tmmason10
Omono
I was watering my trees the other morning and I thought, hey, what is this weird inverse taper all about on my larch? It looked like the bark was flaking off. Come to find out, it was a large moth-type bug. Thought I'd share.
American Larch
- Thread starter tmmason10
- Start date
october
Masterpiece
Man, talk about blending in... He looks pretty happy where he is. 
Rob
Rob
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
pretty cool. did you look it up and see what it is? I've been seeing new bugs for our area the past few years, since it's been warmer, new stuff is moving on in.
tmmason10
Omono
I'm not going to lie, I grabbed it's wing before I realized it was a bug.Man, talk about blending in... He looks pretty happy where he is.
Rob
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Nope, look at the antenne, totally different. I'll look around on my bug sites.
tmmason10
Omono
I don't know, check this link and compare to third picture. Open it in a new window and zoom in.
http://www.insectsofwestvirginia.net/n/chauliodes-pectinicornis.html
http://www.insectsofwestvirginia.net/n/chauliodes-pectinicornis.html
fore
Omono
Very cool!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Ah,yes I see it now. Very probably your bug. Good find!
tmmason10
Omono
Well, folks, I think the little orange pot is full of roots. I am seeing a large tap root coming out of one of the bottom holes, and some little roots coming out of all the other holes. My question to all of you is I would assume it's too late to separate? It's a pretty hardy tree, but should I just leave it until early spring to separate?
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I'd wait on the separation. Leaving the ground layer undistured will give it an easier time this winter. I'd mulch the whole mess of pots into the ground for the winter to protect the developing roots.
FWIW the bug is a dobson fly. Their larva are call hellgrammites and are EXCELLENT trout bait.
FWIW the bug is a dobson fly. Their larva are call hellgrammites and are EXCELLENT trout bait.
tmmason10
Omono
I figured as much. I'll just leave the layer for the winter mulched in. It's like a mystery whether ground layers are working since you really can't see what's happening under the soil.
tmmason10
Omono
Well, not much to report but it's the first time I've seen some fall color so I thought I'd share a quick shot. While we're here, when is the best time to separate this layer? Right before the buds turn green just like any repot?
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Did you get any needles turning a dark brown while going dormant? I have a larch forest that I made just this year and while all the trees are going dormant with nice yellowing needles, one of the trees has some needles that turned a dark brown. very odd and I'm wondering what the problem is. I can't seem to find the symptoms through searching because it's not a ring or dots on the needles, just a solid dark brown on some. None of the other trees in the forest have this problem.
october
Masterpiece
Hi tom.. Do you have any future concrete plans for this trees styling? I think that planted in a large grow pot for about 7-8 years would yield a nicer specimen.
You could also get a rock and maybe create some sort of tree growing against a rock composition.
Another option, depending on how thick the trunk is, would be to do some radical bending. Maybe something similar to the twisting of young junipers. You could rafia, then run a couple of wires up the trunk lenthwise. Rafia again, then wire again and bend it up to the extreme. After the wire comes off. Let it sit it a big pot with great drainage for a few more years to thicken up. At that point, you might have a very compact and unique larch. Maybe even get some shari in there.
You could also get a rock and maybe create some sort of tree growing against a rock composition.
Another option, depending on how thick the trunk is, would be to do some radical bending. Maybe something similar to the twisting of young junipers. You could rafia, then run a couple of wires up the trunk lenthwise. Rafia again, then wire again and bend it up to the extreme. After the wire comes off. Let it sit it a big pot with great drainage for a few more years to thicken up. At that point, you might have a very compact and unique larch. Maybe even get some shari in there.
tmmason10
Omono
I wouldn't worry about the brown needles, I'm sure the tree is fine but for whatever reason it lost its color quicker than the others. Last year I don't remember seeing a color change, just from green to brown.
tmmason10
Omono
Honestly Rob, I have no idea what I'll do with this. It was a beginner buy and I hacked it back and it probably could have used a few years of heavy feeding and unrestricted growth.
I have considered wiring some crazy bends into it as the trunks are not too thick and larch are very flexible. I'll have to get creative in order to make this worth anything in time.
I'll probably separate the layer, plant in a grow pot, let it recover and grow next year and reevaluate. I love the species so far, I hope to get another one some day. Or collect one...
Thanks for commenting, see you around the nursery.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
It has been my experience with Larch that they indeed are very flexible----until they lose their needles then they become stiff and, if pushed too far,---brittle.
tmmason10
Omono
Well I went ahead and separated the layer and was surprised to see that the roots seemed to have only grown on one side. There was a complete mess under the layer and I think it was a great decision to layer the tree. I potted it up and then also decided to give it some wire. I am pretty pleased with the result, seems to be coming along nicely now.
A couple of observations:
The layer worked precisely how Lenz describes a swamp layer. Using the sphagnum created the swamp-like environment needed to send out adventitious roots. The problem with this, is that they don't seem to have emerged from the same level. This could be a problem down the road.
It's pretty amazing how much ramification can be performed in one year. There are already some good secondary branches and I imagine in a few more years the tree could really fill out.
Let me know what you think, all comments welcome. I have posted some more photos and thoughts on my blog if you'd like to check it out there.
A couple of observations:
The layer worked precisely how Lenz describes a swamp layer. Using the sphagnum created the swamp-like environment needed to send out adventitious roots. The problem with this, is that they don't seem to have emerged from the same level. This could be a problem down the road.
It's pretty amazing how much ramification can be performed in one year. There are already some good secondary branches and I imagine in a few more years the tree could really fill out.
Let me know what you think, all comments welcome. I have posted some more photos and thoughts on my blog if you'd like to check it out there.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Looks good. I like the movement put into the trunk. Good luck with it.
