Cedar, Doug, hemlock combo

[xconiferPNW]

I have three saplings currently recovering from being harvested from nature, one Doug fir, one western red cedar and one western hemlock, I really want to create a single bonsai forest using these trees as they are the dominant species that make up north Cascades forest which I love, is this a feasible combination/ does anyone have any experience or tips with making these trees happy together in a bonsai environment

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I would design as separate trees, but also adjust the pots or treys so that you can play for a harmonious arrangement. If you get it just right, maybe combine into a Forrest some day?

 

[penumbra]

Please consider that this will give you a one of this, a one of that planting that is unlikely to every be a good bonsai composition. This aside from the fact that you have three trees so you really have three different care procedures. I am nt against mixed planting as a rule, but they should at least be studied and balanced.

 

[Cruiser]

I have three saplings currently recovering from being harvested from nature, one Doug fir, one western red cedar and one western hemlock, I really want to create a single bonsai forest using these trees as they are the dominant species that make up north Cascades forest which I love, is this a feasible combination/ does anyone have any experience or tips with making these trees happy together in a bonsai environment

This is a feasible combination. As you know, the species often coestablish and grow together in mixed stands across the region.
If you seek to represent your home, this is a fine way to do it.

I have a tray of the same species plus silver and noble firs. Assuming proper drainage, they all can thrive on one watering schedule. Give them a lot of water, especially the RC and WH.
Include organic components like DF bark in the substrate.
DF and RC have very strong root systems, WH is a bit more finicky and best tolerates root work in early April when buds become swollen with a golden hue and a little green showing underneath.

WH responds very well to pinching/cut backs and will ramify quickly. DF and RC tend to grow faster but at a young age, all 3 will grow pretty fast.
DF and RC will readily backbud if they are strong. A good way to keep them strong is to have a strong leader.
WH does not reliably back bud, in the wild or captivity. However, they are extremely efficient at budding from needles. Even a single needle can and often will do it following a major cut back.
WH and RC will grow fine in dappled light. DF is less tolerant of shade but will still grow just fine in part sun.

 

[Leprous Garden]

May not be traditional but I like the idea. There ought to be more mixed forests.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

For many Bonsai folks this is heresy and wouldn’t match stylistically due to the differences in texture and foliage. But as @Cruiser mentions, not in real life. In real life, however, likely the Douglas Fir would not survive well in a climax community with the other two.

Likely Saburo Kato would give it a go, but in more of a forest setting, emulating nature, possibly thumbing his nose at the purists… until he became revered as someone who was on the cutting edge of blending art and reality vs the trend towards uber stylistic refinement that begin to be in vogue as he got older…. A trend which continues in many bonsai “dojos” today. (Gosh is this actually a run on sentence with flair?)

Practically would submit Douglas firs and the Western Red Cedar will be the biggest challenge to get a handle on. They are rarely, if ever, seen done well in bonsai. They definitely need further exploration.

Good luck.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[penumbra]

May not be traditional but I like the idea. There ought to be more mixed forests.

I agree that there should be more mixed forests. I can't bring myself to believe I am being picky here, because I accept almost anything. When I do a mixed planting I pick one type of plant to be dominant and the other to be realistically an accent, like plants that are growing at the edge of a forest. I also think its fine to have a mixed forest with trees placed randomly. But the mixed plantings always require a forest intention and three plants, all different, do not make a forest. Two plants could work, with one being larger and dominant, but I can't wrap my head around three trees vying for attention. I wouldn't plant one oak, one maple and one elm together. In a large enough pot I might use cluster of one transitioning into another species. One of my favorite planting I put together this spring is a cluster of 5 dwarf Japanese maples with four Kingsville boxwood as transitional and foreground plants.
These are just my thoughts. By all means do what pleases you.

 

[Wulfskaar]

The best argument I've heard about mixed forests is that different trees may react differently to watering, fertilizing, placement in the sun, etc.

However, if you get trees that work together naturally, it might be really cool if you can pull it off.

 

[Kanorin]

As others have said - It will be a little bit challenging horticulturally to get all of them to thrive in the same pot and also challenging to make them all look good together, but I would love to see it if you can pull it off!
I have a Missouri mixed forest that I've been working on. I'll let you know in 5-10 years if it's successful

 

[Cruiser]

In real life, however, likely the Douglas Fir would not survive well in a climax community with the other two.

It’s not that Douglas-fir would not survive well in a climax community with the other two species.
It’s that the community itself is only considered climax once all the pioneering Douglas-firs have died off.

The reason it is called “climax” is that “climax species” (western red cedar and western hemlock) are able to regenerate beneath the canopy in perpetuity, barring a major disturbance. Douglas-fir generally cannot, because it requires more sunlight to establish.

Douglas-fir found in old growth stands mixed with hemlock and red cedar were among the first trees there. It is typical for cedar and hemlock to establish in the understory beneath the fir over a period of decades-centuries. Eventually they “catch up” and the balance starts to shift away from Douglas-fir dominance.

It’s rare for stands containing these three species to reach climax stage because it takes so long for all the Douglas-fir to die (600-1000 years). A forest is far more likely to experience major disturbance and become repopulated with a new cohort of fir in that time frame.