Eastern Larch

I read stuff here regularly, daily most of the time, but never contribute as I am new to bonsai. My grandfather used to keep trees when I was younger so I've always been interested. A couple years ago when I decided to get into it myself I went and bought a few different ficus species because you always read that they are easy, good for beginners, etc. Turns out that it isnt really all that easy for me to keep them healthy in the winter here, although they do survive indoors in my sunniest window... barely. So after doing a little reasearch it seemed like Eastern Larch might be a little more suited for my climate while being forgiving and relatively easy to work with.

Bought this little collected Larch from New England Bonsai Gardens for cheap when I was down that way a few weeks ago. I know its not really a killer piece of material or anything but I was just looking for a larch to mess around with and learn about the species.

It just started showing some green this weekend, and seems to be coming alive very quickly. I think I'd like to get it out of the pot and see the roots, do some work on them, maybe change the planting angle a bit. I've read that Larch dont like too much root work at once but not sure how to gauge that. How much is too much? And is this the right time to do that, just as it is coming alive? Maybe I would just try to get them sorted out but not cut much?

The last pictures are kinda where I think I would try to go style-wise someday. Reaching, I know... but I really have no clue. Just screwing around with it for now I guess and trying to keep it happy and healthy. Any ideas or advice is much appreciated.

Few more pictures

I don't have any experience with larch otherwise I'd chime in. However from a design perspective you are going to have to resolve that second trunk / large primary branch. Right now half the strength of your tree is flowing down that branch. If it were me I'd consider removing it unless you wanted to start a new trunkline using it. If you don't want a straight tree, you could eliminate the main trunk and use one of the vertical leaders off the branch like this:

Thanks for the virt, I had considered just chopping it off but it seemed like an unexciting approach. Then I'd just be left with a tall straight trunk, and there aren't any buds or foliage below that large branch either. But then again I see lots of tall, straight, larches with little taper that I think look nice.

Your virt is a lot more interesting though. Although I feel like I should wait until real spring before doing anything drastic. Still some snow and lots of cold in the forcast here.

TJB said:

Your virt is a lot more interesting though. Although I feel like I should wait until real spring before doing anything drastic. Still some snow and lots of cold in the forcast here.

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Yeah I thought straight larches are pretty common, and somewhat boring - though the best ones do look striking. Don't know if you realized this or not, but both examples that you chose for inspiration have 90 degree bends in their trunk lines.

Don't wait too long to make dramatic styling decisions. Right now a lot of energy is still in the roots and trunk. If you do your pruning now, that energy will be redirected to the branches that remain and you will get a lot of strong growth and backbudding. If, however, you wait until the tree fully buds out before you prune, all of that energy will be in the branches that you remove... and you will lose it.

I had intentionally chosen them based on using the side branch as the new trunk line and possibly changing the planting angle a bit to match the examples. I think I will chop the top off tomorrow and shorten the side branch, maybe take down a few of those other vertical branches, see how it goes from there. I have a place I can keep it protected from any real crazy weather.

Thanks for the advice on pruning sooner than later. Much appreciated.

I struggled to decide if I should say anything here or not, because I don't want to be responsible for you killing your tree.

BUT, I'll say this... I got one last spring for $5.00 that was an orphan at a nursery. (Unknown parentage) It looked like crap, but had a strong looking trunk but I couldn't tell what the roots were like. Tattered messy branching.

I decided to take it out of the pot and bare-root it, and do a full prep as a bonsai-able tree. In other words, it would live or die, it was it's choice.

The roots (as they often are with potted trees) wound around the inside of the pot... prolly cut out 30% and re-potted it and watered it daily (course medium)... I cleaned up a few tattered branches, but not much.

It did really well throughout the growing season and this spring (depending on how well it proves to be back-budding) I intend to leave it as a straight stalked tree, but prune all of the branching back and re-grow the branch structure from a "close-to-the-trunk-nub"... either it will live or it will die, but I suspect that it will thrive.

Might be my favourite "stick in a pot".

I'd do your work now as well. Root work goes best with larch before the buds really break. I know this because of the two larch I had, the one I worked on early is thriving after a 60% root reduction the other is dead. Also, when larch take off in the spring, they really take off. You don't want your tree to put a meter of growth into an apex you end up chopping off.

These grow very fast. Why not put in the ground and fatten it up?

I might be inclined to take the heavy trunk off..

And use that right branch in an odd way.

Shaping all its branches into individual trees.

I think it would be cool as hell!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

SKBonsaiGuy said:

I struggled to decide if I should say anything here or not, because I don't want to be responsible for you killing your tree.

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Haha, thanks for the advice. And do not worry, I would never blame another for my own tree deaths. I will probably trim up top and leave the roots alone for now, I suspect it still has lots of room in that pot. Any pictures of yours?

Tycoss said:

I'd do your work now as well. Root work goes best with larch before the buds really break. I know this because of the two larch I had, the one I worked on early is thriving after a 60% root reduction the other is dead. Also, when larch take off in the spring, they really take off. You don't want your tree to put a meter of growth into an apex you end up chopping off.

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Thanks, this is how I think I will proceed. Chop some branches tonight and leave the roots for next year. Thing really does seem to be taking off. And we are getting a foot of snow on Friday...

M. Frary said:

These grow very fast. Why not put in the ground and fatten it up?

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No ground to plant 'er in. My plant growing space only consists of two large porches. One uncovered that gets full sun in the morning until the sun passes over the house. Then a covered porch in the back with some large trees that create a shade/speckled sun type environment in the afternoon.

Ultimately was just looking to screw around with this and then maybe buy a nicer, thicker plant once I can keep this one happy and alive for a while. But it wouldn't kill me if i made something kinda interesting along the way.

sorce said:

I might be inclined to take the heavy trunk off..

And use that right branch in an odd way.

Shaping all its branches into individual trees.

I think it would be cool as hell!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

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Thanks, Sorce. Done and Done, maybe wire some of these vertical branches all strange now..

Like that!

But without the other roots! Ish.

Sorce

Wow, that's neat!