first hard freeze (28F) and again in the spring. If it's healthy next fall (i.e. it has set back buds), then re-pot it into free-draining soil (inorganic substrate), but don't bare-root it. If it's healthy the spring after that, do branch selection and rewire it with copper, which will give you better holding strength. Later, after the needles on new shoots have hardened off, prune them back to an immature bud and that will stimulate more back-budding.
 
Messages
155
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Indian trail NC
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Nice!

Happy birthday!

Lance slacked!

It looks legit like a fake Xmas tree!

You're off to a start!

If you can manage to keep it healthy it's gonna turn out nice!

Sorce
Thanks for all your help. It will be getting a lot of great sunlight. Should I keep it in the shade for now and than put it to full sun? Thanks for all your encouraging words.
 

PiñonJ

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BTW, do your spring work (a year-and-a-half from now) when buds start to swell, but before they open. It's not going to use as much water now that you've reduced the foliage, so, while you don't want it to dry out, don't keep it soggy, either.
 
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Also if the needles fall off due to the wire is this going to be ok for developing the tips of each limb?
 

PiñonJ

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So definitely don’t over water?
Well, you should never "over water," but that means something different for each species. For this one, don't let it dry out and don't keep it soggy.

Also if the needles fall off due to the wire is this going to be ok for developing the tips of each limb?
Needles don't fall off due to wire. When it's time to re-wire, clean off three-year-old needles to make space for the wire and as you get to the needles at the tip, wire between them and more loosely, so as not to crush them. That's another advantage of copper. You don't need as thick a wire to do the same job.
 
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Well, you should never "over water," but that means something different for each species. For this one, don't let it dry out and don't keep it soggy.


Needles don't fall off due to wire. When it's time to re-wire, clean off three-year-old needles to make space for the wire and as you get to the needles at the tip, wire between them and more loosely, so as not to crush them. That's another advantage of copper. You don't need as thick a wire to do the same job.
So I’m thinking for the slow process to try to keep as many needles as possible until the limbs are mature and in proper position. The tips I see buds that look like new growth is this what needs to be pinched?
 

sorce

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So definitely don’t over water?

I'd be erring to the overwater side.

I "overwater" everything....

Any nursery soil, DE, whatever.

It's never been the sole cause of death. Ever.

I may have to make a thread for this rant.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to keep a soil....

"Moist but not wet"
Or
"Wet but not soggy "
Or
"Don't let it dry out"
Or
"Let it dry out"

But select an appropriate soil mix.

Yeah thread.

Sorce
 

PiñonJ

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So I’m thinking for the slow process to try to keep as many needles as possible until the limbs are mature and in proper position. The tips I see buds that look like new growth is this what needs to be pinched?
No. No pinching until a branch is in the refinement stage. While in development, you wait until shoots have opened and are hardened off (undergo color change, needles are harder and sharper), then prune to an immature bud. This will stimulate back bud formation. And, yes, until you are ready to select branches and set structure, keeping as much needle mass as possible provides energy for the tree (photosynthesis) and maximizes traffic in the vascular system, which supports back budding. With regard to water, when you do water, do it thoroughly, then don't water again until the tree shows signs of needing it. For this tree, that means don't let the soil dry out completely, though it is more tolerant than other spruces. Roots need water and oxygen. If you over-water a tree that's not adapted to wet conditions, the roots won't get enough oxygen for maximum health, so even if it survives, it won't be progressing as quickly as it could. As the tree recovers from your work, it will move resources more quickly through transpiration, and will require more water. Once the tree is in 100% inorganic soil, it's difficult to over-water, but if you are in a humid climate, it is possible.
 

Potawatomi13

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Question whacking off all lower limbs? Good usable branches you had so if any buds spring from trunk suggest keeping to develop new branching;).
 
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No. No pinching until a branch is in the refinement stage. While in development, you wait until shoots have opened and are hardened off (undergo color change, needles are harder and sharper), then prune to an immature bud. This will stimulate back bud formation. And, yes, until you are ready to select branches and set structure, keeping as much needle mass as possible provides energy for the tree (photosynthesis) and maximizes traffic in the vascular system, which supports back budding. With regard to water, when you do water, do it thoroughly, then don't water again until the tree shows signs of needing it. For this tree, that means don't let the soil dry out completely, though it is more tolerant than other spruces. Roots need water and oxygen. If you over-water a tree that's not adapted to wet conditions, the roots won't get enough oxygen for maximum health, so even if it survives, it won't be progressing as quickly as it could. As the tree recovers from your work, it will move resources more quickly through transpiration, and will require more water. Once the tree is in 100% inorganic soil, it's difficult to over-water, but if you are in a humid climate, it is possible.

Hey thanks for taking time to respond. Will definitely take your advice into consideration for my watering techniques. As with the buds is pruning them or pinching them off better for progression? Should this be done in a particular season?
 

PiñonJ

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Hey thanks for taking time to respond. Will definitely take your advice into consideration for my watering techniques. As with the buds is pruning them or pinching them off better for progression? Should this be done in a particular season?
When the tree is in development, you prune shoots that have hardened off to stimulate back-budding. When it is in refinement, you pinch extending buds (or prune shoots that haven't hardened off) to stimulate existing back buds to open and elongate. Also, you might have some branches that are still in development, while others are in the refinement stage and you can treat them differently.
 
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