Free Western Hemlock...

[Cadillactaste]

Well if anything...it will allow me to see if I can get it through winter in the gazebo. I stopped at the small landscaping place today outside of town. No small pots of juniper...but, he said...to follow him. He had some trees that didn't winter well last winter. No junipers...but, the hemlock caught my eye. For the small needles and how soft they were. I asked about it...and he said I could have it! If anything...it will give me a chance at trying to keep it alive...and maybe air layer or chopping it next season?

 

[bonsaiBlake]

Nice score!! Hemsys are pretty hardy. I imagine it should do quite well in the gazebo this winter

 

[Cadillactaste]

Nice score!! Hemsys are pretty hardy. I imagine it should do quite well in the gazebo this winter

Thanks! I was having such an unusual not me sort of mood today. That this was a great pick me up. Love the soft foliage...and it doesn't irritate my skin like Procumben do.

 

[KennedyMarx]

What a nice thing to happen!

I wonder what kind of root system is buried under the soil. Maybe with a little TLC this thing will throw a bunch of new buds. I don't think I've seen a hemlock as bonsai, but surely it's been done. I would have already cut the dead twigs back to stubs at least. That drives me crazy.

 

[Cadillactaste]

What a nice thing to happen!

I wonder what kind of root system is buried under the soil. Maybe with a little TLC this thing will throw a bunch of new buds. I don't think I've seen a hemlock as bonsai, but surely it's been done. I would have already cut the dead twigs back to stubs at least. That drives me crazy.

Thanks...I thought so. Picked me up out of my funk that's for sure.
Well...I did do a google image search and found some...some mis-tagged as well. Not a hemlock...but a variety of juniper. I know absolutely nothing about conifers...yeah...I might just do as you suggested tomorrow when I have more time to do so. How short of stubs would you go?

It would be fun to actually do something with it...and then take it back or photos back and show the the transformation.

 

[Vin]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer person! I see a cool future in that tree.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer person! I see a cool future in that tree.

Awwww thanks Vin. We shall see. Love the foliage on it. And that it doesn't make my skin irritated...a plus!

From what I seen reseaching...they handle all bonsai techniques well.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Opinions...is there a better option for this tree? This is what I am seeing at this time. With the new leader very flexible...turning it into a literati? Chopping making the leader branch that is quite long...longer than the remainder main trunk. And turning it into a literati...or...am I having tunnel vision since I like literati form? (Of course I see an air layer of the top...no sense in waisting good play material)

Leader is 28" with a thick base attached to trunk tapering as it reaches the end.
Chop would put main trunk from soil to leader...11".

 

[Cadillactaste]

Of course...no work until spring. Just getting it through winter is my goal.

 

[wireme]

I live in zone 3 with typically good snow cover. I had a couple western hemlocks overwinter well unprotected for about 6 years. It was a sudden onset of heavy freezing (-30ish) in mid October one year that took them out. Typical weather years though they were fine.
They were in a mix of crushed granite and decayed wood particles about 50/50 and seemed to like it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I live in zone 3 with typically good snow cover. I had a couple western hemlocks overwinter well unprotected for about 6 years. It was a sudden onset of heavy freezing (-30ish) in mid October one year that took them out. Typical weather years though they were fine.
They were in a mix of crushed granite and decayed wood particles about 50/50 and seemed to like it.

Thanks good to know what substrate it thrives in. Sorry you lost yours...that will help when I tackle it next year.

Though...I am trying to decide which is more important...a root prune reduction I don't see as a major focus at this time...possibly different soil,rinse roots and just add substrate and put back in original pot...Focusing on working the tree with an air layer and that chop once the air layer is ready to remove. (Unless someone has a better vision that I can see as well) working that leader that seems quite flexible at this time on my chopped tree.

 

[fore]

Not too often you get a deal like that Darlene!

For me, the trees weak and not that healthy. Evergreens really need to be in peak shape before any work. If it were mine, I'd start fertilizing the heck out of it till Oct. And just do the same for another yr till you get it healthy. Patience is so hard to practice...even for myself! But I've lost too many by being inpatient or not doing the necessary work first, like getting it in good soil.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Not too often you get a deal like that Darlene!

For me, the trees weak and not that healthy. Evergreens really need to be in peak shape before any work. If it were mine, I'd start fertilizing the heck out of it till Oct. And just do the same for another yr till you get it healthy. Patience is so hard to practice...even for myself! But I've lost too many by being inpatient or not doing the necessary work first, like getting it in good soil.

Appreciate the sound advice Chris...I can easily do that. With the knowledge that I will have a higher rate at survival. And in bonsai that is ones ultimate goal. Would be totally bummed if I had a dead tree on my hands. So...getting it though winter...and a good growing season and allowing it to store up much needed energy and become stronger. Check!

That said...would a repot/slip with no root pruning and getting it into a better suitable substrate something I would wish to consider come spring?

 

[GrimLore]

Appreciate the sound advice Chris...I can easily do that. With the knowledge that I will have a higher rate at survival. And in bonsai that is ones ultimate goal. Would be totally bummed if I had a dead tree on my hands. So...getting it though winter...and a good growing season and allowing it to store up much needed energy and become stronger. Check!

That said...would a repot/slip with no root pruning and getting it into a better suitable substrate something I would wish to consider come spring?

I would trim off only the dead twigs and water and fertilize until Fall as Chris said. That "should" get it plenty healthy to winter well and in Spring you could repot and root prune depending on what the roots and plant look like at that time. If you are "thinking" literati you could raise it and tip it a bit exposing the root base a bit. If you are going for literati remember the design generally is "better" if you land up with a nice trunk line followed by well planned sparse foliage. The reason I said that is you mentioned trunck chop and in my opinion it would hurt the final design. It is however a nice tree and will be a lot of fun once healthy

Grimmy

 

[Cadillactaste]

I guess I am just not seeing a lot of movement in the trunk. Tapers at the top...yes. I was thinking since the one leader (only branch that seems that long the rest are all proportioned to the tree) could be trained to flow and have movement. Again I am new and might not see the actual visual as clear.

Here are a few imagines that I liked...some you can see where I would bend the leader to make more movement. One...is a sketch I did not draw...but feel this tree could possibly pull off.

In the sketch...I think the leader branch I planned on using if chopped...could work for the lower branch. Since it is long and such. There is a little movement in the main trunk. But not as exaggerated as this sketch.

 

[GrimLore]

Looking at your tree I would place the pot on a 2 foot square board and start bending it now using hose or tubing to protect the trunk with a turnbuckle type tie down to the wood. It seems to me you could get nice movement by tying off from the center downward left and at the same time from near the top downward to the right. If you do that now I do not think it will hurt the tree and give you a better item to work in the Spring. It will of course need other work but getting movement early is a great start.

Grimmy

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Most important thing to know.... they will not backbud on old wood... You have to use what's there.... So the chopping of the tree and pruning back the legginess of it, is on your order of business. If you have a lot of bare branch you can always use some pretty creative movement to get it back where it needs to be. As with most conifers, I wouldn't bare root it completely, but you can get pretty heavy handed with reducing them by halves. They will thrive in pumice/composted bark/akadama... and they really love getting some iron in their feedings. I actually just put Ironite on my larger ones and let them go. You can get it at Lowes here. It would even be a good thing to do now until it goes fully dormant.

I wouldn't wait a year and a half to start getting it out of that soil. It's likely an Oregon clay, and that's a miserable medium under the best of circumstances. If it were mine, I would get it out of the can in the spring, take off a good section of the bottom and wash down the top to see your nebari, wedge it here and there... and put it in a grow box with some nice pumice.... pure pumice at that, for this stage.

Also considering what you want to leave... you'd do fine to get that chop done, just leave several inches from where you want to ultimately be. Doing it in late fall when the tree is drawn down, will be the best time... paste or not as you prefer.

I understand the caution... and generally there's everything good in that plan.. but a chop and a root ball reduction will not hurt this tree.... not wasting energy where you don't need it will also not hurt this tree. I would just wait on the heavy pruning that ultimately needs to happen.

Kindly,

Victrinia

 

[fore]

Looking at your tree I would place the pot on a 2 foot square board and start bending it now using hose or tubing to protect the trunk with a turnbuckle type tie down to the wood. It seems to me you could get nice movement by tying off from the center downward left and at the same time from near the top downward to the right. If you do that now I do not think it will hurt the tree and give you a better item to work in the Spring. It will of course need other work but getting movement early is a great start.

Grimmy

Totally agree Grimmy. Darlene can get some nice movement using turnbuckles, or, this might be above your skill level, but using rebar you can get a ton of movement for a cool literati.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Totally agree Grimmy. Darlene can get some nice movement using turnbuckles, or, this might be above your skill level, but using rebar you can get a ton of movement for a cool literati.

I may have to google this...see what I can find. As for direction.

Though...I do like this literati as well. Love the starkness...and quirkiness of the trees that are literati.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Most important thing to know.... they will not backbud on old wood... You have to use what's there.... So the chopping of the tree and pruning back the legginess of it, is on your order of business. If you have a lot of bare branch you can always use some pretty creative movement to get it back where it needs to be. As with most conifers, I wouldn't bare root it completely, but you can get pretty heavy handed with reducing them by halves. They will thrive in pumice/composted bark/akadama... and they really love getting some iron in their feedings. I actually just put Ironite on my larger ones and let them go. You can get it at Lowes here. It would even be a good thing to do now until it goes fully dormant.

I wouldn't wait a year and a half to start getting it out of that soil. It's likely an Oregon clay, and that's a miserable medium under the best of circumstances. If it were mine, I would get it out of the can in the spring, take off a good section of the bottom and wash down the top to see your nebari, wedge it here and there... and put it in a grow box with some nice pumice.... pure pumice at that, for this stage.

Also considering what you want to leave... you'd do fine to get that chop done, just leave several inches from where you want to ultimately be. Doing it in late fall when the tree is drawn down, will be the best time... paste or not as you prefer.

I understand the caution... and generally there's everything good in that plan.. but a chop and a root ball reduction will not hurt this tree.... not wasting energy where you don't need it will also not hurt this tree. I would just wait on the heavy pruning that ultimately needs to happen.

Kindly,

Victrinia

Actually...the soil is quick draining...like fine compost mulch. Doing a chop now...would mean to lose the top...which I had hoped to play around with. Would prefer an air layer. The top of this tree is pretty.

A root ball reduction when it's getting colder here... I thought that was done when a tree was pushing new growth...or am I mistaken,and you mean come spring?

Your agreeing though...to chop and make the leader my desired literati movement form then.