Eastern hemlock top

Underdog

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Thanks bringing this post back to life. Don't know how I missed it in searching info on mine.
Mine is weak and recovering now from a harsh late winter collection but the exciting new growth is similar to your's.
I thought they were flower buds as what little new growth I was getting flat like the original leaves. But these are spiral.
Amazing tree you have created! 2 thumbs up! I have a long way to go with mine.
https://bonsainut.com/threads/collected-eastern-hemlock-tsuga-family-pinaceae.26068/

Another vote for the pot. Even better you made it yourself.
 

GGB

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@ABCarve I mean it when I say, "I hate to be that guy" but can you please give me a rough soil mix? My hemlock has recently gone downhill after years of good growth in a pot and I suspect it's my turface mix. You definitely have a green thumb for this species. I read through this whole post and didn't pick up any tips on soil. So glad you're giving our state tree a player in the bonsai game.
 

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from the last post om page one.
"I actually buy my soil from Hollow Creek Bonsai. My hemlock has his basic mix with 30% akadama. I put in some mixed pumices and some biochar charcoal. I think Fred uses a lot of haydite and milled bark in his mix, but I really don't know for sure.
 

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Congratulations on developing a beautiful eastern hemlock! So many naysayers must deter people from venturing down this road, thanks for showing us it is achievable!
Thanks Wilson.......I'm a great advocate of native species development. It contributes to the diversity in bonsai aesthetics.
 

ABCarve

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@ABCarve I mean it when I say, "I hate to be that guy" but can you please give me a rough soil mix? My hemlock has recently gone downhill after years of good growth in a pot and I suspect it's my turface mix. You definitely have a green thumb for this species. I read through this whole post and didn't pick up any tips on soil. So glad you're giving our state tree a player in the bonsai game.
For the first 20 years it was growing in haydite and milled bark only. It obviously survived that but did not flourish as it does now. This will be the 5th growing season in what is a mix similar to what Underdog stated above, although it may be only 20% haydite. I was too cheap and wanted to make the akadama/pumice mix to go further. Today I'm an advocate of Boon mix although I use Growstone instead of lava. The Growstone is their gnat mix which is smaller in size and more compatible to the size of the akadama/pumice. I do sift it to remove the fines. It can hold a great amount of water and when the water is consumed it's holding air. I have numerous hemlocks and they are all growing in something different but they all seem to be doing well. Full sun is good. Here's another thread I started on Tsuga Canadensis. https://bonsainut.com/threads/small-eastern-hemlock-development.22756/page-2#post-354386
 

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Thank you, I guess I missed a post somewhere. I'm glad to hear it's a straight forward mix. It's starting to seem to me like I (and a bunch of others) have been over complicating the soil for these guys.
 

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. Growstone gnat mix 354386
I have been wondering about this product. Rekon I'll have to give it a go, I was assuming it might be the same as Napa#8822, but sounds like a better particle size. And thanks for posting your hemlocks guys, I've passed up so many but think I need to go back out and get me one or two
 
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This is one of the nicer easterns ive seen

I and my wife agree. I'm having trouble getting a sense for scale with your (ABCarve's) tree, which is a good thing (perhaps the main goal in bonsai?), but was wondering if you could post with a can or something else of standard size to give us some perspective? If not, I would respect the magician.
I need to keep in mind the "graftability" of the species. I try to avoid grafting at all costs since I personally can't even pull one off with Ficus, but I do know these will heal over just about anything. It reminds me of conversations about Ryan Neil's teachings and reference to "extending growth" trees and how most of their energy is vascular. It sounds a little hocus pocus, but also makes sense both in that I would describe the growth as extending, and that there seems to be a lot of vascular energy on display with these Tsuga. Although not really a science , I get that the art of bonsai delves more into the principles of growth than even straight horticulture might.
 

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Try this for size. It's 37" high from the middle top of the pot. This is the 5th growing season in this same pot without a repot. Its really slowing down nicely and the soil is still draining quite well . It was cut back June 24th and just over the past few weeks the second flush of growth is emerging. Cutting back and new wire was about 8 hours. By September some new extended growth may still be pinched. I'm not sure what your vascular comments mean but I'm sure they're useful in the proper context. I saw your tree in the other thread. Do you have an idea of its final form and size? My only thought was that the bottom branches may be getting away from you and you may want to start chasing them back.
 

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Wow that is a lot of time, but worth it for that ramification. I'll admit I thought the tree was smaller, but it also looks full sized and natural. I'd like some more time to study hemlocks in their native environment, but my impression is that in a grove, all you get to see is the trunk and if you are lucky, maybe some daylight.

For my tree, I am just starting to get an idea for the final size and form. Applying the guy wires sure helped in that regard. And yes those lower branches will come back in. I have some decent inner growth that is ready when I do bring it in, but I'm letting them run a little for now to thicken and hopefully help with taper. Next spring I'll be bending off the apex sacrifice growth in order to bring the new leader into place and I think it will be much more apparent where the tree is going. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tsuga-canadensis-collected.15477/page-2#post-475457

Thanks for taking a look. I was stalking anything Tsuga and Hemlock related in the search for more tips on handling their growth.

FYI my profile pic was taken in Northeast, PA.. your neck of the woods.
 

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I recently repotted this tree and now that the buds are emerging I took some photos before they extended too far. It shows how tight they can become as well as the needle reduction. I’ll photograph the whole tree after they grow a little more.
 

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Can you remind us what your plan is for managing the growth? Wait until late June and remove all of this season's growth, sort of like a decandleing for a JBP? Any pinching planned before then? Any differences this year compared to others because of the repotting?

Mine only seems to gain in vigor immediately following repotting. It is coming along nicely, but I still have quite a ways before I hope to follow in your footsteps in refinement techniques.
 
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ABCarve

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I cut back to a few new needles the late June when the new growth is thinking about hardening off. In post #51 Aug. 7 you can see the beginning of a 2nd flush of growth. They extend but at a less uniform rate. They get pinched as they get ready to harden off. Since their growth rate is so varied I just pinch a bunch everytime I walk by it into mid to late September. The foliage always seems to be growing. Early the following spring before it starts growing I cut it back again for style and thinning. That constant pinch is important in that far fewer buds develop. This photo show a tree in development that I allowed to grow rank all last year and cut it back this spring......not many bud.
 

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ABCarve

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One other thing I forgot to mention. When cutting back in early spring you don't need to have a formed bud on the spur. It can develop new ones as long as there a few healthy needles behind the cut. Take a look at the spurs in post #53 and see how short some of them are.
 
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Great info, thanks! One more question if you don't mind, but what sort of program/schedule would you recommend in the development phase in particular if you were looking to encourage back-budding. Let it grow and cut back in early spring like picture in post #55?
This past (late) spring just before bud break, I cut back and styled mine. And some branches have budded back well enough (onto old needles), but some have not including the apex, which should be getting plenty of light. I just clipped this branch back this morning since it was toward the top to take advantage of the interior structure and to let some light in down below. Other than "gimmies" like this one, I am planning on letting it grow nice and shaggy and then pruning back in the fall (supposedly better auxin response for back budding than waiting until spring- still testing)


Looking forward to the shot of your whole tree... when it is good and ready, of course.
 

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ABCarve

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Great info, thanks! One more question if you don't mind, but what sort of program/schedule would you recommend in the development phase in particular if you were looking to encourage back-budding.
I guess the key words to your question are "development phase". What are you trying to develop? If you are trying to develop caliper, then let it grow. I you are trying to get ramification, go to post #55. You can see the photo there shows how few buds are developed by simply "letting it grow". Your apex will develop new buds as the season progress' if it is in good health. These trees are very apically dominant. If you want more budding there, go to post #55. Hope that helps.
 

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As eastern Hemlock is the dominant evergreen species on our new mountain property, this thread has been very encouraging. One look and I knew it was a species I wanted to learn more about and work with.

You have been fantastic answering questions and sharing this amazing tree with us. I too also like the pot, btw. It helps it look less formal and boring.

I just wanted to say thank you and ask you to keep posting about this tree and your younger hemlocks you are also developing. It is appreciated!
 

ABCarve

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As eastern Hemlock is the dominant evergreen species on our new mountain property, this thread has been very encouraging. One look and I knew it was a species I wanted to learn more about and work with.

You have been fantastic answering questions and sharing this amazing tree with us. I too also like the pot, btw. It helps it look less formal and boring.

I just wanted to say thank you and ask you to keep posting about this tree and your younger hemlocks you are also developing. It is appreciated!

Thanks for your confidence. They are one of my favorite trees in the forest. Bonsai culture really doesn't allow them to look a sparse and graceful as the are in the woods but I still think they have great aesthetic qualities that work really well in a pot. I regard to the pot.....when I repot, as I did this year, I make a new pot. Its been 5 growing seasons in that pot. It could have gone a few mores years (still draining quite well) in the old one but I'm easily bored. New pot is like having a new tree.....good fun. I'll post it a week or 2 when it shows its stuff.
 
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