My 3 year old Alberta Spruce.

Bad_Bonsai

Sapling
Messages
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Location
Ottawa, Ontario
USDA Zone
5b
This is my Dwarf Spruce I made from nursury stock. It was one of the first trees that survived my ever evolving overwintering process.

I reppotted it into this in early spring, and cut the wire off today. My intention is to leave it be now for the next year, maybe more, and proceed with further branch selection.

Edit: I made this in a time before I knew about reverse taper and digging into nursury stock to see what I'm committing to. - I actually quite like the bulbous base too as it has an almost cartoonish lofty quality to it. (The two bulbous nodes at the bottom, not so much.)

How does it look? Any thoughts pointers?
 

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It looks healthy! I think pulling the branches down would make it look better. DAS love to pop back up though. The reverse trailer and the double trunk are not too get looking you.
 
It looks healthy! I think pulling the branches down would make it look better. DAS love to pop back up though. The reverse trailer and the double trunk are not too get looking you.
I definitely want to pull down the branches, that'll be the next project, probably for the next year maybe more? I wanna see it do well post-repot.

This is kinda my first tree that has me thinking that I can actually 'do' bonsai. If I go and kill it for a few bent branches, I'll be a little let down. Hahaha
 
This'll be an ongoing thread for this tree I guess.

Here is the same tree, almost a year to the day later.

As it went through the summer it elongated and bushed up a tonne, I've attempted to be selective with the buds I chose to keep. I think I can see why some people stray from Dwarf Albert Spruce but I take it as rolling with different punches. So far I love DAS as subjects and I've since acquired a bunch more.DSC_0470.JPG
 
This'll be an ongoing thread for this tree I guess.

Here is the same tree, almost a year to the day later.

As it went through the summer it elongated and bushed up a tonne, I've attempted to be selective with the buds I chose to keep. I think I can see why some people stray from Dwarf Albert Spruce but I take it as rolling with different punches. So far I love DAS as subjects and I've since acquired a bunch more.View attachment 435165

Very nice! I share your sentiments about the species - I like them!
 
Looks like the tree has a big fanny and buck knee's .

Seriously, if i had a Tree that looked that good i would just be overjoyed. Especially Since you took that from nursery stock and are testing an overwintering system on it.
Just think of it as the Kim Kardashian of trees.
 
What are your plans for future development?
I'm not entirely sure l if I'm being honest, I may try to take it into a more abstract direction - really lean into the cartoon bulbous base. I've since acquired other trees that I want to take in a more formal trad direction.

Here's some of artsy dark photos of said spruces in my collection.
 

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Update photo—it was very happy this year, barely any pests despite an ant problem nearby.

I'm thinking about thinning the top out a bit in the future.
 

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Hi!

Sure thinning the top is a good idea for the future.
I see we are pretty much in the same zone so if I was you I would let it like this for the winter and either come back in Spring just before buds break or let the tree get more mass and remove in August/Sept next year.
That would be my 2 possibles approaches.
For sure you will have to time this action if the tree need a repot.
I would only remove the structural flaws and see were the tree stand after.
You are still building the secondary branching on this tree so removing just whats necessary is the key.
 
Hi!

Sure thinning the top is a good idea for the future.
I see we are pretty much in the same zone so if I was you I would let it like this for the winter and either come back in Spring just before buds break or let the tree get more mass and remove in August/Sept next year.
That would be my 2 possibles approaches.
For sure you will have to time this action if the tree need a repot.
I would only remove the structural flaws and see were the tree stand after.
You are still building the secondary branching on this tree so removing just whats necessary is the key.

I'm thinking the slight thinning of the top will take place next spring. I feel like if i let it bulk up untouched until September 2023, it'll get a away from me.

As for the repot, I'm pretty happy with where the root work/ball is, and I don't forsee a repot (or root refresh) for several years to come.
 
Update: trotting along just fine.

The pot's coating began to crack however, maybe a switch up next year or the one after.
 

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I wish I could reorganize my threads knowing what I know now. I'm just gonna spam my spruces here while I consider creating new threads entirely.
 

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I like this tree that you have in progress. I’m a huge fan of buried roots though and believe the surface roots should be buried. The planting angle looks really good with the one….I look closely and think…just think….that the right side branches need to come up slightly, however, that might be what happens with the next growth in development right now.IMG_5681.jpeg
 
Nice work Bad_Bonsai. Despite the criticism they get,I also like DAS. Yours is coming along nicely.

You may have already considered this, but here’s some food for thought…

Your spruce resembles a tree growing on a steep or unstable slope; perhaps a cliff. Gravity is pulling it downward. The tree responds with increased root growth on the uphill side to anchor itself. Erosion exposes more and more of the root base but shifting sediments periodically re-bury it.

Trees growing on unstable slopes sometimes experience changes in planting angle. Low, weighted branches will not level off but new growth will make the adjustment. Sometimes, a changed planting angle may expose lower parts of a trunk to additional sun, which can lead to new “level” branch growth.

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Update - spruces emerged from the, looking healthy and ready to wake up - buds growing, etc.

I did find a replacement pot, it feels like higher quality - hoping it survives next winter.
One of the crates fell apart, however, so I opted to get a good report done. The pot is a little more shallow than I would have liked, couldn't knock off more soil than I felt comfortable but I'll manage my watering.

I'll post a photo of the product in the coming week or days- the weather took a turn for the cold.
 

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It's a little blurry, I'll take a better photo in the coming days - the weather took a turn for the cold, so I'm gonna refrain from movin' em around.
 

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