larch leaf reduction

Nishant

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Has anyone tried reducing the length of larch leaves/needles?
 

Nishant

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Just want to know what technique was used to achieve this?
 

Nishant

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May be pluck the outer leaves. The inner leaves of each tuft may be small anyway
 

WNC Bonsai

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Two things come to mind, both from an article on larch by @Vance Wood . First he described how he planted his larch in a mix comprosing 50% fine silica sand like that used in swimming pool filters. This resulted in smaller needles that looked more like when the tree was collected. He also described his pinching technique where he grasped the extending needle bundle and pulled the tip out of the end of the bundle. He said this also results in smaller needles. Hopefully he will add to this post.
 

eb84327

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Nick Lentz, I've heard, removed needles. I don't have the time.

he mentions it in his book in the first pages and i assume he goes into detail later, I just started reading: Bonsai from the Wild
Thank you also too fellow Bnut member RKatzin for sending me the book. Its good.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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I found recently collected larch to have pretty small needles, after a year they become regular size. Obviously because they get better health. Removing needles or serious pruning resulted in equally sized growth in European larch.
I know a guy who has a larch with super tiny foliage, I think it's because he never feeds his plants ever. They don't grow a lot, but that foliage is about 40% smaller than in my back yard.
He hasn't pruned in 3 years because there's simply nothing to prune. But still, the trees look in good health and show no signs of struggle or deficiencies.
 

WNC Bonsai

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Yes, one care sheet I have suggested that if a tree is to be shown that year don’t feed it at all and the needles will stay smaller. However for trees in development I wouldn’t recommend it.
 

leatherback

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And of course, rootbound, small pot and reduced watering will help reduce needle size. In optimal health, my larch get up to near 2inch needles. Not ideal.
 

M. Frary

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David Crust (I think,could be fourteener) deviates his latch to force backbudding and it also(I believe) contributes to needle reduction.
I'll have to go look for the thread but it's here somewhere.
He more than likely got the technique directly from Nick Lenz himself.
 

GGB

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I was under the impression that needles reduced with ramification as well. I work with American larch which already have smaller needles than many other species. The feed thing makes sense too. I do remember seeing a well done forest of Japanese larch all with smaller than usual needles.
 

GGB

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shoot now that I think about that forest ... I was seeing it in mid April and those needles may have extended past that length ..
 

AlainK

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"?" , c'est le mot, es izt das wört, that's the word : unfortunately my German is very elementary, and also based on very basic eastern-european dialects, kartofle, ziemniaki, patates, tatties...

? said:
Only for special occasions is the foliage removed, not pruned, but plucked.

This can be interpreted in different ways.

To me this doesn't mean the leaves are to be "plucked". Perhaps the term could be "pinched" I think, referring to the new shoots. When new shoots begin to show buds, the main stem is still green and rather soft : it can be pinched - providing you don't bite your nails :)

Somewhat similar to pinching new shoots on a maple, but done later. Photos in a couple of weeks - if I can remember.
 

leatherback

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When new shoots begin to show buds, the main stem is still green and rather soft : it can be pinched

He also described his pinching technique where he grasped the extending needle bundle and pulled the tip out of the end of the bundle.

This post by @Vance Wood also describes that, and that is what I do on larch now, besides on branches that need extension / thickening: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/when-to-trim-larch.33644/post-560991

deviates his latch
What do you mean with deviating a larch?
 
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