Larch grove after 45 yrs

vancehanna

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The sun was hitting this grove quite nicely this AM here in the Shake and Bake State.... I'd still like to have a few Eastern Larix Larcina seedlings from someone to plant into the background.
 

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vp999

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Nice grove! Its funny how 2 are fully leafed out and the other one nothing yet.
 

penumbra

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It was my belief that these need a long cold winter rest.
How have you managed this?
 

vp999

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That's what Matt Ouwinga was telling me too, but I have found them to be incredibly easy to care for the last few years that I've had it, I never water more than once a day and mine is in a 2 inch depth pot.
 

vancehanna

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Thank you for your kind words. I remember young Matt at the club in N. Chicago when I was asked to do a demo/lecture on an Austrian Black pine about 20+ yrs....Now he's all grown up and has a bonsai business!
In reality it does get fairly cold here in the Central valley of CA....we get down to above freeze around 40's in Jan/Feb nights. Daytimes up into 50's~60 so it does get rest.
To answer the question, the middle tree gave up the ghost about 2 yrs ago. So that is why I asked if anyone has any seedlings as I'll gladly pay for them to be shipped here. (most nurseries obviously will not because of CA). But knowing that an individual would KNOW if their Larch was diseased or in trouble would not ship it to me anyhow...Bonsai folks are pretty intelligent...hah!
I'd like to drop in three small seedlings....to balance out at 5 tree grove. My thoughts at times run to even placing other deciduous leafy species but naww...
 

WNC Bonsai

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I got some a few years ago from this nursery but it looks like they have already sold out until the fall of 2022.


I just put together a 5 tree forest with half of mine and saved the other 5 just in case I need replacements, I also have a 7 tree J. larch forest a d another 10 of those for future decelopment. Those came from Scenic Hills


They have them in various sizes and numbers.
 

TreeJunkie

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I got some a few years ago from this nursery but it looks like they have already sold out until the fall of 2022.


I just put together a 5 tree forest with half of mine and saved the other 5 just in case I need replacements, I also have a 7 tree J. larch forest a d another 10 of those for future decelopment. Those came from Scenic Hills


They have them in various sizes and numbers.
I have been looking everywhere for Japanese Larch and just ordered some from here. Thank you!
 

vancehanna

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I received my order yesterday from Scenic Hill and planted immediately. I shoot a few pix as they develop. I planted all three into my very established grove…
 

TreeJunkie

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I received my order yesterday from Scenic Hill and planted immediately. I shoot a few pix as they develop. I planted all three into my very established grove…
How much did you have to mess with the roots?
 

W3rk

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That's what Matt Ouwinga was telling me too, but I have found them to be incredibly easy to care for the last few years that I've had it, I never water more than once a day and mine is in a 2 inch depth pot.
How does your Larch fare in the summers here though? I've had 2 for about 4 years and the summer heat here is brutal on them. My understanding is that they may suffer more because it doesn't cool off over night during our summers.
 

WNC Bonsai

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How much did you have to mess with the roots?
I have had different experiences with roots. They sell 2 different sizes of plugs. Previously I got the taller plants, on the order of 12” or larger and those can have gnarly roots since they were grown in plug pots which constrain the roots so itcrestes a lot more vertical growth. The small ones I got this year had a lot less of that and it was easier to work with the roots. I was able to easily plant 5 in a very tight clump and they have grown like gang busters. The J. larch seem to be much more vigorous growers and put on more girth and height in a year than the Americans in 3 years. However I have all 10 of my original Americans but only 17 of the 30 Japanese I have purchased in the past 3 years. Part of that was my fault overworking the roots, not moving them to the garage in a freeze, and not getting them out of the afternoon sun one August. So my advise is to go easy on root work, keep them moist, protect them from freezes after they leaf out, give them morning sun and afternoon shade. As I said I created a 5 tree American forest and 7 tree Japanese forest this spring and they are doing great so far but I still have my fingers crossed and am keeping the extra trees on standby as fillers if need be. There are pictures of my forests in the show us your larch thead.
 

vancehanna

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They arrived with lots of fairly tight packed roots. I cut through the existing root mas asking my Eastern Larch who are well into their middle year to gently care and accept their newly adopted Japanese children. (Whom I carefully backfilled with typical bonsai mix).
The one deceased tree in the middle was “one the way out” when we left MI in ‘19 so it is hard to say. The forest lived with Johnny Uchida in Hayward for its first year in CA and the pair has been in the valley now going on three yrs.
It does get shade partially during afternoon with overhead lathe but realistically it should be in a slightly cooler environment.
(See the Japanese kids in the photo, I hope the parents take care of ‘em! When I was digging I was careful and asked permission)
Time, will show the way.
 

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vp999

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How does your Larch fare in the summers here though? I've had 2 for about 4 years and the summer heat here is brutal on them. My understanding is that they may suffer more because it doesn't cool off over night during our summers.
My Japanese larch has been perfect the last 2.5 years or so that I've had it, its in a shallow pot also and I dont water it more than once a day in the summer. It is in full sun also. I keep having to trim back every couple weeks or so in the summer because it grows so much.
 
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