American Larch

[mc4mc44]

No interest in the Japanese larch, so ill post some american too. They were wired this year but everything bounced back almost 100% about a week after taking it off. So i added guy wires to a couple to keep the branches somewhat in place. It's roughly done so sorry for the looks. It'll get the job done until spring.They get real pots next year, besides the one in the green pot still. It needs more time.

All were collected in vermont, and bought at All Shapes Bonsai studio in NJ about 3 years ago. A great place to visit if your in the area. They have healthy plants and a good variety.

The first will be a sort of windswept double trunk, The branches went all the way back on this one after i took off the wire, sorry about that. It wants to go in some sort of crescent pot. The second is growing a new apex, I like it more every year. The third is surprisingly old when you look closely, It has nice bark but terrible roots.. i really don't know what to do with them, so ill just let it be. Its an awkward tree, so the roots will work. The roots look bad on all the others now too, but they can be fixed. This one is hopeless besides layering.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think the last one might work eventually for a bunjin style...maybe. With some Jin...

 

[mc4mc44]

And the last one, still for sale. I won't ship, pickup or delivery only. PM me.

I chopped the trunk to the first branch since it wouldn't bend and there werent any branches until the top. The new trunk has even taper after only one season. When the deadwood is carved it wont look so blocky and you'll be able to see whats going on. First picture is last summer.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice larches, the second is looks great, it is most convincing image.

Bonsai is a matter of taste, if the first tree were mine I think curves in the first look rather artificial. I would perhaps 'unleash it", let it relax a while. See if a more angular design speaks to you. It is just not "sending me" Prune it back at the tips, try to get it to bush out for another couple years to see if you can get more lower branches to choose from for a different design. Sorry, just my personal taste. But going for the windswept I just don't see it in the future of this tree. You and other might disagree, and perhaps if I saw it in person I would change my mind. But this is my initial thought.

 

[mc4mc44]

Nice larches, the second is looks great, it is most convincing image.

Bonsai is a matter of taste, if the first tree were mine I think curves in the first look rather artificial. I would perhaps 'unleash it", let it relax a while. See if a more angular design speaks to you. It is just not "sending me" Prune it back at the tips, try to get it to bush out for another couple years to see if you can get more lower branches to choose from for a different design. Sorry, just my personal taste. But going for the windswept I just don't see it in the future of this tree. You and other might disagree, and perhaps if I saw it in person I would change my mind. But this is my initial thought.

Just to be sure you know what i mean, It's not going to be a windswept "tree in a hurricane" like you see in books, but more the image of an old larch on the edge of a lake, where it just favored one direction a bit more. And I get what your saying, i've thought the same thing, i even thought at one point to cut back to the first branch. But it's all natural, so i've left it. This one has the most options, i don't really know what to do. The problem is that the branches are almost exactly where they were, so you can't really see any definition. Nothing that got wired set in place. winter will show the branches soon enough.