Ezo Spruce

[Brian Van Fleet]

I purchased this Ezo (picea jezoensis) from Brent a couple years ago in a 5-gal can. In the fall of '11, Peter Warren and I negotiated a front and agreed it would be a formal upright, then chose some primary branches. As purchased:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The plan:
1. Identify primary branches
2. Repot in spring '12
3. Let it grow and gain strength in '12
4. Pull down the primary branches in winter

After pruning it back in fall '11:

 

[NewWorldBonsai]

How many years did it take to grow a spruce that large? Was it collected or nursery grown?

Being from Florida I know little about spruce besides they require a very patient hand.

I always enjoy a good spruce, can't wait to see yours with some wire on it

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Now when you say '12, do you mean '13?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

NWB: It came from Evergreen Gardenworks, and is roughly 20 years old, from liner stock he got from a conifer collector in the early '90s.

RR: The dates are correct...

 

[Redwood Ryan]

RR: The dates are correct...

Ah I thought that since you said the plan was to repot in '12 and let it grow in '12 that you meant '13. Nice piece of stock regardless of the year.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Repotting

I was warned that it had been in that can for a long time. It was heavy and dense...knew this was going to take a while, but it was good soil and after sawing off the bottom half, the roots worked out nicely, and revealed a nice base...February, '12:

 

[Gene Deci]

One of my favorite trees of all time is an Ezo spruce from Japan. This one could be just as nice. I'm glad you are working on it. I'm anxiously waiting for the next up-date.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

After heavy pruning and major root reduction, I didn't expect much, but it responded well...decent growth, but tons of buds set for next year. Figured it could handle a little more work. After the '12 growing season:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Raised in Iowa, I never appreciated the spruces up there until we left and stopped seeing them as prominently in the AL landscapes. Now when we go back, it's all I see (especially because my golf game has eroded so badly that I'm usually trying to play out from behind one).

The trunk lends itself to an upright, so simply pulling the branches down should set it down the right path to become one of those old graceful spruce trees whose branches touch the ground all around.

Pulling down the primary branches:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

When we pruned it back a little over a year ago, we wired a branch up to become the next leader, then carved a ten-Jin...which I hate in formal uprights (Goshin excepted).

I removed it..do the right work the first time. This is a long term project, and it's going to take 3 years before it leaves the backyard anyway.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Finally, pulling down the remaining branches, thinning things out a bit, and starting to set branches that can help develop an apex over the next few years.

Over the winter, I'll continue to pull the guy wires a bit tighter to get a more acute angle to the profile. It's far from tidy, but the branches are better balanced from right to left, and if it has a couple good growing seasons, it will start to shape up pretty well.

 

[garywood]

Good work Brian!
Wood

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Oh, you weren't done posting

Beautiful tree.

 

[ghues]

Nice work Brian.....will look forward to its progress.

 

[milehigh_7]

Love spruces! I am with out about missing them. Having grown up in the mountains of Colorado you get used to seeing them. Las Vegas? Not so much. It is looking good!

 

[Brian Underwood]

Good read, and a good start to an awesome species. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dan W.]

Great work Brian! Thanks for the progression.

I love spruce and I have a good feeling that this will be one of my favorites.

 

[Vance Wood]

Have you given any thought to rooting any cuttings from the pruning of this tree? It is my understanding that Ezzo roots well from cuttings. I remember a past issue of International Bonsai had an extensive article on the subject.

 

[october]

Very, very nice!

Rob