Collected Hemlock

[CWTurner]

I collected this Hemlock in early spring of 2016 upstate PA. Mostly barerooted it and potted it up.


I decided it needed to lay down and be styled as a raft. This is a recent pic.



I put some wire on it and took out some foliage.


I think a lot more needs to go, but I really moved some of the fine branching a lot and don't want to rush it. Hoping to get the growth closer in which requires great health, I think.
It should also probably be on a slab, or a bigger pot at least.

CW

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Nice! Good call with the raft style; it works. As you say, no rush but maybe this would look nice on a slab eventually. I don't have anything specific in mind, but I bet you could put some serious bends in the straight sections to make the movement on the trunks of the raft more harmonious and compact the design.
Don't be afraid to fertilize and give full sun if you want to push development on it. The are shade tolerant, but it is not a requirement of theirs unless you are trying to slow things down.
Do you have any other Hemlocks in your collection?

 

[GGB]

Very vigorous, I'd be at a loss trying to style that tree. I have found that mine will back bud on branches without needles. It's not a sure thing but I definitely have chased back foliage much more than I expected to. I keep mine in full sun

 

[River's Edge]

Very vigorous, I'd be at a loss trying to style that tree. I have found that mine will back bud on branches without needles. It's not a sure thing but I definitely have chased back foliage much more than I expected to. I keep mine in full sun

Am curious about which Hemlock backbuds? Did you take any particular steps for that to occur? Never heard of it happening before. I collect the Mountain Hemlock and have several Western hemlock in my collection as well.

 

[GGB]

Am curious about which Hemlock backbuds? Did you take any particular steps for that to occur? Never heard of it happening before. I collect the Mountain Hemlock and have several Western hemlock in my collection as well.

I wish I had a better answer for you but, my answer is a little of this and that. I have a twin trunk tsuga canadensis, always heard they were poor for bonsai. But I have been chasing back foliage since I got it a few years ago and it seems like letting light into areas that were formerly shaded is what's causing it. @ABCarve has a beautiful eastern (like mine) hemlock, I am know using his approach for back budding and compacting growth. Most everyone has written that they won't bud where there are no leaves. While I believe them, and there experiences, it hasn't been my case. Liek I said it's not crazy back budding all over old wood but it is happening at a pace that's alright with me. It is a smaller tree and it's only on the fine/finer-ish branches that have popped buds. I am excited to try an upright style with one of these guys. I have zero experience with the species you collect

 

[River's Edge]

I wish I had a better answer for you but, my answer is a little of this and that. I have a twin trunk tsuga canadensis, always heard they were poor for bonsai. But I have been chasing back foliage since I got it a few years ago and it seems like letting light into areas that were formerly shaded is what's causing it. @ABCarve has a beautiful eastern (like mine) hemlock, I am know using his approach for back budding and compacting growth. Most everyone has written that they won't bud where there are no leaves. While I believe them, and there experiences, it hasn't been my case. Liek I said it's not crazy back budding all over old wood but it is happening at a pace that's alright with me. It is a smaller tree and it's only on the fine/finer-ish branches that have popped buds. I am excited to try an upright style with one of these guys. I have zero experience with the species you collect

Thanks for the response, i think i misunderstood your use of the term back budding in areas with no needles to mean older thicker branches as well. I too have had no problem chasing back foliage and creating budding on smaller thinner foliage. The hemlocks i have worked with ramify beautifully on the younger branches.

 

[CWTurner]

Don't be afraid to fertilize and give full sun if you want to push development on it. The are shade tolerant, but it is not a requirement of theirs unless you are trying to slow things down.
Do you have any other Hemlocks in your collection?

Thanks, Mrfancypants, I've had it in direct sun earlier in the year, but as summer approached, I moved to to partial sun. Makes sense that they can take full sun as they are dominant forest trees.
After the death of another, this is my only bonsai hemlock now. I lost two 60 YO landscape trees over the past two winters, and I have a couple 2-3" in the landscape that I can use for grafting if need be. I found them at an abandoned nursery still balled and burlapped and 12-15' tall. Cut them back to 4', brought them home and put them in big pots but I haven't seen a back-bud yet. This spring, I trimmed off some of the new terminal growth and hope for some sort of back-budding.
CW

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I haven't seen any back-budding to wood on mine other than maybe where a needle had recently fallen off, but semi regularly get back budding to needled areas. I do hear they take well to grafting, although my inclination would be to self graft since the branching structure seems to vary genetically from plant to plant. I am still working up the courage to attempt to graft, although it is looking more likely on my collected one since it had a run in with a 3 y.o. and lost a few nice branches .

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I collected this Hemlock in early spring of 2016 upstate PA. Mostly barerooted it and potted it up.
View attachment 198652

I decided it needed to lay down and be styled as a raft. This is a recent pic.

View attachment 198651

I put some wire on it and took out some foliage.
View attachment 198654

I think a lot more needs to go, but I really moved some of the fine branching a lot and don't want to rush it. Hoping to get the growth closer in which requires great health, I think.
It should also probably be on a slab, or a bigger pot at least.

CW

Any update on your hemlock raft? How is it doing?