Japanese larch progression

[justBonsai]

Nice work man. I imagine as the tree thickens up and gets a little taller you'll probably remove the lowest branches. Gonna develop nicely over the years.

 

[petegreg]

If I may ask, have you found L. kaempferi more vigorous than US or EU larches? Some sources say that. BTW nice progression from a sapling.

 

[Paulpash]

All of my cuttings have failed. I've not been able to mist them frequently enough. Now I see the value of a misting chamber

Even with a misting chamber it's extremely difficult - I know because I've tried. If you want more larch then sowing fresh seed is far more reliable.

Good progress with your tree - keep those inner buds alive and you'll have a great little tree.

 

[twisted trees]

I obtained this tree for about $10 as a rooted cutting in a 4" nursery pot. The sapling was planted in pumice and scoria. June 2014:
View attachment 132824
After purchase, I slip potted it into an 8" round nursery pot.


March 2015:
View attachment 132825


May 2015, showing a lack-of-water mishap: (and/or bad repotting aftercare)
View attachment 132822

2015 was an impressive growing season. January 2016:
View attachment 132823

Today, February 2017, in poor lighting after I repotted it into a 16" square grow box:
View attachment 132821

I've done wiring on primary branches only. The sacrificial growths are intentionally long and pointing up. The newest lower branches may be replacements for some of the more coarse lower branches. For now, lots of waiting and growing is in order. I'll feed heavy after the first flush hardens off. The buds are swelling.

The root mass is well formed! I like the impact collanders have on roots. I've been using pumice, lava, and diatomite gravel for soil.
View attachment 132826

I feed mine before the first flush hardens, as soon as it shows vigourous growth. Pinch before it hardens and you will have more flushes of growth throughout the growing season.

 

[parhamr]

have you found L. kaempferi more vigorous than US or EU larches?

I haven’t compared them. This is my only larch tree.

 

[parhamr]

This weekend I pruned for shape and bud selection. I removed a few secondary branches that were cluttering up the interior.

The top of the tree is a three-foot sacrifice piece on which I’ve kept the lowest four branches trimmed way back (and then de-branches a 12" section above those four).



I think I’m going to put it in a nice pot this winter.

 

[parhamr]

I repotted this tree into a rectangular Japanese pot today. I don’t have a current photo because it got dark. Here’s the tree out of its former box.



The basal flare is looking good. I reduced the level of the soil to expose it and some of the nebari.

 

[parhamr]

This pot is the right size and shape, but I think I’d like a darker grey color. That said, this pot color might be just right once the tree starts to bark up.

I think the tree is positioned too upright and needs to slightly lean to our left.

The branches all need another wiring to pull them downward.

Nebari:


Overhead, with cat for scale:

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice and full. I like it.

 

[Sn0W]

How long do you think before it barks up?

 

[penumbra]

Do you see those long branches with no side shoots? the ones you cut back? Larch tend to only grow at the ends of the branches. Trim them consistently during the growing season and side branches will develop faster. Also larch branching seems to thicken faster the more foliage there is instead of allowing long sacrificial branches.

Excellent advice, thank you. I have a few to work on this spring.

 

[GGB]

totally pumped to see a japanese larch thriving in zone 8b. I bought a super young one specifically for its heat tolerance. After seeing how much growth it's put out for you in one season I'm excited to see what I can do. Great tree, great thread

 

[parhamr]

How long do you think before it barks up?

No clue! Maybe another 4 years until the bark starts to look interesting and another 10 for it to be exciting?

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Love to see evolution like this. Great tree, with more aging going to be stunning.

 

[parhamr]

Every visible bud and a ton of latent crotch buds pushed after repotting


Since the tree is healthy and there’s no way that density of foliage would be sustainable I’ve started reducing and repositioning branches:


I still think the bottom 4–8 branches will be removed in the future

 

[Jorgens86]

Hei. How is your larch looking now and how it grows this season?

 

[AlainK]

Very nice progression.

But maybe drastic pruning, including removing "big" branches could make it even better. I think I know what you can think, I would hesitate myself, but sometimes, "less is more" (or better).

To me, it's either you make it a tree smaller than what is is now, with fewer branches, or a taller tree, in which case there are too many branches.

My 2€cents worth...

 

[parhamr]

Hei. How is your larch looking now and how it grows this season?

It’s looking good. I’ll put it in the queue for photography.

I recently removed most of the wire that was biting in and also lopped off the sacrificial leader.

@AlainK I can tell you haven’t read my posts

 

[parhamr]

Current state of the tree: (note this is after some seasonal pruning for branch length and to pick well placed buds)



I’m not very pleased with the canopy. Right now it’s nothing more than a trunk with buds. That’s its own project to figure out…

Here is the bare minimum of what I plan to remove: (I might ditch that entire top section)

Removing another 1–3 branches from the bottom is definitely on my list of things to consider.

Here’s the overhead view, in which you can hopefully see the apex is projectin well toward the front of the tree


So! Next steps, to be performed at some appropriate time in the future:

1. Remain in this pot; it’s adequate for watering concerns and strikes the right balance between vigor and refinement
2. Jin one or two branches from the bottom; they’ve thickened up enough as to contribute to girth and now I’d like to better visualize it’s alpine-inspired style
3. Wire the primary and secondary branches again, for movement and direction
4. Commit to a style and cultivate well positioned buds into apex branching

 

[0soyoung]

You've nicely got right, left, right, left, right, left, right branches moving up from below - none look to be bark branches. I find this interesting and conducive to making a very short (shohin) tree. I also kinda like the kink in the trunk up just a bit from this, but this is also about as high where the apex ought to be for a small tree design, I think. Based on the pix, I frankly think what your vision is a rather banal, but this is just my personal problem (based on your crappy pix ).

mull it over ...