linlaoboo
Mame
here are the pictures I took.
Eastern Hemlock - Bonsai suitable?
- Thread starter Marc Wiehn
- Start date
MrFancyPlants
Omono
I'd love to see some updates on the eastern Hemlocks out there. I've been enchanted by the species for a while now. Also, is their any truth to the recommendation to pot up using lots of organic material, or is acidity really the desirable trait in the potting medium?
Thanks,
David
Thanks,
David
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
Here's a few pics from southern Ohio on my parents land. New to bonsai nut so not sure if it going to load. There not bonsai but I think I'm going to collect a couple over this winter. 
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
A couple more pics
treebeard55
Chumono
That's got to be the Hocking Hills, or someplace nearby. 
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
They are suitable as long as you cut back twice a year like the way they grow Japanese Hemlock.
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
That's got to be the Hocking Hills, or someplace nearby.
Rockbridge real close to old mans cave and ash cave and the rest. Are you an Ohioian treebeard55? If so do you have much experience collecting yamadori? Your welcome to come with me and we can each get a couple.
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
Hey Vance Wood, does that mean there good for 2 flushes of new growth?
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Yes........
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
Went down to Rockbridge yesterday and took some more pics. The hemlock are pretty amazing how they grow right on the rocks. Going to collect a couple in the spring and if anyone wants to go with you can get a couple. There is hundreds of little ones down there. Here's some pics.
tmmason10
Omono
I thought this one was interesting last fall. (Couldn't host pic here because it was too large)
http://tomsbonsai.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/dscn0945.jpg
http://tomsbonsai.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/dscn0945.jpg
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
That is a crazy trunk. You thinking about adding it to the bench?
tmmason10
Omono
It's a possibility. I hope to get and use permits next year.
Nomad
Sapling
If you cut back twice a year, then the growth is very lush. The root systems are usually well developed as well. Trunks require patience to mature, but all of mine are quite immature, with the exception of one which is close to maturity. That one has a really interesting aerial roots that go up about an inch and a half of the sloping trunk. Very cool, and it will have to be a feature of the bonsai when it leaves pre-bonsai training.
However, hemlocks are finicky. Especially forest-collected hemlocks. Here, in the forest, they get comfortable and set in, where they grow basically exactly how they want to and to their own liking. This is a problem. No matter what way you situate them, you may find that they are difficult to adapt on occasions.
A solution? Of course. This is science. Because it works.
Collect the hardiest of the hemlocks. Those that have been displaced into fields, rock pastures and on slim beds of forest litter atop boulders. The hemlocks that would likely not survive as long as you. The best way to find them? Wandering around. You can identify them by the slightly yellowy color in the otherwise dark green foliage. This is due to the overexposure to the sun, causing less photosynthesis to be necessary, and the pigment yellows, due to less chloroplasts. This condition usually goes away in a year if you give the hemlocks a nice, loamy soil in a trainer and give it some shade. These tend to also have trimmed back branches and a very natural, broken sort of feel, as many I have seen have old dead branches and thick but short trunks, with scars and lost branches. From wintering I presume, without the protection of the forest. These variety is hardier, and has a will to survive. In even shohin size they have much character, even though some will occasionally be unattractive.
So good luck, you hardy hemlock collectors!
However, hemlocks are finicky. Especially forest-collected hemlocks. Here, in the forest, they get comfortable and set in, where they grow basically exactly how they want to and to their own liking. This is a problem. No matter what way you situate them, you may find that they are difficult to adapt on occasions.
A solution? Of course. This is science. Because it works.
Collect the hardiest of the hemlocks. Those that have been displaced into fields, rock pastures and on slim beds of forest litter atop boulders. The hemlocks that would likely not survive as long as you. The best way to find them? Wandering around. You can identify them by the slightly yellowy color in the otherwise dark green foliage. This is due to the overexposure to the sun, causing less photosynthesis to be necessary, and the pigment yellows, due to less chloroplasts. This condition usually goes away in a year if you give the hemlocks a nice, loamy soil in a trainer and give it some shade. These tend to also have trimmed back branches and a very natural, broken sort of feel, as many I have seen have old dead branches and thick but short trunks, with scars and lost branches. From wintering I presume, without the protection of the forest. These variety is hardier, and has a will to survive. In even shohin size they have much character, even though some will occasionally be unattractive.
So good luck, you hardy hemlock collectors!
RECLAIMEDBARNWOOD
Yamadori
Hey Nomad you mind posting some pictures. I would love to see them. I was down there again today and took a couple more pics.
This one is not hemlock. I might see what it is in spring when the leaves come back.
This one is not hemlock. I might see what it is in spring when the leaves come back.
Nomad
Sapling
Certainly. The four I have are rather unremarkable and young, at least they are now, but have potential and this spring I will feature some recently collected tamaracks, hemlocks and a few Balsam Firs I've had my eye on that I can't wait to collect (I am a conifer man myself).
The hemlocks I have had are quite young, and my favorite had a very beautiful root system, however, it died very early (it was forest collected). They are at best pre-bonsai. But promising, at least in my eye. Bonsai always are, anyways...
MrFancyPlants
Omono
I collected one late this past spring from the forest. The roots were like radial tap roots in length, so I am hoping there were some feeders hiding in the duft pad I collected with it. It looks healthy enough, but I am not uncrossing my fingers until spring or maybe next.
Hey Jim, welcome to Bnut! I'm glad you're looking into eastern hemlocks as bonsai, it's good to know at least a few people are haha. So I started getting interested in bonsai last winter, and now I'm hooked of course. One of the first few tree species I looked into for potential bonsai was Eastern Hemlock as this is one of my favorite tree species in general, they're absolutely stunning in the forests around here and I've seen very very old Hemlocks in patches of old growth forest in the Adirondacks that are just huge.
So you can imagine how let down I was when it was incredibly hard to find even a few examples of people working with this tree and even on this forum being told they're next to impossible to work with, or at least that it would be a fight the whole way. BUT I love this species so I'm going for it anyway. Lancaster's tree is one of the nicest I've seen, so that's kind of an inspiration to go for it.
As Nomad mentioned they're especially finicky with soil, but I think the bigger issue is actually finding a suitable tree to collect in the wild. This dawned on me when I went for a walk in the woods this past spring to scout out hemlocks that were suitable for collecting. And I left the woods convinced that they don't exist!!!! Basically the issue is that with most any wild growing Eastern Hemlock, the foliage or even first branch is SO FAR from the base of the trunk that the best bonsai you'd ever get out of the average tree in the forest is a 5 foot tall trunk with a bit of green at the top. And as far as I understand, Hemlocks don't really backbud much, but I could be wrong.
BUT, all hope is not lost... this goes back to what nomad was saying about searching for those very few hemlocks that are growing in adverse conditions that may be naturally dwarfed. So I'll conclude my rant now, but I just noticed most of the trees in your pictures do not have foliage anywhere near the base of the trunk, though some really interesting trunks and trees! But regardless, you would not want to collect anything like that, but search around as much as you can and see what you find. They're out there somewhere! They've got to be!!!!
I have yet to find a suitable hemlock in the wild, I really only scouted in the forest a couple times, but I plan on checking out as many areas as I can next spring. If anyone knows where there are some scraggly dwarfish hemlocks in NY I'm all ears.
Though I did manage to buy a small hemlock from a nursery this past summer, maybe 2 feet tall with a decently thick trunk, and with much thicker branching and foliage than what you would normally find in the wild. Haven't done much with it yet, but I'll snap a photo and post it up here tomorrow. I'd love any suggestions or advice.
So you can imagine how let down I was when it was incredibly hard to find even a few examples of people working with this tree and even on this forum being told they're next to impossible to work with, or at least that it would be a fight the whole way. BUT I love this species so I'm going for it anyway. Lancaster's tree is one of the nicest I've seen, so that's kind of an inspiration to go for it.
As Nomad mentioned they're especially finicky with soil, but I think the bigger issue is actually finding a suitable tree to collect in the wild. This dawned on me when I went for a walk in the woods this past spring to scout out hemlocks that were suitable for collecting. And I left the woods convinced that they don't exist!!!! Basically the issue is that with most any wild growing Eastern Hemlock, the foliage or even first branch is SO FAR from the base of the trunk that the best bonsai you'd ever get out of the average tree in the forest is a 5 foot tall trunk with a bit of green at the top. And as far as I understand, Hemlocks don't really backbud much, but I could be wrong.
BUT, all hope is not lost... this goes back to what nomad was saying about searching for those very few hemlocks that are growing in adverse conditions that may be naturally dwarfed. So I'll conclude my rant now, but I just noticed most of the trees in your pictures do not have foliage anywhere near the base of the trunk, though some really interesting trunks and trees! But regardless, you would not want to collect anything like that, but search around as much as you can and see what you find. They're out there somewhere! They've got to be!!!!
I have yet to find a suitable hemlock in the wild, I really only scouted in the forest a couple times, but I plan on checking out as many areas as I can next spring. If anyone knows where there are some scraggly dwarfish hemlocks in NY I'm all ears.
Though I did manage to buy a small hemlock from a nursery this past summer, maybe 2 feet tall with a decently thick trunk, and with much thicker branching and foliage than what you would normally find in the wild. Haven't done much with it yet, but I'll snap a photo and post it up here tomorrow. I'd love any suggestions or advice.
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Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Hey Jim, welcome to Bnut! I'm glad you're looking into eastern hemlocks as bonsai, it's good to know at least a few people are haha. So I started getting interested in bonsai last winter, and now I'm hooked of course. One of the first few tree species I looked into for potential bonsai was Eastern Hemlock as this is one of my favorite tree species in general, they're absolutely stunning in the forests around here and I've seen very very old Hemlocks in patches of old growth forest in the Adirondacks that are just huge.
So you can imagine how let down I was when it was incredibly hard to find even a few examples of people working with this tree and even on this forum being told they're next to impossible to work with, or at least that it would be a fight the whole way. BUT I love this species so I'm going for it anyway. Lancaster's tree is one of the nicest I've seen, so that's kind of an inspiration to go for it.
As Nomad mentioned they're especially finicky with soil, but I think the bigger issue is actually finding a suitable tree to collect in the wild. This dawned on me when I went for a walk in the woods this past spring to scout out hemlocks that were suitable for collecting. And I left the woods convinced that they don't exist!!!! Basically the issue is that with most any wild growing Eastern Hemlock, the foliage or even first branch is SO FAR from the base of the trunk that the best bonsai you'd ever get out of the average tree in the forest is a 5 foot tall trunk with a bit of green at the top. And as far as I understand, Hemlocks don't really backbud much, but I could be wrong.
BUT, all hope is not lost... this goes back to what nomad was saying about searching for those very few hemlocks that are growing in adverse conditions that may be naturally dwarfed. So I'll conclude my rant now, but I just noticed most of the trees in your pictures do not have foliage anywhere near the base of the trunk, though some really interesting trunks and trees! But regardless, you would not want to collect anything like that, but search around as much as you can and see what you find. They're out there somewhere! They've got to be!!!!
I have yet to find a suitable hemlock in the wild, I really only scouted in the forest a couple times, but I plan on checking out as many areas as I can next spring. If anyone knows where there are some scraggly dwarfish hemlocks in NY I'm all ears.
Though I did manage to buy a small hemlock from a nursery this past summer, maybe 2 feet tall with a decently thick trunk, and with much thicker branching and foliage than what you would normally find in the wild. Haven't done much with it yet, but I'll snap a photo and post it up here tomorrow. I'd love any suggestions or advice.
Eastern Hemlock do make decent bonsai but in order to get them to look like something you must utilize the second flush of growth. If you do that they ramify really well even though the growth is a bit flaccid compared to Western and Mountain Hemlock. I had one for about 10 years and it was looking pretty good when some fungus came through and took it out.
