Larch hopes and dreams

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This Larch has early fall color, which is not a sign of great health but it was collected this fall from a bog. I do love the yellow color on Larch. It was bog layered and came out with a lot of nice roots and was already starting to color up before collected. I have high hopes for it and I think it is a fairly obvious design but let me know if anyone has any other ideas or thoughts. It will need time for recovery but nature has already done a lot of the work for me.
 

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jriddell88

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Nice grab, I have a couple decent japanese larches from seed, would love to get a mature collected larch, Nice score , grow it out and wire!
 

Wilson

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Looks awesome dude! It reminds me of the Lyalls larch when I lived up above 7000' in the Rockies. Like you said, now just hurry up and wait.
 

Tieball

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Mighty fine work on the roots and collecting. You have fabulous progress. I can see this tree in nature.
 

Tieball

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Thanks Tieball, it's just a vert but happy to hear you like me plan :).
I like it with that branch removed from the left side. Without that branch the tree takes on a more mature presence....weathered.....like a tree set high in the UP....taking on nature's climate changes. My added two cents worth...bringing an exposed area of weathered deadwood all the way down to the ground. It looks like a tree that survived a harsh winter and came back to life.....like you see in some of the UP wetlands.
 

wireme

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Looks awesome dude! It reminds me of the Lyalls larch when I lived up above 7000' in the Rockies. Like you said, now just hurry up and wait.

Yeah me too, very Lyalli like. In the first pic anyways, not in the virt, Lyalli have a very strong tendency to keep growing upwards at the branch end and to grow into all sorts of candelabra forms.
I would want to keep that character instead of the classic pull all the branches down approach. People probably wouldn't like it all that much though, unless you're familiar with mountain larix lyalli growth habits it would just look rough, unrefined and not bonsai-like.
Old pics of mine here, crappy phone quality, sorry. image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 
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bringing an exposed area of weathered deadwood all the way down to the ground
Thanks for the vert, I really like it and I think it tells the story better. Plus alot of that wood on that side must already be dead. Im going to use your vert as my new plan.

growth habits it would just look rough, unrefined and not bonsai-like
wireme, thanks for the pics. Some really nice and inspiring old Larch, I especially like the first and last pictures. Beyond just leaving the tree as is I don't really now how to approach that look, but it is something to think about. I am afraid it would end up looking too accidental.
 

Tieball

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I like the look of the slab planting. I've never tried a slab....but admire them. My trees are growing on a huge gigantic slab...Earth. Almost everything I have is ground growing.....one of these seasons I want to dig some out, prune everything away, start the top trunk development, and then begin the development of branches. My immediate future is a lot of wooden boxes.
 

wireme

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Thanks for the vert, I really like it and I think it tells the story better. Plus alot of that wood on that side must already be dead. Im going to use your vert as my new plan.


wireme, thanks for the pics. Some really nice and inspiring old Larch, I especially like the first and last pictures. Beyond just leaving the tree as is I don't really now how to approach that look, but it is something to think about. I am afraid it would end up looking too accidental.

I know the feeling. My area has amongst the highest densities of larch anywhere in the world. Western larch down low and alpine larch up high. I can easily picture the classic forms of both these species when they reach old growth ages. I've never seen a picture of a larch bonsai that really makes me think "larch". Maybe one of WP's candelabra European larch.
But I love the styling of many larch I see anyways, some of the Europeans work, (Pavel) Nick Lenz and Crust of course, the Ontario crowd....
Judy B. Has an upright with the upper branches still reaching upwards, reminds me of a mid age western larch. I have a couple larch that I plan to style more according to these "bonsai larch"styles than what I see in nature. The other species of larch that I don't see probably grow a little differently.
I could see yours with a bit of multiple leader development growing strongly vertical and small branching mostly 20- 30 degree upish. Would be a perfect Lyalli image! All comes down to preference and desired image of course, you're virt is also a very nice plan.
 
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Thanks guys, I really like this one too. I actually walked by it in the wild multiple times before I realized it could be nice.
 

crust

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Super material. The great challenge with this style is setting the lean and being very deliberate about how you crown relates to it--it all about the balance of the composition. This will define whether it is mundane and run-of-the-mill or exquisite and nuanced. In the verts I really like the irregular slab- the lean does not seem set- the crowns seems too big for me- How the crown interplays with the line of the trunk is mushy. The line of the irregular slab and the line of the trunk will be the main elements the crown and branching will be a crawling mist just barely gracing them. Most bonzo dorks would ruin this by not doing early wiring, not setting the stance and growing it too robustly without intervention. Check out how Ryan dealt with his tall SA-fir, it is an interesting study that relates. Oh if it were mine, During this early establishment time I would keep in mind all heavy branching will eventually be abandoned and the top needs to be headed back so any little green tendrils need to carefully saved and kept dwarfish.
 
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The great challenge with this style is setting the lean and being very deliberate about how you crown relates to it
Its really nice to have someone like Crust around helping out! Thanks Crust! I agree the crown does seem too big and possibly too triangular. Also I agree that the heavy branching will have too go. You mentioned making sure to not grow it out to strong without doing some early wiring. On other Larch I have collected I have waited over a year before wiring. So with this tree, being collected in fall 2016, I would wire in spring 2018. Does that seem like a good idea? With the lean I will try another virt to see if I can set it better for an idea. Also, I have a few years to try and find a unique slab like that, which will be a challenge. If anyone has anything PM me :).

Ryan has a great eye. I think this is the tree you mentioned, I love it.
 

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crust

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Its really nice to have someone like Crust around helping out! Thanks Crust! I agree the crown does seem too big and possibly too triangular. Also I agree that the heavy branching will have too go. You mentioned making sure to not grow it out to strong without doing some early wiring. On other Larch I have collected I have waited over a year before wiring. So with this tree, being collected in fall 2016, I would wire in spring 2018. Does that seem like a good idea? With the lean I will try another virt to see if I can set it better for an idea. Also, I have a few years to try and find a unique slab like that, which will be a challenge. If anyone has anything PM me :).

Ryan has a great eye. I think this is the tree you mentioned, I love it.
Being the future tree will be built off smaller sprouts one should encourage these next year. Depending on happiness, a summer pruning of heavy wood might be able to be done--further encouraging small branches. soft loose wires doinking the sprouts down can be done right away next year carefully. Spring 18 wrapped wires can be put on all bendable branches--gently repot and set the angle but leave it in a flat.
The Ryan tree has its problems--and it is in a style in tune with the Cascade Mts. It is huge in scale so one can be more wild and extravagant. I hope your tree will be less elaborate and more decrepit. If you grow your tree too hard it will get bulgy at the point where the top deviates from the main trunk. IMO.
 

chicago1980

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Beautiful! I want to add an collected Larch to the bench! Love the colors & Deadwood on your tree!
 
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