Colorado Blue Spruce # 2

[Dav4]

Here is the other Colorado Blue Spruce that I scooped up from Todd Schlafer at the Nationals last September. This one was actually too tall to fit into @Adair M 's Tesla, so it road back to GA in a vendor's trailor who was also transporting exhibition trees. It was worked on by Tyler and me in late January of this year. With the heavy bending that we did, it wasn't allowed to freeze again this winter and stayed in the relative warmth of my workshop/cold room.



Today was re-pot day. Lot's of fine feeder roots hidden in the duff... you could grow some great tomatoes in that duff!

 

[penumbra]

I'm not normally a fan of blue spruce as bonsai because I seldom see anything decent. Your spruce looks good and should have a bright future.

 

[Dav4]

I was surprised that the soil composition was so different in this rootball when compared to that of the CBP that was re-potted yesterday... hardly any clay at all. One similarity was the multitude of heavy roots that needed cutting back.



Sometimes when you're working by yourself, you've got to think outside the box



Basking in the scorching mid April Michigan sun after getting watered in on the driveway...



One dropped branch added to make the composition legit...




Finally, lots of milled sphagnum moss to keep those superficial baby roots from drying out.

 

[penumbra]

Bold move. Hope it does well.

 

[Dav4]

It’s always nice to see an old collected tree like this one, new to your collection and recently re-potted, begin to grow…

 

[Colorado]

Gotta love the new growth on blue spruce!

 

[Dav4]

Did a little bit of work on the chopped stump up top last weekend

 

[Shogun610]

Did a little bit of work on the chopped stump up top last weekend
View attachment 447003View attachment 447004

I love CBS, they back bud so nicely too.. what’s your watering / feeding regiment ?

 

[Colorado]

How long does it take for the black char to disappear on the deadwood? Or is the char coloring desired?

I’ve never used fire on deadwood but maybe I’m missing out?!

 

[Dav4]

I love CBS, they back bud so nicely too.. what’s your watering / feeding regiment ?

You can see the coarse aggregate soil it's potted up in so it needs to be watered daily during the summer. It's got plantone in the tea bags and fish emulsion watered in weekly... pretty much what I'm doing with all my trees.

 

[Dav4]

How long does it take for the black char to disappear on the deadwood? Or is the char coloring desired?

I’ve never used fire on deadwood but maybe I’m missing out?!

I use the micro torch on newly carved/fresh conifer deadwood because it -1) burns away tool marks woody remnants from the work, -2) it brings out the grain by burning away softer wood fibers while the harder fibers persist and makes the carved deadwood more natural and aged, -3) the char/heating process apparently helps to preseve the wood from rotting. Fwiw, that picture was taken before I worked it with a wire brush. Here's the "after" pic.

The char can take more then a year to lighten up, but I think it's a good technique to use in the right situation.

 

[Colorado]

I use the micro torch on newly carved/fresh conifer deadwood because it -1) burns away tool marks woody remnants from the work, -2) it brings out the grain by burning away softer wood fibers while the harder fibers persist and makes the carved deadwood more natural and aged, -3) the char/heating process apparently helps to preseve the wood from rotting. Fwiw, that picture was taken before I worked it with a wire brush. Here's the "after" pic.
View attachment 447012
The char can take more then a year to lighten up, but I think it's a good technique to use in the right situation.

Thanks for the explanation! Looks great! I’ll have to give it a try. I think my wife has a crème brûlée torch

 

[Dav4]

This one is growing nicely since being re-potted 14 months ago. Lots of back budding and vigorous growth this year. It's had some cut backs and tweaks to the wiring over the last year, and that will continue over the next few seasons.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

Not sure if I like @Dav4's Colorado Blue Spruce #1 or @Dav4's Colorado Blue Spruce #2 more.

 

[Dav4]

Not sure if I like @Dav4's Colorado Blue Spruce #1 or @Dav4's Colorado Blue Spruce #2 more.

I'm not sure either!

 

[Dav4]

Dewired… rewiring in progress.

 

[Dav4]

Done for now. I'm happy with the progress but need to build more depth by allowing the few back branches to extend out and thicken.

 

[Dav4]

I decided this one needed a 2.5 year update just like its little brother. It's also come a long way, but maybe not as refined. I still waffle and wobble with the styling and design... pseudo-candelabra/informal upright?? I do know the canopy will frame and highlight the great, natural deadwood shari and Jin's. Anyway, I don't mind looking at it, even though it still needs more thinning/wiring/canopy filling out on the right side and much more in the back for much needed depth.




... and today

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Great rugged bark and Shari.

Does it need this branch?


Thinking something squat and wide but simple to frame the killer bark and deadwood. Not typical for spruce. Needs some foliage pulled around to the back.

 

[Dav4]

Great rugged bark and Shari.

Does it need this branch?
View attachment 568452

Thinking something squat and wide but simple to frame the killer bark and deadwood. Not typical for spruce. Needs some foliage pulled around to the back.
View attachment 568454

Thanks for the virts, Brian. It definitely needs foliage on the back, but there's just not enough there right now and none that could be moved there without looking contrived. As far as that long branch you circled is concerned, it's staying for now. I feel that, without it, the tree becomes a bit vanilla, but if I can keep it and use it effectively and dramatically, it could set the tree apart from others in a good way. I'm going to keep playing with it for now.