First Colorado Blue.

Adair M

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Eeee No!
Just the one lopping of branches upon receipt.
I always try to document any work, even experimental.

I agree that process is rather ...uh..."shouldn't betaught" lol!

I see a pretty clear difference in spruce shoot size....same as Boxwood.
On BHS (densata) There is a natural about half inch wide shoot. About 2-3 inches long.

And the bigger inch wide shoots, about 4-6 inches long....

In CBS or seems 3/4in and 1 1/4 in maybe a little bigger...

Simply favoring those smaller buds and keeping them balanced seems to keep them uniform in tiny foliage.

That "spruce for real" thread is sure coming!
Especially sonce you agree that technoque is weak....worse yet....weakening!

I dont see a purpose for it at all..

Quite honestly....I feel it is leftover from when we were taught to keep trees unhealthy for small growth .

Or the dreaded....mistranslation of Japanese info!

Sorce
I was directing this towards Rose Mary. But, that user may be he active...

Sorce, you better not pinch your CBS either!
 

M. Frary

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I pinched out the earliest few bits of new growth on my mini hinoki, and it activated every single piece of foliage...the whole thing is growing now, instead of a few strong shoots.
You're supposed to pinch the hell out of hinoki.
 

Cosmos

Shohin
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Sorce, you cut what, 2/3 of the rootball at least, if you snuck a few handfuls of bonsai soil in there? 3/4? What’s your aftercare like?

I just repotted my nursery blue (bought last June, nothing done to it), but sort of chickened out. I sawed the bottom one-third of the rootball (Lord Mugo style), made the sides of the rootball fuzzy (tons of white feeder roots like yours), but then I selected a big pot, just a bit shorter than the nursery can, but a fair bit wider (my first option was a cut off nursery container, but to squeeze the tree in I would’ve needed to remove a fair bit of roots around the perimeter).

I guess I took the slow, slow road. At least, if the tree survives, the trunk is going to thicken for sure. You took the highway... either to bonsai paradise, or hell!
 

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sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Sorce, you cut what, 2/3 of the rootball at least, if you snuck a few handfuls of bonsai soil in there? 3/4? What’s your aftercare like?

I just repotted my nursery blue (bought last June, nothing done to it), but sort of chickened out. I sawed the bottom one-third of the rootball (Lord Mugo style), made the sides of the rootball fuzzy (tons of white feeder roots like yours), but then I selected a big pot, just a bit shorter than the nursery can, but a fair bit wider (my first option was a cut off nursery container, but to squeeze the tree in I would’ve needed to remove a fair bit of roots around the perimeter).

I guess I took the slow, slow road. At least, if the tree survives, the trunk is going to thicken for sure. You took the highway... either to bonsai paradise, or hell!

Sorry I missed this!

This thing has fallen twice and is still well.

Have it under the auto water 25min at 5 and 5.

Since bungeed it down!

Sumtin bout a tight fit...

I think I put a tablespoon or 2 of DE in there.

Sorce
 

Cosmos

Shohin
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No problem sorce, thanks for the update. That slant indeed screams "bungee cords", hehe.

What kind of sun exposition so far? I’ll keep it a good 2 weeks in mostly shade with 4 hours or so of morning sun.
 

M. Frary

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@sorce when dewhorling are you just cutting the branch down to a stump? Similar to mugo trunks?
I would.
I've seen these trees lose a whole side after being trimmed back from powerlines. They were taken back to the trunk. (We call it side raped)
Eastern white pines will also do this.
To be safe I would leave stubs from larger branches.
 

Rose Mary

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Has this tree been pinched? The new spring growth, did you try to pinch the tip and shorten the new growth? It looks like it.

The problem is, that can kill the tree!oh, I know it’s “taught” by some respected bonsai people. Doesn’t matter. It really weakens spruces! Can kill them, in fact. Let the new buds open and grow. As they grow out, they will produce buds as well as needles. After
they’ve grown out in mid summer, you will be able to see all the little buds fitting there. If you want to shorten a branch, do it then, once you can see the bud. Cut back to a live bud. Or, you can cut off a terminal shoot entirely, and train a back branch to take its place.


Adair, yes I did exactly that in years past and appreciate you clarifying when to do this.
I just let it go this year as it was showing weakness and figured it was on its way out like the other.
I kept it watered and fed but didn't expect much.
It has pushed new buds and growth and looks stronger now. Those early buds pushed on and grew new branch tips etc.
There are new buds closer in toward the trunk, but I think I should just leave the tree alone and let it regain vigor.
I hope next year it will more vigorous, not dead.
thank you
 

Rose Mary

Shohin
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Adair, yes I did exactly that in years past and appreciate you clarifying when to do this.
I just let it go this year as it was showing weakness and figured it was on its way out like the other.
I kept it watered and fed but didn't expect much.
It has pushed new buds and growth and looks stronger now. Those early buds pushed on and grew new branch tips etc.
There are new buds closer in toward the trunk, but I think I should just leave the tree alone and let it regain vigor.

thank you

Adair, so with many of my collected sitka spruce having a lot of buds closer to the trunk... is it ok to trim back to those now?
I let the earlier buds run and would like to shorten the branches back to where the new buds have formed.
The big colorado has put new growth into pushing the early buds. Should I let them go this year or is it ok to cut back now to newer buds that have popped?
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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The Saga of the Fallers cont'd...

20180908_183233.jpg

Bungee and all..

Still good!

S
 

sorce

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Lol...When I took that pic...i Didn't even notoce OG faller over there!

S
 

PABonsai

Chumono
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Nice thread. I just saw this and was wondering, with the branch stumps you leave do you eventually remove them or do they stay forever?
 
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