Larch bud dieback.

Brad in GR

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Northern Michigan is lousy with 'em, but their southern limit is about 100 north of me. They do not like hot, humid summers. It is one of the most common bonsai forest subjects hereabouts, and the public loves them, too!.View attachment 245016
Last year was my first all state show - turns out I snapped a photo of @Forsoothe! ’s lovely forest.

Voted for it as one of my favorite for the record!

I have three Tamarack in younger development and am going collecting up in petosky area on April 11.

Sweet forest! Bummed they cancelled this year’s show as I was hoping to meet a few fellow Bnuts.
 

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Leo in N E Illinois

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@Forsoothe! - that is a nice larch forest, probably the best of the forests you have posted. Very nice.

@B-rad in GR & others who are unclear about the differences between different larches.
A little about Larch species.
Larix laricina is the Eastern American Larch, Tamarack or any of a dozen other common names. It is found only East of the Rocky Mountains in North America. Except in extreme northern Canada and parts of Alaska where it can be found west of the Rocky Mountains. In Eastern North America Larix laricina is a swamp, or bog tree in the southern part of its range, and a lowland wet to moist forest tree in the northern part of its range. It tolerates very wet conditions, especially in winter. This tolerance of wet and very acidic bog soils is relatively unique among larches. The Larix laricina is also very, very cold hardy.

Larix decidua, European Larch, Larix kaempferi, Japanese Larch, & the hybrid between them, the Dunkel larch, also Larix occidentalis, the Western Larch, are all montaine larches, from either mesic forests or mountainous areas. These larches DO NOT tolerate the wet, boggy soils that Larix laricina, the eastern American Larch, will tolerate. In fact wet soils are a sure way to kill a European larch. Now they all like moisture, more moisture than most mountain pines would require, but the same moisture as for spruce would probably be about right. Cold hardiness in this group is good, but not as cold tolerant as Larix laricina

The less common in cultivation larches, Larix sibirica & Larix gmelinii (syn Larix dahurica) Are from western and eastern Siberia respectively, they may be more similar to Larix laricina than the others, but I have no personal experience with them one way or the other, so I do not know. I also suspect that both of these larches are very cold tolerant, much like Larix laricina.

SO, it is possible to drown a European Larch, it is difficult to drown a Tamarack.

Just an FYI for those inquiring minds.
 

penumbra

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@Forsoothe! - that is am amazing composition. Wonderful graceful taper on those trunks. I'd like to curl up in that forest and take a nap, so peaceful & beautiful.
 

Forsoothe!

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@Forsoothe! - that is am amazing composition. Wonderful graceful taper on those trunks. I'd like to curl up in that forest and take a nap, so peaceful & beautiful.
@penumbra @B-rad in GR and @Leo in N E Illinois Thank you. You are obviously all three men of excellent judgement, taste and skill. The group was given to me in 2003 by George Randall, God rest his soul, long time bonsaiist, raconteur, and a real character. He was the kind of coach that was fun to be around. He and his cohorts, Clive Taylor and Romie Viluan, also long-time Michigan bonsai experts, used to go collecting up north in a camper. Romie is the last of bunch and is also a friend. These trees were saplings from a trip in 1995 that George had in his growing bed for about 8 years. He gave me the trees and instructions and coaching. It was my first of many forests and probably my best bonsai.

George was a real character with the kind of life that left him with a million stories that he would enjoy telling almost as much as the people he was telling them to. He was a navigator in WWII and spent most of the war flying supplies for the Chinese Nationalist Army over the hump from India to China. Afterwards, he became a forester with the USFS in northern Michigan so he knew every fire trail and path in a wide swath on both peninsulas. Later he was a truck driver. They did those collecting binges for about 15 or 20 years, and all three had the kinds of trees that you can only get that way, like giant Eastern White Cedar. The Three Mossgetteers.

Here's an English Ivy in 2007 that George had for years...
Geo Randall English Ivy.JPG

And Romie's deck...
Romie's deck.JPG
I'm pretty sure this was one of Clive's many Japanese Maples...
Clive Taylor's Acer.JPG
It's nice to know smart people. I got good friends!
 
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Brad in GR

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@penumbra @B-rad in GR and @Leo in N E Illinois Thank you. You are obviously all three men of excellent judgement, taste and skill. The group was given to me in 2003 by George Randall, God rest his soul, long time bonsaiist, raconteur, and a real character. He was the kind of coach that was fun to be around. He and his cohorts, Clive Taylor and Romie Viluan, also long-time Michigan bonsai experts, used to go collecting up north in a camper. Romie is the last of bunch and is also a friend. These trees were saplings from a trip in 1995 that George had in his growing bed for about 8 years. He gave me the trees and instructions and coaching. It was my first of many forests and probably my best bonsai.

George was a real character with the kind of life that left him with a million stories that he would enjoy telling almost as much as the people he was telling them to. He was a navigator in WWII and spent most of the war flying supplies for the Chinese Nationalist Army over the hump from India to China. Afterwards, he became a forester with the USFS in northern Michigan so he knew every fire trail and path in a wide swath on both peninsulas. Later he was a truck driver. They did those collecting binges for about 15 or 20 years, and all three had the kinds of trees that you can only get that way, like giant Eastern White Cedar. The Three Mossgetteers.

Here's an English Ivy in 2007 that George had for years...
View attachment 292780

And Romie's deck...
View attachment 292781
I'm pretty sure this was one of Clive's many Japanese Maples...
View attachment 292782
It's nice to know smart people. I got good friends!
Sounds like an amazing group of people. Love the backstory, thanks so much for sharing. A navigator in WWII, wow. My grandfather served there and while he wasn’t a bonsai man, he was a lover of trees and nature, and taught me to appreciate such things. I can trace my bonsai roots back to him from an inspirational standpoint.

@Leo in N E Illinois , I’ve bookmarked no less than 3 of your posts on Larch and also have a word for word on timing of repotting in my spreadsheet. Continue to appreciate your knowledge on them. I hope you have one or two again as I recall you mentioning you didn’t have any on the bench recently!!


Not sure if this is frowned upon, but I made a trip to Idaho this past fall with my brother. I was DELIGHTED to notice massive larch-looking trees - much bigger than the Tamarack here in Michigan. I was confused and found out via google about Larix occidentalis - what amazing trees. I collected several cones and sowed the seeds in November....
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Sounds like an amazing group of people. Love the backstory, thanks so much for sharing. A navigator in WWII, wow. My grandfather served there and while he wasn’t a bonsai man, he was a lover of trees and nature, and taught me to appreciate such things. I can trace my bonsai roots back to him from an inspirational standpoint.

@Leo in N E Illinois , I’ve bookmarked no less than 3 of your posts on Larch and also have a word for word on timing of repotting in my spreadsheet. Continue to appreciate your knowledge on them. I hope you have one or two again as I recall you mentioning you didn’t have any on the bench recently!!


Not sure if this is frowned upon, but I made a trip to Idaho this past fall with my brother. I was DELIGHTED to notice massive larch-looking trees - much bigger than the Tamarack here in Michigan. I was confused and found out via google about Larix occidentalis - what amazing trees. I collected several cones and sowed the seeds in November....

A venal sin at best. Taking a small amount of seed of a common species is no big deal. Although it does depend on the ownership of the source property. In a wildlife refuge, or nature preserve it can still get you a hefty fine. But in BLM and Forest lands, nobody would object.

So now you know, don't drown your western larch, tree them more like spruce seedlings, moist but not soggy.
 

Brad in GR

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A venal sin at best. Taking a small amount of seed of a common species is no big deal. Although it does depend on the ownership of the source property. In a wildlife refuge, or nature preserve it can still get you a hefty fine. But in BLM and Forest lands, nobody would object.

So now you know, don't drown your western larch, tree them more like spruce seedlings, moist but not soggy.

Will do, have noted your comments on our Larix laricina being the only Larch that is unable to drown.

Here's hoping I get one or two to pop up out of the soil. I'm not counting on it!
 
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