Engelmann spruce progression

[butlern]

Picked up a rather unusual tree while Todd Schlafer was here conducting workshops in Iowa last fall. I think it's going to become a really interesting tree over time.

Some dramatic movement, some really cool shari and deadwood.

Apparently I didn't take a picture when I first picked it up, but exactly one day after the October workshop we had a snowstorm:

 

[butlern]

Thus far, I have done nothing, and I plan to do nothing until I become familiar with it's growth habits here in what can be a relatively warm and humid place (Eastern Iowa).

The plan is to keep the canopy and right side relatively compact, and let the left branch extend and wire movement and downward direction (same is true of the primary back branch).

Based on what I have read, these date to be messed with at the wrong time of the year, which is another reason I did not mess with pruning or wiring this spring. Apparently, late fall is the time for those activities, especially wiring.

Here is the tree in June 2020. Lots of flushes, but clearly apically dominant (maybe not so clear form picture):

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Really nice tree from Todd. I really like it.

Be sure to keep an eye out for adelgids. Or some similar bug. There is a very tiny one that tucks itself in at the base of needles. At first glance they are easy to miss. I lost a nice englemann to them some years back. I don't see any in your photos, just be sure to take a good look at least twice a year.

 

[raydomz]

Watching this one!
I have not had good luck with Englemann in the midwest which is a shame, there are a lot of great ones collected out west. They seem to slowly lose vigor over a couple of years and then just die. This happened with two trees collected by Randy Knight. Let us know what you encounter in terms of care. Anyone else here in the midwest successfully growing Englemann?

 

[butlern]

Yes, agree with all suggested above.

I know there are a bunch of Engelmann spruce at HG in Chicago, and Jeff has been maintaining/selling/caring for them for several years. But I also know that Jeff had several get torched when he first started making them available from Randy, Todd et al... He placed them out in full sun all day long the first season he had them on site. They will not tolerate intense summer sun and heat of the midwest. I think people may/might/perhaps often lose them here because the knee-jerk assumption for such evergreens is that they need full sun all day long, all of the time. Not these... they'll croak. Discussed this at length with Todd, too, both before and after I purchased the tree.

Mine is positioned to get sun from ~10 am to 1:30 pm, and then dappled to full shade in the afternoon and evening.

We're projected to be steadily in the high 80 F range and sunny for the next week, so this one will come off the bench into cooler, mostly shaded spot below an overhead deck on the back of the house.

I'll keep the progression updated as things unfold.

Noah

 

[butlern]

Some pictures of spring/summer growth (it's still pushing new growth all over). No fuzzy, white adelgids anywhere to be seen, thankfully. But I will stay on it, Leo!



Some additional shots of the shari and bark, not revealed in the first sets of pictures

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I love how healthy foliage looks, and the shari and aged bark really add a sense of age.

 

[butlern]

Annual update:

A little more development of lower left primary branch and back branch… but need to do a better job of compacting apex growth next spring. I pruned to interior buds, but I think I’ll pinch next spring too.

 

[Colorado]

Nice spruce! And it looks very healthy. Good job!

 

[butlern]

Spring 2022 update

 

[Hartinez]

Spring 2022 update

View attachment 436278

A beauty. Looking very healthy also!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Fire up that carving tool!

 

[Shogun610]

Following … too much sun near me for englellmann but may change due to shade net setup.. updates please as you work on it

 

[misfit11]

Very nice! The natural deadwood is fantastic on this. Great job with the styling as well. Do these back bud well?

 

[butlern]

Fire up that carving tool!

@Brian Van Fleet, unclear!

Not sure how I could possibly make decades of natural decay look more natural!



Unless you're talking about the jins... then yes, those need some work

 

[butlern]

Very nice! The natural deadwood is fantastic on this. Great job with the styling as well. Do these back bud well?

At growth junctions, absolutely. Lots of buds. It will also backbud on bare wood that is somewhat younger and still flexible. Generally the outside bends of wired branches. Not sure if stress fractures in cambium trigger that. Not dependable, but happens from time-to-time on this tree.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

@Brian Van Fleet, unclear!

Not sure how I could possibly make decades of natural decay look more natural!

View attachment 436420View attachment 436421View attachment 436422View attachment 436423

Unless you're talking about the jins... then yes, those need some work

No, the current deadwood is great and I wouldn’t mess it up, but it looks stubbed off at the blue circled area, at least in the photo. I’d be tempted to extend it just a touch up into the trunk (Yellow lines).

 

[butlern]

No sketch visible, but I’m onto what you’re describing.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

No sketch visible, but I’m onto what you’re describing.

My bad. Nice tree, spruces are great, wish they did better here.