My last tree purchase of the year: Picea orientalis

[Vance Wood]

Be careful that you do not remove too much of the vigorous new growth from last year before giving the tree a chance to generate new growth from less than vigorous growth you have down low. I made the mistake of doing that a number of years ago and lost a really nice tree. I simply did not come back from winter storage.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Picea orientalis has very short needles, much like a Picea glenni, half or a third the size of P glauca. Maybe a fifth the size of blue spruce. Dark green color, should be excellent for bonsai.

 

[miker]

This tree budded out well this spring and put on some healthy new growth. Now it appears that the top is dying back. This started with just a couple twigs at the top but has spread to the top 1/5 of the tree. I hope it does not mean that the tree is a goner! I am leaving the tree alone for 2-3 years to let it recover from the hack back I gave it in January 2017.

 

[Vance Wood]

How much do you water this tree. Spruce like a lot more water than Pines. Have you checked for scale and mites. This has been a bad year for both.

 

[miker]

I didn't see any evidence of scale or mites, but I will look more closely. Also, I will check on the watering issue, the pot is always really heavy amd we have been getting regular rain. Time to use the chopstick method I guess.

 

[Vance Wood]

You cannot rely on regular rain. Take the tree out of the pot it is in and inspect the soil mass. If it is heavy because it is planted in a lot of clay; that's one thing and could mean the tree is getting too much water standing around the roots. Spruce need great drainage, they will go down hill fast if the soil stays wet. If the soil mass seems to have obviously dry spots seen from the outside of the soil ball then the tree is not getting enough water, then again you will have a water/drainage issue. See how easily you can get into the soil mass near the base of the tree. If you take a sharp stick how easily can you push it into the soil mass?

 

[sorce]

Lucky it seems this tree has enough energy built up to beat this setback....
Which consequently I'm considering a "self apex styling"...
It wants deadwood is all!

Agree with Vance on a root issue.
No way that big SOB hasn't outlived that pot!

Overcome!

Sorce

 

[miker]

Thank you Sorce and Vance. I have suspected for a while that it has stayed too wet. Time to get rid of the red pot, buy a slightly larger pot($$$) and pot it in some good conifer bonsai mix. It is either that, or let this $70 red pot challenge slowly die.

 

[Vance Wood]

As long as you are going to do that you ought to consider a colander or pond basket or a box you can make of wood with screened sides and bottom.

 

[miker]

Yes Vance good idea. Would have to find a heck of a large pond basket for it to be deep enough. Haven't done anything yet so I will consider building the box.

 

[robert gardner]

I just got a Picea Orientallis Spruce from onifer Kingdom looks to be a fun tree to Bonsai with and it was free with my order.
They also sent me a CEDRUS ATILANTICA "Liliput" which will be used in my bonsai collection.
Both will be great trees.

 

[Vance Wood]

I just got a Picea Orientallis Spruce from onifer Kingdom looks to be a fun tree to Bonsai with and it was free with my order.
They also sent me a CEDRUS ATILANTICA "Liliput" which will be used in my bonsai collection.
Both will be great trees.

How about some pictures?

 

[miker]

My tree died this spring. It was my fault for doing major pruning in January 2017. It died the rest of the way as soon as it warmed up this year. Stupid, stupid.

 

[robert gardner]

I am starting to really like spruce trees. I have about four, three are seedlings and one a twin trunk collected
one from 5000 feet in Colorado. The seedlings will be great fun to bonsai I think that they will turn out just
great but not like yours in mt lifetime as I am now 74