Little dwarf pine

[Neli]

I bought this little pine ????? in London two years ago. Planted in the garden and forgot about him. Recently some daisy shaded it. I dug it out. It seems most of the inner foliage is dry and I suspect it is for luck of sun. I just transplanted it in a tiny pot, but did not disturb the roots.
Should I some how try to bring light on the inside?
Does any one know what it is? How tall does it grow?
Is it OK for a small bonsai?

 

[QuintinBonsai]

It's hard to tell by the small photo. Can you get a closer picture of the needles, and what cluster count they have?

 

[misfit11]

That looks like an Alberta Spruce. Although, I've never owned one, they are notoriously frustrating as bonsai. The branches apparently take forever to set and you find yourself rewiring them into oblivion. People have produced admirable trees with them, but for a beginner it is best to start with a species with a proven track record.

Junipers and Elms are good trees to learn on due to their more forgiving nature. I don't mean to sound harsh at all, but you will enjoy your entry into the hobby more if your chances of success are greater.

Furthermore, you may want to read up on soil for bonsai if you are at all serious about growing plants in small pots. Although, it isn't advisable to bareroot conifers when repotting them, you may want to amend the native soil with some faster draining media. Good drainage is absolutely essential for the life of the tree. There are plenty of soil threads on this forum if you're interested.

Have fun but be careful because this stuff can be habit forming...

 

[edprocoat]

Yeah it looks like a Spruce, I would have guessed a Birds Nest Spruce by the shape of it.

ed

 

[Neli]

It's hard to tell by the small photo. Can you get a closer picture of the needles, and what cluster count they have?

Sorry, what is a claster count?

 

[Neli]

That looks like an Alberta Spruce. Although, I've never owned one, they are notoriously frustrating as bonsai. The branches apparently take forever to set and you find yourself rewiring them into oblivion. People have produced admirable trees with them, but for a beginner it is best to start with a species with a proven track record.

Junipers and Elms are good trees to learn on due to their more forgiving nature. I don't mean to sound harsh at all, but you will enjoy your entry into the hobby more if your chances of success are greater.

Furthermore, you may want to read up on soil for bonsai if you are at all serious about growing plants in small pots. Although, it isn't advisable to bareroot conifers when repotting them, you may want to amend the native soil with some faster draining media. Good drainage is absolutely essential for the life of the tree. There are plenty of soil threads on this forum if you're interested.

Have fun but be careful because this stuff can be habit forming...

Thanks darling,
You are not hush, you are just kind. You dont want me to get disappointed. I am a two month very serious newbie. I have been reading 12-14 hours a day everything I can find. I can not buy any bonsai here, so I am trying yamadori (dug from my garden and bush) and bought stuff. I read a lot on soil types also.
I planted it for now in the soil I found it, since I did not want to disturb the roots. But put lots of drainage on the bottom of the pot. I will just let it grow for now and see what happens, but thought it might be a good idea to let some light grow deeper in the plant.

 

[Neli]

Yeah it looks like a Spruce, I would have guessed a Birds Nest Spruce by the shape of it.

ed

I am going to google that. Thank You.

 

[JudyB]

I wonder if it could be "little gem" spruce.

 

[QuintinBonsai]

Sorry, what is a claster count?View attachment 29122

The amount of needles that grow in a bundle per fascicle. Pines can grow between 1 to 5 clusters of needles. The single-leaf pinyon have 1, JBP have 2 clusters, most white pines have 5.

But anyways, I believe you already have you question answered by the others. Goodluck with your spruce.

 

[Neli]

I wonder if it could be "little gem" spruce.

Thanks! How many cluster count? He he he! I want to check it.

 

[Neli]

The amount of needles that grow in a bundle per fascicle. Pines can grow between 1 to 5 clusters of needles. The single-leaf pinyon have 1, JBP have 2 clusters, most white pines have 5.

But anyways, I believe you already have you question answered by the others. Goodluck with your spruce.

Thanks At list it is a spruce....I will google fascicle...newbie here.

 

[Vance Wood]

Thanks At list it is a spruce....I will google fascicle...newbie here.

Spruce needles do not grow in fascicles or groups like Pines. I am pretty sure it is one of the off shoots of Birds Nest Spruce, the needles and buds do not look like Alberta.

 

[Neli]

Spruce needles do not grow in fascicles or groups like Pines. I am pretty sure it is one of the off shoots of Birds Nest Spruce, the needles and buds do not look like Alberta.

I went and looked, but did not figure out what to count...so I kept very quiet.
What do You Mean by off shoots? a subvariety or something like that ? Or You mean a shoot from a birds nest Spruce?

 

[Neli]

I just googled it. Some how it does not look like mine. This one I had for over two years. Look at the shape of the plant. It stays like that always????? Like a ball. Very compact,

 

[JudyB]

I had a "little gem" spruce that looked very much like yours.
I don't have a close up of the buds and leaves, but here is a shot of it.

These make nice small bonsai, but they do need a certain amount of cold winter weather to survive.

 

[Neli]

I had a "little gem" spruce that looked very much like yours.
I don't have a close up of the buds and leaves, but here is a shot of it.

These make nice small bonsai, but they do need a certain amount of cold winter weather to survive.

Judy Thanks, I looked and looked and googled.Found a nursery that sales lots of evergreens in USA and It looks like
Alberta Spruce.
PICEA ABIES
or
PICEA PUNGENS
I suspect the little gem is one of those. How is it performing as a bonsai? What is your experience.
I am in Africa. It survived so far almost two and half years in the ground. It was shaded by a large daisy, and some of the foliage died inside. I planted it now in a pot. Lets hope it will do better.
Thanks!

 

[QuintinBonsai]

I went and looked, but did not figure out what to count...so I kept very quiet.
What do You Mean by off shoots? a subvariety or something like that ? Or You mean a shoot from a birds nest Spruce?

Not a subvariety. In botany, it refers to a side branch deriving from the parent plant. Your spruce could be the result of this as most "dwarfed" trees are. A cutting that was taken, and propogated by air-layer or graft. Some off shoots are seen as "suckers". Shoots that grow below the graft of the desired portion which steal nutrients away.

Btw if you happen to have pine trees growing in your area, look at them, and observe how the needles are clustered on the branches.

 

[Neli]

Not a subvariety. In botany, it refers to a side branch deriving from the parent plant. Your spruce could be the result of this as most "dwarfed" trees are. A cutting that was taken, and propogated by air-layer or graft. Some off shoots are seen as "suckers". Shoots that grow below the graft of the desired portion which steal nutrients away.

Btw if you happen to have pine trees growing in your area, look at them, and observe how the needles are clustered on the branches.

I am a good gardener and propagate everything my self, but never new that is how new varieties are generated. Some fantastic info!
I now understand: I have seen a number of plants in my garden with branches of atypical growth and colour...it should be similar to this.
It is hard to find pines here near by, they are not very common, but will look. I bought another piny/sprucy plant yesterday. Will check it up also.

 

[Vance Wood]

I went and looked, but did not figure out what to count...so I kept very quiet.
What do You Mean by off shoots? a subvariety or something like that ? Or You mean a shoot from a birds nest Spruce?

sub-variety aka cultivar.

It seems Neil is a bit confused about Pine needles so I will try to clear that up. A fascicle is a small paper like looking sheath at the base of the needles where the needles grow out of the branch. Two needle pines will have two needles bunched together in one of these fascicle like a bouquet of flowers from a florist shop, a five needle pine will have a fascicle with five needles bunched together within the fascicle, again like a bunch from the florist. The only Pine that has one needle is the Pinyon Pine and there is no way it will look anything like your little Spruce.

 

[BigDave]

Short but interesting page on pines , needles, etc

http://www.friendswbg.org.nz/pinestech.htm