Larch first styling

[Jaberwky17]

I wasn't smart enough to make sure I had a "before" image of this, sorry. I got this guy last spring and made a sketch in June. The seller suggested to chop it way low and grow it out, but I kept this sketch at my desk and looked at it for a few months (as well as looking at the tree). I decided to stick with the taller design.

Here is my sketch, followed by the fully wired tree, and finally a virt suggesting I take out a few lower branches. I would probably move the lowest branch back rather than front, then balance branch spread to fit the virt design rather than the full tree design. I like the result. Comments?

 

[sorce]

I would enjoy it like this....

But keep growin it to reach your virt.

You can do it.

And the virt is dope!

Sorce

 

[Jaberwky17]

I would enjoy it like this....

But keep growin it to reach your virt.

You can do it.

And the virt is dope!

Sorce

I was thinking the same thing. It's not going to hurt anything to let it leaf out this season and make a judgement later.

Thanks on the virt. Photoshop is fun.

 

[sorce]

virt. Photoshop

I meant the drawing. Sorry.

Sorce

 

[defra]

cool like where this is going !

maybe you could cut back the branches back to 2 or 3 buds on each fork to keep the tree more compact and get better ramification in the future!

 

[twisted trees]

cool like where this is going !

maybe you could cut back the branches back to 2 or 3 buds on each fork to keep the tree more compact and get better ramification in the future!

Ramification of larch happens through continual pinching during the growing season. Larch tend to be apically and terminally dominant meaning that all of the energy goes to the top shoot and the very ends of the branches until a terminal bud is formed and then growth stops for the year. This leads to tall skinny tree with long skinny branches. Continual pinching causes all of the buds to elongate until dominance is established at the end of the branch and then only the end of a branch elongates. Continual trimming keeps this from happening.

 

[crust]

Pretty cool shape. As others said shortening branches and developing ramification over time would be good. Try to do this slowly to retain the airy style.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Follow Crust's advice, I would keep all the lower branches, use the ones you want to remove as escape branches to help build taper. Wire the escape branches so they don't shade anything you want to keep, let them run, as long as possible, 6 feet is not out of line, if they will do it. Let them run horizontally, then as soon as they are far enough from the trunk to not shade the ''keepers'', then bend their tips up to vertical, so they will grow better. Remove when the escape branches are more than 50% the diameter of the trunk. This should help with taper. Larch don't always co-operate with this, but it is worth trying.

 

[Tycoss]

Have a look at some of crust and twisted trees' larch. They know what they're talking about with regard to larch.

 

[twisted trees]

Follow Crust's advice, I would keep all the lower branches, use the ones you want to remove as escape branches to help build taper. Wire the escape branches so they don't shade anything you want to keep, let them run, as long as possible, 6 feet is not out of line, if they will do it. Let them run horizontally, then as soon as they are far enough from the trunk to not shade the ''keepers'', then bend their tips up to vertical, so they will grow better. Remove when the escape branches are more than 50% the diameter of the trunk. This should help with taper. Larch don't always co-operate with this, but it is worth trying.

Sacrificial branches do not work well for larch for either trunk or branch thickening. When larch branches run they are long and thin. More ramification on branches thickens faster. Trunk thickening happens best with sacrificial trunks.

 

[CovertNeo]

Here is my sketch, followed by the fully wired tree, and finally a virt suggesting I take out a few lower branches

@Jaberwky17 I'm a year into practicing/learning bonsai, and I must say, your sketches and photoshop really inspire me... I was wondering where I should keep my ideas for my bonsai plans - in my head or written down. I've been keeping a journal of what I have done, but have yet to put down my ideas or plans on what I should do over the course of a couple years. It's been difficult keeping all my ideas in my head and I was wondering how others do it. Do others just reassess on the fly, and try to remember their plans in their head automatically remembering just by looking at their trees each time, or do they more formally make notes of their ideas/plans and then attempt to carry them out over the course of the years.

I really like the sketch and photoshop idea - thanks! Do you do this for most of your trees?

 

[Jaberwky17]

@Jaberwky17 I'm a year into practicing/learning bonsai, and I must say, your sketches and photoshop really inspire me... I was wondering where I should keep my ideas for my bonsai plans - in my head or written down. I've been keeping a journal of what I have done, but have yet to put down my ideas or plans on what I should do over the course of a couple years. It's been difficult keeping all my ideas in my head and I was wondering how others do it. Do others just reassess on the fly, and try to remember their plans in their head automatically remembering just by looking at their trees each time, or do they more formally make notes of their ideas/plans and then attempt to carry them out over the course of the years.

I really like the sketch and photoshop idea - thanks! Do you do this for most of your trees?

I can't speak for others, and I'm really just a newbie myself. Personally I have an artistic talent, so hand sketches are easy for me. It's a great way to try out different ideas. I use a roll of trace paper, which also works nicely if you want to take a photo of a tree and sketch over it. As far as the photo shop I use it for my job and also enjoy using it. Not everybody has that level of realism available to them, either.

It seems to me that the reasons for using these tools is to give yourself a chance to explore options, to work out ideas. By saving them on paper or digitally, you can take time to think and consider the tree. I can't see how anything other than a sketch would preserve an idea, other than maybe an image of another similar tree. Anything you can do to

1. See a design
2. Preserve that idea
3. Refer to it later
4. Get feedback if desired
5. Develop or change
6. Repeat #3-5 as needed

Just my thoughts.