Mountain Hemlock - Repot

[ghues]

The wirin'n gonna have to wait...(spring sounds good about now).....not even copper would keep those branches in their position with this heavy "wet" coast snow......might have to go for a weeping style lol. Interestingly enough....in their natural environments these little guys would covered with several meters...feet of the white stufff and they would see direct sunshine and daylight until about the end of May most years.

 

[Wilson]

Coast snow is heavy stuff! Like you said, these trees are survivors. I think sometimes people growing northern trees forget how tough they are.

 

[ghues]

Summer update......removed the wire from all the lower branches (I.e. Not the apex) as they has started to bite in, have trimmed all this years growth back to smaller sub branches (also this years growth) and will wire everything up later this year.
Cheers
G.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just my opinion and only my opinion, but, by from what I see going on here and not actually having a M. Hemlock as much as I wish I could, I think you may be trying to get the foliage pads too dense, compact and flat toped. Just my opinion but I think if the tree were mine I would be trying to open the pads up enough to let the light in and expose some of the interior branching. This is a really beautiful tree.

 

[ghues]

Thanks for that Vance, you have a point to some degree, as there are opportunities for some additional thinning (e.g. a number of the upper branches - later this year).......however, as with photos giving only a 2 d view, things can look flat......also one of the features of Mtn Hemlock (which distinguishes it from Western Hemlock) is that the needles encircle the branch thus they give an appearance of fullness (as you mentioned). Another issue is that they don't backbud so the foliage tends to be at the ends of branches.....another nuance with this species is that the branches have a tendency to curl up after one removes the wire. A couple of photos show a couple of the lower branches to illustrate the points points.
Thanks again for chiming in.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just a suggestion and again I am just guessing, if you have a back budding problem with these trees you can try doing your shoot removal exercises closer to the middle of july. I noticed that this seemed to help with a variety of Spruce that is notorious for not back budding.

 

[ghues]

Hey Vance,
They don't backbud period, not matter what one tries so we have to live with that. The only option is to remove the main elongation shoot, back to a smaller branchlet or bud further back on the branch. This is the main principle that my fellow senior members (of our small local club) have been using for decades with Hemlocks.....which I've noted that Ryan N., and Michael H use as well.
I get your thoughts on ("flat top")..... as one future option I'm considering is reconfiguring the current apex which is made up of 5 main branches....maybe pulling them apart creating empty space, more in line with the rest of the lower branches.
Cheers
Graham

 

[Vance Wood]

Sorry and thank you, usefull information.

 

[ghues]

Thought I’d update this thread......My very first Yamadori the easiest way possible (another story), back in 2007. It’s been through a few iterations but this spring’s repot is looking like my first sketch back in 09, when I gave it a major operation.
Here are some teaser photos of it this spring before the repot.......will post photo of it, as soon as our “spring showers” stop.

 

[wireme]

Thought I’d update this thread......My very first Yamadori the easiest way possible (another story), back in 2007. It’s been through a few iterations but this spring’s repot is looking like my first sketch back in 09, when I gave it a major operation.
Here are some teaser photos of it this spring before the repot.......will post photo of it, as soon as our “spring showers” stop.

Can’t wait.

So you’re saying we’ll get to see the pics sometime end of August or so?

 

[ghues]

It was recommended (shout out to Bobby C., from Portland for that), this tree might be better without the limestone boulder (~50lbs) and besides, the arrangement was a two man lift, now I can handle it. I had hoped to get a square Cascade Pot but with the Pandemic hitting right at potting time I slipped it into this temporary home. You will notice that it is held in position with bamboo stakes and wire around the pot. I did leave or added some structural wire, trimmed it some and more detailed wiring will be completed this fall.
Cheers Gman

 

[ghues]

September Update.
Attempted to make it more upright, as the plan is to repot it (in a couple of seasons from now) into a Cascade Pot. Deliberately have left lots of branches/foliage pads to keep it healthy and strong.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just my opinion but it looks to me that with the elimination of that large mass that currently occupies the apex area and a couple of branches farther down the main trunk you could have a really nice bonsai with a bit more detail wiring. Or not.

 

[ghues]

Just my opinion but it looks to me that with the elimination of that large mass that currently occupies the apex area and a couple of branches farther down the main trunk you could have a really nice bonsai with a bit more detail wiring. Or not.

Definitely Vance, it’s come a long way, has lots of character and many options. The Apex could be rearranged or thinned out as you said.........plan to keep it this way until spring 2023. Too nervous to be aggressive about repotting it in late April this year.

 

[ghues]

Just my opinion but it looks to me that with the elimination of that large mass that currently occupies the apex area and a couple of branches farther down the main trunk you could have a really nice bonsai with a bit more detail wiring. Or not.

You got me looking at it differently Vance, also on how we could have a discussion on another point....maybe it should go on in another thread?
That is, you mentioned that this tree could be a really nice “Bonsai” and with this one I agree that it may not fit into the “ make your Bonsai look like a tree camp”?!
With my background of 40 years as a Forester (in the forests of the PNW), I try to design my Bonsai to look like trees rather than my trees looking like a Bonsai........if that makes sense. I look at Bonsai after Bonsai and see foliage masses, Shari and Jin which look a little too unreal IMHO. Old ancient trees have all phases of decay throughout which we rarely see. Cheers Gman.

 

[ghues]

Trimmed and retired this one.Tried to separate the apex.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Trimmed and retired this one.Tried to separate the apex.

Hi, I'm new to the site and I'm catching up on posts that catches my eye. This has been a marvel to see the development... but now you kind of have me in suspense...
What do you mean by "retire"?

 

[ghues]

Hi, I'm new to the site and I'm catching up on posts that catches my eye. This has been a marvel to see the development... but now you kind of have me in suspense...
What do you mean by "retire"?

Damn auto spell check.......tried to say retired ....see it did it again.....one more time “rewired”. The apex was like a helmet, so I tried to separate it into distinctive and separate pads. In person the pads are much more open than they appear to be in the 2d photo.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Damn auto spell check.......tried to say retired ....see it did it again.....one more time “rewired”. The apex was like a helmet, so I tried to separate it into distinctive and separate pads. In person the pads are much more open than they appear to be in the 2d photo.

Thank-goodness! I thought you meant you were going to “retire” the tree as in put it in the ground (no pun intended).

great progression! Definitely something to aspire to!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Trimmed and retired this one.Tried to separate the apex.

I looked through this thread and am fascinated by your journey with this Mountain Hemlock! I was just working on a large one yesterday. Lost in the starburst of needle clusters, I spent an enjoyable afternoon pushing back growth.

I like the idea of your working and reworking the style over time. I haven’t much input at this moment other than keep up the good work!

cheers
DSD sends