Japanese larch

[Alain BERTRAND]

I've been lurking here a lot but didn't post my trees. Time to be more constructive
I am mostly a "bonsai from seed" guy, following a project is to me at least as important as having a nice bonsai.
This tree comes from seeds that I had send to my family when I was living in Japan. It was sown without any particular care in the darkest part of my grand-ma garden, then when she died my mother put it in a pot. I recovered it in 2000 when I left Paris for Brittany.

Spring 2001



After a workshop in 2003

Not quite sure that the advice given during this workshop was a good one.
I was disappointed because I thought I was close to have a cute bonsai and that it has gone backward so I put it in the ground in 2004.

2008


Larch don't fatten fast.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

Made a chop during summer 2008.
this was the envisaged front in december 2008


Left it out of the ground in spring 2011
Nebari was horrible
.

This is my biggest grip with ground growing. If you want it to me faster than well managed container growing, you need not to repot and nebari suffers.
Finally another front was chosen because of it was more dynamic.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

It went into a bonsai pot in 2018


It progress slowly since then. I try to refine its crown and work on the roots to change a little it position in the pot.
January 2020

 

[AlainK]

Great job !

... but I wonder if I would keep the first branch on the left. Anyway, it's got a lot of character, all the more than it's from seed.

 

[discusmike]

Nice tree!!

 

[leatherback]

Nice fat tree.

Left it out of the ground in spring 2011
Nebari was horrible

Wondering: Why did you not reduce the roots to create a better nebari at this point?

It went into a bonsai pot in 2018

It seems that here you still have the root issues?

Be carefll with the moss. It will wreck your bark.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

As one of the rudest people here, you are not welcome on my threads. Thanks for going elsewhere.

 

[leatherback]

As one of the rudest people here, you are not welcome on my threads.

I am not sure what you think I did to you or why you considered one of the rudest persons here. But I do resent the sentiment.

 

[coh]

As one of the rudest people here, you are not welcome on my threads. Thanks for going elsewhere.

Nice work overall.

Regardless of how you feel about individual posters, the comment about the moss and the question about the roots are valid. Do you have plans to work on the nebari over time? I've never dug up and transitioned a larch from the ground to a bonsai pot (though I have several that I've acquired already in bonsai pots) so I'm not sure how well they respond if you really cut the roots way back. Is it something that can be improved in stages or is it better to just cut them way back when the tree is removed from the ground to take advantage of the strength in the tree at that time?

 

[leatherback]

Regardless of how you feel about individual posters, the comment about the moss and the question about the roots are valid.

Thx.

Oddly enough, some people find others rude when they have a different opinion or style of writing. And get really rude themselves in some warped sentiment of "I think you are rude so I can be rude to you". Guess I will never understand people.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

Nice work overall.

Regardless of how you feel about individual posters, the comment about the moss and the question about the roots are valid. Do you have plans to work on the nebari over time? I've never dug up and transitioned a larch from the ground to a bonsai pot (though I have several that I've acquired already in bonsai pots) so I'm not sure how well they respond if you really cut the roots way back. Is it something that can be improved in stages or is it better to just cut them way back when the tree is removed from the ground to take advantage of the strength in the tree at that time?

Yes, of course the question about the nebari is valid. I think I have done a mistake concerning the first time it went in a bonsai pot. It was rather 2017. At that time, I had a lot a difficulties to fit it in the pot, thus the protruding roots on the left. I have repotted it once since; cut little by little surface roots and the left part is now rather flat like, I think, it is visible on the last pic. I think that I should be able to shorten a little the left side to center the tree but I have very little expectations for the right side to get better. In fact, it didn't bothered me neither people that saw this tree in workshops, but maybe I should make some cuttings for grafting. I'll think about it.

 

[AlainK]

I am not sure what you think I did to you or why you considered one of the rudest persons here. But I do resent the sentiment.

@leatherback :
Don't worry, he was probably talking about me...

...For I really can't see what was rude in what Leatherback said, and actually, neither can I understand why my own comment about the first branch would make you blow your top.

If you think the "protruding" root on the left is an obstacle to bending it more to the right, this root can be pruned, provided that there are enough roots beside, undernaeth, or on the other side, and if you plant it in a much wider pot next spring to make it stronger.

If it leans more to the right, the first branch on the left would be at about the same level as the first one on the right, and inside a curve of the trunk.

Here is what I did with a big one I have :

 

[Ali Raza]

Nice transformation.

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

neither can I understand why my own comment about the first branch would make you blow your top.

I don't understand how you can think I have reacted to your comment as I haven't yet. This is a mystery.
As for the first branch, I have mixed feelings about it. I don't like the fact that it is right in front of the secondary apex, a little bit like a crucifix. On the other hand, I think it has it role to balance visually the green masses of the tree. Last but not least it has a nice 3D structure. It will probably stay for long.

 

[AlainK]

I don't understand how you can think I have reacted to your comment as I haven't yet. This is a mystery.

@Alain BERTRAND:

You didn't mention the person that you thought (think) is "rude" : the mystery is solved, you were not picking on me, OK then.

Yet, may I say that "eliminating" someone is something that I don't like at all. You may disagree with someone, yopu may ebven feel that such or such person is "un gros connard".

But when a "stupid asshole" says something right, and "Defra" was right when he mentioned the moss on the trunk, why refuse to hear him ?

Allez Alain, keep kewl...

Huh huh, OK, maybe that's the pot calling the kettle black, but it's somehow in my genes to stand against anyone to "eradicate" someone. Discussing, having an argument, fighting, OK. Ignoring people, oh, that's bad...

See what I mean?

And by the way @defra is definitely right about the moss on the trunk...

Keep us updated, your tree is awesome

 

[leatherback]

And by the way @defra is definitely right about the moss on the trunk...

Did I change nicknames here

 

[leatherback]

Discussing, having an argument, fighting, OK. Ignoring people, oh, that's bad...

Yup. Reminds me lot of a function of this site, where I also made a comment that I normally do not care who posts. It is the content of the posts that counts for me. I am amazed at how people at forums etc can build and hold grudges over individual posts instead of just looking at the info dispersed.

 

[AlainK]

Did I change nicknames here

Sorry Jelle

 

[leatherback]

Sorry Jelle

No worries!
I am not easily insulted; I take things at face value and try to not second guess people.

 

[sorce]

Mr. Bringer of Amazing Progressions.

I have had no less than a few back and forths with Leatherback. Through them, I've noted many POSSIBLE personality traits. I say possible because the internet never really lets us know. Of all these possible personality traits, the only ones I'm sure are true are the good traits. Very passionate, is one that, if you look close enough, can easily encompass every seemingly rude thing said.

I believe there is a bit of culture/language differential, that, when stirred up with the internet, and someone a little outside of "the usual", like you and I, things get easily misunderstood.

If you are wrong about Leatherback, I will stand with you having been wrong about him myself more than once.
Let me tell you.. every time whatever it was blows over, I'm happier then, than I was upset during a misunderstanding.

Sincerely,

Sorce