American Larch

JudyB

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It is looking nice, are you going to be able to keep it from freezing for the rest of winter?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Nice work Tom. Consider exaggerating the movement in the trunk just a bit more. The appearance of movement seems to be coming more from the wire than from the trunk itself if you look closely at it.
 

tmmason10

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It is looking nice, are you going to be able to keep it from freezing for the rest of winter?

Well, if I'm honest, I didn't protect it at all last winter and haven't protected it this winter either. Larch are supposed to be very hardy so I haven't really worried about it. I did bury this in mulch and will bring it in if its below freezing for a long period of time. But I'm not overly worried about it, maybe I should be?
 

tmmason10

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Nice work Tom. Consider exaggerating the movement in the trunk just a bit more. The appearance of movement seems to be coming more from the wire than from the trunk itself if you look closely at it.

Great observation, I will exaggerate the movement a little more. Thanks for the advice.
 

JudyB

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I don't know, just seems like it would be a good idea to protect it a bit more, since you did some root work. Not sure if that matters though when it's in dormancy, because it won't be growing new tender roots, I wouldn't think.
 

tmmason10

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I purchased my second collected tamarack at the end of December, and last weekend I styled it at a wiring class with John for Kaikou school students. I like larch as a species so I was happy to get another one. I think that in a few years I should be able to get this tree looking pretty nice. I will be trying to time the repot correctly this spring so that we can get started on encouraging the roots to grow laterally. Judging by how the before mentioned layer looked, it's probably a mess under the soil. Let me know what you think, it's pretty rough.



larch_2_02.16.2013_1.jpg

larch_2_02.16.2013_4.JPG
 

JudyB

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Larch, what's not to love??? should be interesting to see what is under the soil, you never know.
 

Vance Wood

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I purchased my second collected tamarack at the end of December, and last weekend I styled it at a wiring class with John for Kaikou school students. I like larch as a species so I was happy to get another one. I think that in a few years I should be able to get this tree looking pretty nice. I will be trying to time the repot correctly this spring so that we can get started on encouraging the roots to grow laterally. Judging by how the before mentioned layer looked, it's probably a mess under the soil. Let me know what you think, it's pretty rough.



View attachment 31200

View attachment 31201

I am looking at this tree as if it were mine. It bothers me that there is an almost straight trunk (common with Larch) that extends up to the point where it sharply goes to the right. What I am considering is the possibility of putting a bend in the trunk below that jog to the right. Looking at the trunk there is a slight curve to the left near the base that could be accentuated to take the strident reach for the sky feature out of the bottom half of the tree.

I am making the assumption that the trunk is not much bigger around than maybe my thumb which makes bending this portion of the tree not so much an impossibility as one might think, provided it is wrapped with raffia and the right weight of wire. For this I would definitely use copper because of its strength. Just a thought.
 

tmmason10

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I am looking at this tree as if it were mine. It bothers me that there is an almost straight trunk (common with Larch) that extends up to the point where it sharply goes to the right. What I am considering is the possibility of putting a bend in the trunk below that jog to the right. Looking at the trunk there is a slight curve to the left near the base that could be accentuated to take the strident reach for the sky feature out of the bottom half of the tree.

I am making the assumption that the trunk is not much bigger around than maybe my thumb which makes bending this portion of the tree not so much an impossibility as one might think, provided it is wrapped with raffia and the right weight of wire. For this I would definitely use copper because of its strength. Just a thought.

Thanks for your input Vance. I agree with the straightness of the trunk but this is probably a bit bigger than you see. It's probably something that I could bend with rebar I would think. Bjorn bjorholm shows this on some of those YouTube videos I think on a white pine clump in particular.
 

Vance Wood

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Thanks for your input Vance. I agree with the straightness of the trunk but this is probably a bit bigger than you see. It's probably something that I could bend with rebar I would think. Bjorn bjorholm shows this on some of those YouTube videos I think on a white pine clump in particular.

If you have no fear in doing so I would proceed sooner than later. Larch make wonderful bonsai but they do have their natural born problems and the straight trunk is one of them.
 

fourteener

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Defoliating

As your larch continues its growth, we have gone to the effort of defoliating the tree towards the end of July. People do it on maples to make the leaf size smaller and it accomplishes the same thing on the tamaracks. It's not to be done every year or you will weaken them. I would wait until its healthy and had the right branch structure. It really works to shrink the size of buds and radically increase the number of them.
 

Vance Wood

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As your larch continues its growth, we have gone to the effort of defoliating the tree towards the end of July. People do it on maples to make the leaf size smaller and it accomplishes the same thing on the tamaracks. It's not to be done every year or you will weaken them. I would wait until its healthy and had the right branch structure. It really works to shrink the size of buds and radically increase the number of them.

Could you please define what you mean by defoliating? How do you do this, please describe. I have been growing Larch for over twenty years and I have never encountered this technique before, but I am willing to listen. There are other ways to shrink the size of buds and control the new growth.
 

tmmason10

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Could you please define what you mean by defoliating? How do you do this, please describe. I have been growing Larch for over twenty years and I have never encountered this technique before, but I am willing to listen. There are other ways to shrink the size of buds and control the new growth.

In Nicks book, he does write about pulling every needle on his finished larch I believe during the summer. I've never tried it nor do I plan to, but he does.
 

Vance Wood

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In Nicks book, he does write about pulling every needle on his finished larch I believe during the summer. I've never tried it nor do I plan to, but he does.

Thanks for your response and I agree with you however; Fourteener seems state that this is what he does. I would like to know how, with what species of Larch and how long he has been doing this.
 

amkhalid

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I have been growing Larch for over twenty years and I have never encountered this technique before, but I am willing to listen.

Hi Vance,

As others mentioned Nick describes the technique in his book, with pictures. If you are saying you have never encountered this technique, I am assuming this means you have never read Nick's book. Incredible for someone who has been growing larch for 20 years! All I can say is get the book! Regardless of whether or not you agree with his techniques, the book is an incredible read for Tamarack lovers like us.

It is very cheap at stone lantern. I've read the larch and thuja chapters many, many times.

You will definitely enjoy it.

There are other ways to shrink the size of buds and control the new growth.

How do you do it? Standard stuff like no ferts in the spring, finer soil, and less repotting? Or something else?

Cheers
 

Vance Wood

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Hi Vance,

As others mentioned Nick describes the technique in his book, with pictures. If you are saying you have never encountered this technique, I am assuming this means you have never read Nick's book. Incredible for someone who has been growing larch for 20 years! All I can say is get the book! Regardless of whether or not you agree with his techniques, the book is an incredible read for Tamarack lovers like us.

It is very cheap at stone lantern. I've read the larch and thuja chapters many, many times.

You will definitely enjoy it.



How do you do it? Standard stuff like no ferts in the spring, finer soil, and less repotting? Or something else?

Cheers

I have not read Mr. Lenz's book because of personal reasons.

Something else.
 

fourteener

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Defoliating Larch

Probably every third year, I pull every needle off my tamaracks. It's a bit of a nightmare on my 17 tree forest, but it has awesome results. The backbudding and multiple buds really are profound. 2-7 new buds can pop out at every point. In fact you need to go in with some tweezers and pluck some buds as they get too thick.

The buds also get very small. Half the size as normal. As the trees get more and more healthy the buds get bigger and the needles get a little longer and more scraggly. This really takes care of that issue.

I've been doing it for the last 8 years. A friend of mine here in Northern MN has been doing it for 20 years. The trees we are working on are the Larch that grow in our area of Northern MN.

Try it on one of your trees that's young and in development if you don't want to try it on one that is further along. Trust me, it's worth the effort!!
 

JudyB

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14'er What time of year do you perform defoliating in your area?

Would be great if you would post some larch pics, who doesn't love a larch!
 

tmmason10

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Yes agreed, would love to see pics if you have them. Good to know though maybe ill give it a try this year.
 

Vance Wood

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Yes agreed, would love to see pics if you have them. Good to know though maybe ill give it a try this year.

This is significant. With great claims comes the need for great proof. I didn't write that but the concept is honest and true. Too often people come along making great claims about this and other things then furnish no proof of those claims and when cornered they attack the question and the person who asked it. I'm not saying that fourteener is FOC (full of crap) but he has presented a concept most of us are unfamiliar with, the answer that it is in Nick Lenz's book is not the same thing as saying this is what I have done and showing the pictures to prove it.
 
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