cmeg1
Imperial Masterpiece
Quite an interesting tree.
Depot Eastern Hemlock
- Thread starter MrFancyPlants
- Start date
MrFancyPlants
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This one is really filling out this season. Maybe it is getting too dense, and I need to thin the flock?
MrFancyPlants
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There is some dieback between the top and upper right, and a lot of callousing in between on the trunk you can see if you zoom in. I am thinking I let those go for the most part until I know the section is stable
Frozentreehugger
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I don’t see the callousing your referring to but yes you may want to think about light getting into interior buds and foliage I’m sure your aware of these trees wound healing capabilities . But I really luke your tree what’s the long term design goal
MrFancyPlants
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The long term plan is to slowly compress the design by removing redundant bits piece by piece. Much of this has been done , since it was big box material, it took a lot of reduction in stages. I would like to take it to a good workshop for some larger branch decisions. Eventually get it in a nice pot?
Here is a picture of the dieback. I put some lime sulfur on it today.
Frozentreehugger
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I would not rush the final pot while the tree is in development . I would allow foliage to grow un checked above the wound . . One of eastern hemlocks best traits is they heal wounds better than any other conifer and even most diciid trees might help with your large branch pruning decisions chop away the tree will heal over
Frozentreehugger
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Father’s Day trip with my daughter . Got these coles prostrate eastern hemlock one of the slowest growing dwarf versions but being a fan could not say no . First thoughts are a mame semi cascade or just train them and plant one in the pot eventually with a large collected one sort of like a companion plant
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MrFancyPlants
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Yeah, go for it. I would separate some sacrifice growth from your future tree and let it grow. Even if it is slow going, sacrice growth is how you get it done. Do it in stages and you can heal the scars as it goes.
Frozentreehugger
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Already thinking with there weeping habit . I Have a nice small granite rock . Always thought a small conifer root over rock . So with the Rick to raise the tree then a cascade . With one
MrFancyPlants
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I’ve wondered if my “depot” hemlock is a weeping variety. It certainly has some weeping tendencies, even if it is not a labeled variety, it acts so differently from my wild type, but not particularly slow growing. I’ve been trying to train up a new leader since I hacked it back from the nursery stock, but the top never seems to take off, at least not in the up direction.
MrFancyPlants
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This one is really filling out. I wish I could find a good workshop to assist in the branch selection. 
Frozentreehugger
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There seems to be a abundance of weeping cultivars . In nursery trade I assume with most conifers being apical it’s a alternative . I picked up a Betty rose cultivar . Think that’s right . Might have to double check that in the shop . I like it already 4 inch pot . I’m aware it’s arguable the slowest growing dwarf cultivar of eastern . But it’s upright and has great tight compact growth light green new growth colour lasts longer and fads to darker green then the weeping one I have . Goal is a very small tree possible formal upright depends on the roots at repot in spring your tree looks great keep doing what your doing . So many start out with hemlock get frustrated because there different . And quit Before they see the potential .
Frozentreehugger
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Sad year at my cottage . Multiple hemlocks . But right at the water edge in thin soil on top of granite . Is the biggest over 3 feet thick about 50 feet tall . Guy next door lives year round says it really started to sway and lift up the ground and feature the snow in winter storms last 2 years . As of this spring the top 1/4 is dead . Unsure if I should have pro trim off the top and reduce the upper foliage to create less for the wind to catch . I shake my head at everyone that says cut it down before it falls . I suspect it’s between 250 to 300 years old from stumps I’ve seen in the area
MrFancyPlants
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Drop the top if you can. I would think it would heal nicely though my arborist skills are mainly limited to benched trees (in pots) .
MrFancyPlants
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I think you might be right about the Depot being a weeping variety, but it sure doesn’t seem slow growing to me. It was pretty tall and lanky when I first acquired it, but after the first round of branch selection it really densified and lost it’s will to shoot up with its growth.
Frozentreehugger
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There slow growth is attributed to . There ability to tolerate shade Climax trees here with sugar maple . There seedlings wait in the forest floor heavy shade that others can not . But when the canopy opens up and they get light they can respond fairly fast so in a pot they respond well to light and fertilizer do well with long repots . I found in past reason I have tried different soils they can be slow after roots disturbed
MrFancyPlants
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You are certainly right about them slowing down in the shade. My collected one was in deep shade just off of a path on private property. It had one shoot going up 10 or 15 feet, searching for light. I know age estimates are silly, but I do wonder how many years it had been waiting there to be collected. Maybe not as long as imagined since there was a house and likely canopy disturbances in the area’s recent history.
Once I got it in the bright, if not full, sun and added high nitrogen fertilizer tabs, it really took off. Even during repotting years it has shown rapid growth, though this year, not quite so much after moving to the smaller pot.
I haven’t tried much with the named varieties, though now that you mention it, I may have killed some sort of micro hemlock variety about 15 years ago, back in the IBC days.
Once I got it in the bright, if not full, sun and added high nitrogen fertilizer tabs, it really took off. Even during repotting years it has shown rapid growth, though this year, not quite so much after moving to the smaller pot.
I haven’t tried much with the named varieties, though now that you mention it, I may have killed some sort of micro hemlock variety about 15 years ago, back in the IBC days.
GGB
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looks vigorous enough to begin chasing branches back toward the trunk? I'm asking and suggesting at the same time. I like this tree, I'm nervous you'll lose the option, but then again I'm a nervous person haha. Neat to see material that I would have passed up turn into material I wish I had. My state tree as well. Natures way has a BYOT workshop sometime in early November, Jim Doyle and Todd Schlaffer will be there plus Jim's very talented apprentice Seth. It's probably not a horrific drive for you
Frozentreehugger
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Aged bark can be a indication of age . In the shade studies have shown they can slow down there growth to almost a stop and still live in the shade they can be cut back as long as you leave green growth . I think the best method here is let it grow vigorously on that branch then cut it back they don’t back bug well on old wood . Biggest pitfall to styling is be very carefull wiring and bending they will break or tear away a branch from the trunk suddenly without warning . But they heal wounds like crazy . There sunlight tolerance I think is a advantage . Develop them in the sun then when your in refinement . You can use shade to slow down there growth . They also get darker foliage in the shade .
MrFancyPlants
Masterpiece
Thanks for the the lead on the workshop, and for the compliment on Depot’s development. I dropped Natures Way an email a while ago for a recommendation for a good workshop, but hadn’t heard back. 2-hr drive is not so bad, and a good workshop is what I really need to solidify a direction for the tree.
To your advice, I have been chasing the branches back in while retaining options, but I have been doing it in pieces. This past Spring I probably removed about 20% of the foliage, mostly from the ends of the branches, but I did remove a few branches at the bottom that were skinny and had foliage too far from the trunk.
There is one section on the second branch that I know will go, but it was above the dieback, so I was being conservative in retaining. The dieback is well arrested now, so should be safe to remove, but maybe I’ll save it for the workshop.
The nice thing about this tree, is it has been 100% clip and grow. I have a minor neuro-muscular disability, so wiring is an uphill battle for me.
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