Larch styling help

[BLT]

So during lockdown I have rediscovered my hobbie for bonsai. I had a ficus for around a year and managed to kill it. They say you need to kill your first bonsai tree to really get the bonsai passion.

Anyway, I collected this Larch tree from a local seller more recently, I’ve chopped him down to a reasonable size and he is doing well and has started showing new buds etc

I would like some advice on where to go next with this Larch. What would be the best shape, wiring and progress to make this into a good bonsai?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Keep it alive until fall, then decide if it could use some wire.
Larches can be deceiving by putting out growth from stored energy, and then collapse because they've been worked too hard.

Take it slow!
With some good fat copper wire you should be able to bend the trunk in fall or winter. But for now, I think the priority would be to get and keep it in good health.

 

[Jorgens86]

What type of larch is this???
And yes, dont do anything to it for this season. Let it grow

 

[BLT]

Thank you both for your reply. Its a European Larch btw

I definitely will let this grow. Is there a point in which it becomes too ' thick ' to bend with wire? My concern is that if i let it grow out too much without wiring that it would become almost impossible to wire and bend. I am still very new to this and dont want to have a useless or dead tree on my hands again.

 

[Jorgens86]

Thank you both for your reply. Its a European Larch btw

I definitely will let this grow. Is there a point in which it becomes too ' thick ' to bend with wire? My concern is that if i let it grow out too much without wiring that it would become almost impossible to wire and bend. I am still very new to this and dont want to have a useless or dead tree on my hands again.

Realy europian? Realy interesting bark. My europian dont have such bark and i have 3 of them. Hmm. The seller told you that its europian? Trunk bark doesnt look like mine.

 

[Jorgens86]

And larches are very flexible. Dont wory about wiring

 

[BLT]

Here is the description from the seller

 

[BLT]

Do you think it could be something different?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Realy europian? Realy interesting bark. My europian dont have such bark and i have 3 of them. Hmm. The seller told you that its europian? Trunk bark doesnt look like mine.

If they grow rapidly and in the best conditions, this is what a 3-6 year old trunk can look like.
But it is suspicious!

 

[BLT]

Ok thank you. What could be the other possibilities?

 

[Jorgens86]

Ok thank you. What could be the other possibilities?

Well if the seller told you and its written in descripiot then it is. My europian have those yelowish branches but trunk is grey. Your look realy amazing

 

[Jorgens86]

Hey. How your tree is doing.
Some pictures will be nice

 

[BLT]

Hey thanks for keeping In touch

here’s some pictures for you:

The first one is about 3/4weeks ago, pushing out some new growth.

the second one is current. The needle tips are yellowing and a few have died off. It’s still seems to be pushing outa small amount ofgrowth though.
Do you think he’ll survive?

 

[Jorgens86]

I think it will be ok. Just dont let it dry out and fertilize only when new growth will show

 

[leatherback]

It will survive. Water, protect from heat. I am not sure what you are growing in, but I would not have put those big stones in there, but instead given it more substrate, also higher up the trunk.

This is what young european larches look like. The trunk only turns grey with age & sun exposure before barking over completely.

 

[Jorgens86]

Hey. How is your larch doing??