Mountain Hemlock - Repot

ghues

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Hey Folks,
We've had a wet and cold spring (after a long winter) up here in the Pacific Northwest (50th parallel )and the local weather folks have coined a new word to describe it "sprinter"........but its been great for re-potting. This was my first yamadori “stick in a pot”, nothing special at first and it hasn’t given me much grief after the torture I’ve put it through over the years and hopefully it will survive this last one. Photos date back to 08 when I slipped potted it, then a transformation in 09 and the most recent one where I’ve anchored it to a large limestone rock. Over the coming years I’ll remove the soil and exposure the roots. I'll leave it be and arrange the branches which wrapp around the back and over the top next winter or next year....after it's settled into the pot.
Cheers G.
 

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Strange that such an interesting/significant post would have no comments... but then again when most people are not working with old collected material it's a lot harder to make a comment on it that isnt simply composed of a glib "good job".... so most say nothing. Though this effort well deserves more comment than that.

It's excellent use of what has been given you in the material, something which old collected material demands. To my mind, it requires a keener eye than most material which can be had under normal means.

Where did you pick up the stone... love it.

Please post better photos... please post more about the process... so that this can be a teaching aid.

I look forward to seeing it rise up.... good job.:cool:

V
 
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I am eye-balls deep working on a Mtn Hemlock Daniel gave me for my birthday years ago... just got it into the pot I wanted for it.... and so now it's being wired. Yee haw!

Did I mention I'm trying to do it in copper???? :confused::eek::eek::eek: lol

V
 

ghues

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Thanks Ms Vic, as always I do appreciate your responses.
Perhaps the lack of other responses is entirely my fault….. for as you said, my post was short on “after” photos and I didn’t include a description of what I had performed.
There may also be lack of interest due to the species involved….. as the Mountain Hemlock is very restricted for its utility as a bonsai subject for anyone outside the Pacific Northwest.

The piece of limestone was found on the west coast of Vancouver Island and I had it as a feature within the garden for many years (as I’ve stated it does weigh a lot, so moving the combination of tree, pot and rock around to take pictures needs 4 hands :( so that will have to come later this year).
My original vision for this tree was to find a nice cascade pot but I hadn’t been able to found one. So I was just going to do some spring maintenance and remove the wire from the tree……. so as I was lugging the tree past the stone I had a “eureka” moment. After doing some quick measurements and planning I decided that it might just work. I had the concept (metaphor) of Tree that surrounds a Mountaintop/peak.
If it does not die over the next few months I’ll post some photos in the late fall after it’s wired up (I’ll be using some shade cloth over the tree during the hottest parts of the summer as it faces south).

I believe you’ve posted some pictures of the tree Dan gave you, if I’m mistaken (or not) perhaps you’ll post it after you’ve finished wiring it…copper wire – good on ya – I’ll try it some day
I find it interesting that you do the wiring now, as I do mine in late fall and remove it around now which gives it 5 months to set up.

Cheers
G
 
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There are only a few things which I let the season's dictate... and wiring is not usually one of them. I wire now knowing that it'll get some extension now, but that the real growth expansion will be this fall around Sept. Also I had not wanted to wire it out until i got it potted up in it's new container, a very sweet tokomome drum....

I'll look forward to seeing your photos when you can get them... :)

Oh and copper is challenging me...lol but it's been an interesting experiance. I wouldn't show with it, as I'm in dire need of more practice with it... but for the first time... it's at least staying put. lol

Warmly,

Victrinia
 

ghues

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Let Them Grow Wild

Hi Folks,
Here is an update on this Mountain Hemlock, it was my first yamadori collected back in the fall of 2007.
I can recall that folks have told me that you should have a plan (plan the work and work the plan)....but sometimes I just go with a gut feeling or review its current path and adjust it...sometimes radically. ...back in 09 I thought semi-cascade but as you can see now it’s a root over rock or tree on rock. The collection area was high in our mountains and the area had a lot of mountain peaks with clouds hanging/floating around them….so I’ll try to convey that as times goes on with the trees foliage as the clouds.
I'm letting it run wild as I need the roots to anchor it to the limestone rock. I've removed the first two inches of the top of the pot and hope to do this every spring until the roots are exposed over the ledge they hang on.
The other plant is a native penstemon (penstemon davidsonii)found close to the area the hemi was collected.
Cheers
Graham
 

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october

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From what I can see, it looks beautiful. This is my way of asking for more pics where I can see the tree better. Silhouette and all. :D

Rob
 

marcosolo

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I agree...more pictures...especially of the base of the rock where said two inches of medium were removed....
 

ghues

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Hi Rob, Marco,
Thanks for your comments, the mountain hemi's look nice this time of the year with the dark green/blue of the older needles and the almost lime green of this years.
I don't have a good outdoor photo set up, without all the background noise. I'll see if I can figure out something and get them here soon. Its almost a 6 hand weight so its a struggle for an ol'd timer.....have to wait for my son and son-inlaw to visit lol.
Cheers G
 

Vance Wood

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Strange that such an interesting/significant post would have no comments... but then again when most people are not working with old collected material it's a lot harder to make a comment on it that isnt simply composed of a glib "good job".... so most say nothing. Though this effort well deserves more comment than that.

It's excellent use of what has been given you in the material, something which old collected material demands. To my mind, it requires a keener eye than most material which can be had under normal means.

Where did you pick up the stone... love it.

Please post better photos... please post more about the process... so that this can be a teaching aid.

I look forward to seeing it rise up.... good job.:cool:

V

I think that sometimes a post can get lost simply because of where it is originally posted. Some of the specie and subject related posts are not frequented by every body.
 

ghues

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I agree with you Vance, if this post was about J. black pines,native north american junipers or trident maples I do believe there would be more retorts but I understand.....I'm not here to see how many posts I can get to my threads, I just want to share and learn from folks like you.

I also find that we as members also have a habit of following posts by specific members where we have found some common ground, or we understand that the knowledge within the posts is valuable information.

Back to this tree, it looks wild (foliage appears messy to some I'm sure) and to me thats the beauty of Mountain hemlock, of course later this year I'll trim and wire the foliage pads so that they are more refined but for now I'll let it go wild and build up some reserves.
Here are a couple of photos that show another full on from a different angle and the base of the tree, which shows the details of age and a hard life at 5000+' (where it gets about 20-30' of snow each year).
Cheers
Graham
 

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I think this is going to be a very nice marriage. :) It's exciting now, just in the development.

I was just getting after my Mt Hemlock the night before. It's finally happy in it's pot and growing like mad. I think it liked our damp spring. :)

Thanks for the update.

V
 

dick benbow

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My Hemlock from vancouver island seemed to snap out of it's funk this spring and put on some nice growth. I really enjoyed your photo coverage. some day you'll have to write a book and include photos like that so all can see the progression.
 

Dan W.

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This is a great idea. :) I see ponderosa growing like this frequently while I'm collecting. Thanks for adding more pictures.
 
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I couldn't quite see where you were going with this until I saw that last photo, and now I get it. Great vision being able to see how the wrap around would tie in to the final design. Are you going to let the roots gradually expose themselves from the nursery can?

What sort of soil did you use in the re-potting or was it just more of a rearranging?
 

ghues

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I couldn't quite see where you were going with this until I saw that last photo, and now I get it. Great vision being able to see how the wrap around would tie in to the final design. Are you going to let the roots gradually expose themselves from the nursery can?

What sort of soil did you use in the re-potting or was it just more of a rearranging?

Your first question - yes, I'll take off about an inch each spring exposing the roots that hopefully have attached themselves to the roack ledge it sits on.
#2 - the soil is a mix of pumice, lava rock, a small amount of perlite (trying to keep the weight down and sifted Seseaoil soil (a mix of decomposeing conifer bark and fish waste/mulch from fish farms).....I also mixed in a lot of the orginal humus/forest floor that it was growing in as I do believe that this helps their new life in a pot environment.
 
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daygan

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That last picture (copied below) really shows off the tree. It's a very nice design, I think - very Chinese-water-painting-esque. I look forward to seeing you develop the composition!

attachment.php
 

marcosolo

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I agree with you Vance, if this post was about J. black pines,native north american junipers or trident maples I do believe there would be more retorts but I understand.....I'm not here to see how many posts I can get to my threads, I just want to share and learn from folks like you.

I also find that we as members also have a habit of following posts by specific members where we have found some common ground, or we understand that the knowledge within the posts is valuable information.

Back to this tree, it looks wild (foliage appears messy to some I'm sure) and to me thats the beauty of Mountain hemlock, of course later this year I'll trim and wire the foliage pads so that they are more refined but for now I'll let it go wild and build up some reserves.
Here are a couple of photos that show another full on from a different angle and the base of the tree, which shows the details of age and a hard life at 5000+' (where it gets about 20-30' of snow each year).
Cheers
Graham

That third pic is draw jopping...yes, i said it, draw jopping....All you northerners have it so lucky with your conifer availability......And if i hear anyone say.." But you have Bald Cypress!" one more time I'm going to go crazy....




Sorry had a little bout of conifer jealousy there, Im good now.....
 

ghues

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Thanks Daygan and Marco,
Funny you say that about the chinese influence Daygan as I really like their styles and hope to practice more landscape designs as I have a number of smaller Mountain hemlocks for such a project.
Hey Marco, I get your point........ its about using native material..........
Same thing for me and our local club-trying to promte the use of native material and the hard part of trying to figure out the right techniques on them as there is little reference material out there.
Cheers and thanks again for visiting/commenting on my post.
Graham
 

ghues

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What a difference a Year Makes

Hi All,
A summer on and its grown wild.....wire was taken off recently as I noticed a lot of wire scaring..........I think the major roots finally exploded into the lower pot :).
I'll style, trim and wire it up again later in the fall...will update then.

Hope everyone is having a good summer.
Cheers Graham
 

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