Japanese larch progression

[parhamr]

The larch survived the year but wasn’t quite thriving. This yard has too much southern exposure — all day long. Portland had another “top five” sort of hot summers this year.


It put on just a little bit of growth extension, but not very much. I left it alone to recover after moderate root work in the repotting this year. I think I see where I’m going to remove the sacrificial top to provide more taper.

The good news is we are moving in February back to the neighborhood we used to live in. There’s a lot more afternoon shade in that location. I’ll wire this tree fully in late February, as usual.

 

[AlainK]

You know I love Larch, parhamr.
Great tree !

 

[parhamr]

RIP. It never woke up this year. The cambium remained green and supple though April, but the buds were all dead.


I think it was killed by a stint at 17°F from a surprise winter storm.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Sorry to see this one go, you had done a great job developing it. Mine survived when our temps dropped down to 0F back in December and all are doing OK this summer. I did lose a couple of seedlings back this spring after I wired and bent them in some wild shapes. To add injury to the insult a squirrel knocked one off the bench and it had to be repotted before it died. I find them to be very sensitive to root disturbance and summer heat so I keep mine in part shade until July then move them to almost full shade.

 

[August44]

RIP. It never woke up this year. The cambium remained green and supple though April, but the buds were all dead.
View attachment 493202

I think it was killed by a stint at 17°F from a surprise winter storm.

Sorry to see your loss. Do you think the amount of wire that is on the tree had anything to do with your loss. I have found that wire DOES affect trees in a negative way sometimes depending on the tree, severity of bends, length of time wire has been on the tree, etc, etc. Also, Larch are more than a little finicky me thinks.

 

[luvinthemountains]

That is heartbreaking. I have heard many times that Japanese larch are very cold-hardy, but if it was exposed to wind then maybe the buds died from desiccation. I hope that you find an equally great replacement for it!

 

[Shogun610]

Dude…. Sorry to see

 

[parhamr]

Sorry to see your loss. Do you think the amount of wire that is on the tree had anything to do with your loss. I have found that wire DOES affect trees in a negative way sometimes depending on the tree, severity of bends, length of time wire has been on the tree, etc, etc. Also, Larch are more than a little finicky me thinks.

I don’t think so. I wired the tree as usual in the early spring. It’s done totally fine with this wire before. My technique has improved a lot and I break so many fewer branches than I used to in years prior.

The top escape branches are unwired and unbent. The entire tree was non-responsive this year.

 

[August44]

I don’t think so. I wired the tree as usual in the early spring. It’s done totally fine with this wire before. My technique has improved a lot and I break so many fewer branches than I used to in years prior.

The top escape branches are unwired and unbent. The entire tree was non-responsive this year.

Hmmm...have you wired this tree like this in the early spring? Curious and just trying to learn something about Larch. I have had experiences with them that I have never understood also. Strange they are sometimes.

 

[August44]

Kind of reminds me of a small Elm stump I bought at the Boise Club auction last year. Nice carved stump with a single trunk with good movement growing up from some live wood. The stump was leaning over towards the ground a little so I just guy wired in straight up. The trunk never woke up even though it scratch tested green for almost 2 months. Trunk has thrown out numerous branches and wants to start over I guess. It does that once more and it will be in the fire pit!

 

[Mike Westervelt]

That sucks Reed, You had made great progress with that tree.

I've been struggling with larch, spruce, and other cool environment species in recent years.

I've been attributing most of my struggles to hot summer weather, not cold winter temps, any thoughts?

 

[Adamski77]

RIP. It never woke up this year. The cambium remained green and supple though April, but the buds were all dead.
View attachment 493202

I think it was killed by a stint at 17°F from a surprise winter storm.

that's a pity... it's been quite a few years and really got to a very nice stage... so sorry to hear it didn't make it ;(

 

[August44]

Come to think of it I lost a number of larches several years ago that had budded out in the cold frame, in fact they were pretty well along and the weather was decent too. I put them outside on the bench and then we had a night like yours and the growth all turned white and then most of the trees refused to try again and just died. I have seen this happen on big mature trees in the wild where the tops get hit by a cold breeze at night and turn white, but they recover after a month or so and are all green again. Not sure what I could have done to get mine to recover. The ones in the wild got no help, they just recovered.

 

[JeffS73]

Man, I am sorry to see this. I thought L.Kaempferi were pretty bombproof, mine over here in the UK are fine through a cold winter, but we don't get 17f generally. Best of luck with your other trees!

 

[parhamr]

That sucks Reed, You had made great progress with that tree.

I've been struggling with larch, spruce, and other cool environment species in recent years.

I've been attributing most of my struggles to hot summer weather, not cold winter temps, any thoughts?

The summers have been brutal for three years running. Landscape trees have major dead sections all throughout the region.

 

[leatherback]

Come to think of it I lost a number of larches several years ago that had budded out in the cold frame, in fact they were pretty well along and the weather was decent too. I put them outside on the bench and then we had a night like yours and the growth all turned white and then most of the trees refused to try again and just died. I have seen this happen on big mature trees in the wild where the tops get hit by a cold breeze at night and turn white, but they recover after a month or so and are all green again. Not sure what I could have done to get mine to recover. The ones in the wild got no help, they just recovered.

protect the roots. Larch roots are sensitive to damage, including frost damage, especially after the tree has started to grow.