Dwart alberta spruce conica
- Thread starter nagatay
- Start date
bonsaichile
Omono
It'd be better if you can give us some specific questions
Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
It's good to see young people interested in bonsai. My best recommendation would be to teach patience. Don't let him start hacking away. He needs to learn how to keep it healthy first. Have him join the forum. He can learn a lot here. There are a lot of salty old codgers who would be glad to help a youngster along.
Thanks to all. He is very excited. I have suggested he read the bonsai site bonsai 4me.com, my first tree. I will suggest his parents like him join this site thanks. The most important question is timing. How much can be work prune,wire,pot.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Good thread on...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/lets-see-those-dwarf-alberta-spruce-jams.24989/
If thats what he has.
S
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/lets-see-those-dwarf-alberta-spruce-jams.24989/
If thats what he has.
S
thank you, I will read through threads and send him as much info as possible. That's again he is going and very impatient. Thanks again. I will ask him to send me a picture as he works maybe I can post it.
bonsaichile
Omono
With Alberta Spruces, timing is important. He should not attempt to wire the branches before Thanksgiving, or the branches might die. Pruning hard in early spring will make it backbud, even along the trunk. Good luck!
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
That's before the end of November, isn't it?
Here we say "A la sainte Catherine, tout bois prend racine" (smthg like "On St Catherine's day, every wood takes root"). Secular wisdom / knowledge
You live in a much colder area than where I am (USDA zone 8), but this is interesting, thanks for sharing your experience.
LaoTzu
Seedling
Please find attached a nice PDF I have on Alberta Spruce Bonsai Care. It talks about everything needed for a beginner regarding watering, feeding, prunning, repotting, temperature etc.
I have also read from one of the forums here that picking the needles off of the branches might prevent them from thickening properly and can lead to reverse camber. Meaning that the branches at the top can get thicker than the ones at the bottom which would lead to a worse overall visual effect.
Also note that the area of most growth is at the top, the middle being average growth and the bottom being the slowest growth. So you might not want to heavy prune the bottom since it takes a longer time to recover.
This is also some good advice I got from Soldano666 which has a very nice Alberta Spruce composition:
"Growth almost always wants to grow straight up, so keep that in mind when wiring and styling, mist of my heavy pruning is done while dormant in the winter, so it bleeds less sap."
Further reading on bonsai4me regarding the dwarf alberta spruce can be found on this link: http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPiceaPruningstylingandwiring.htm
Hope this helps. It's great that he wants to start at 15. It will definitely require effort to master the patience for it at this age, but if he keeps up with it then he can create a lot of great bonsai. Probably the best thing would be to look back on the spruce 10 years from now and say "this was my first one."
I have also read from one of the forums here that picking the needles off of the branches might prevent them from thickening properly and can lead to reverse camber. Meaning that the branches at the top can get thicker than the ones at the bottom which would lead to a worse overall visual effect.
Also note that the area of most growth is at the top, the middle being average growth and the bottom being the slowest growth. So you might not want to heavy prune the bottom since it takes a longer time to recover.
This is also some good advice I got from Soldano666 which has a very nice Alberta Spruce composition:
"Growth almost always wants to grow straight up, so keep that in mind when wiring and styling, mist of my heavy pruning is done while dormant in the winter, so it bleeds less sap."
Further reading on bonsai4me regarding the dwarf alberta spruce can be found on this link: http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPiceaPruningstylingandwiring.htm
Hope this helps. It's great that he wants to start at 15. It will definitely require effort to master the patience for it at this age, but if he keeps up with it then he can create a lot of great bonsai. Probably the best thing would be to look back on the spruce 10 years from now and say "this was my first one."
bonsaichile
Omono
My bad! I actually meant AFTER Thanksgiving, yes, the end of November
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Attachments
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
One more for the Dead Bonsai Society...
To me, a lot of hassle for poor result, and in the end, disappointment.
Never ever seen one worth displaying even at a local exhibit.
Might as well try Catalpa...
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Please find attached a nice PDF I have on Alberta Spruce Bonsai Care. It talks about everything needed for a beginner regarding watering, feeding, prunning, repotting, temperature etc.
I have also read from one of the forums here that picking the needles off of the branches might prevent them from thickening properly and can lead to reverse camber. Meaning that the branches at the top can get thicker than the ones at the bottom which would lead to a worse overall visual effect.
Also note that the area of most growth is at the top, the middle being average growth and the bottom being the slowest growth. So you might not want to heavy prune the bottom since it takes a longer time to recover.
This is also some good advice I got from Soldano666 which has a very nice Alberta Spruce composition:
"Growth almost always wants to grow straight up, so keep that in mind when wiring and styling, mist of my heavy pruning is done while dormant in the winter, so it bleeds less sap."
Further reading on bonsai4me regarding the dwarf alberta spruce can be found on this link: http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPiceaPruningstylingandwiring.htm
Hope this helps. It's great that he wants to start at 15. It will definitely require effort to master the patience for it at this age, but if he keeps up with it then he can create a lot of great bonsai. Probably the best thing would be to look back on the spruce 10 years from now and say "this was my first one."
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