Observations from Cruiser’s garden

[Cruiser]

Test subject noble fir.
5/16 almost all new growth removed. (74 shoots)


New growth tips emerge about a month later.
6/21

7/2

8/6


Japanese maple
Defoliated and pruned 6/11


8/15

 

[Cruiser]

Dawn redwood March ‘25. It was about 10’ tall. A “hurricane” broke the tops out. A few branches were wired to become new leaders.


Current August ‘25
7 or 8 reiterations shot up. Things bushed out. This tree eventually will portray a candelabra cedar.

Ground-planted ROR trident maple and western larches had canopies narrowed.


Poison oak thriving alongside a collected Kinnikinnik. The oak was not intentional.


Red alder grove pruned and defoliated twice this season.
6/6


8/14

 

[Cruiser]

Silver fir quickly gobbled up its wire. Instead of trying to pull it out, wire ends were cut off, and internal bits were left in.

Tiny buds forming on another silver fir. Strong trees will back bud without having to cut anything.


Strong shoot

By mid August foliage is hardened off and next years buds have formed.


———

Noble fir de-shooted in June. (Except leader)


Current. Tree produced interior buds and a second flush of smaller foliage. Needles are more radially arranged, some are pointed.




These spiders develop different colors depending on where they hang out. We have yellow, green, and purple versions on other plants. This one is white to match the frosted appearance of this fir.

 

[Cruiser]

Strong leader bud (wrapped in needles) and whorled buds which will elongate next season.


“Nondescript” fir repotted and lightly styled last August.
Before:
A lipped pot made it difficult to remove.

After:


Noble fir roots. Growth is strong late summer and into Fall. With adequate temperature they will continue growing through winter.



Engelmann spruce buds ready for 2026.


Western hemlock produced stunted needles this season.


1/2 oz ornaments for branch bending. Still experimenting. Not as versatile as wire but the technique may have a place in the tool box.

 

[Cruiser]

Adelges piceae (Balsam Wooly Adelgid)
A minor pest of true firs in Europe. A bigger problem for North American fir species.

Wild alpine and silver firs are very susceptible and can be killed by outbreaks. It’s present on many landscape firs growing in people’s yards around here since most of those are collected, not grown in nurseries.

Noble fir are more resistant to the insect, yet here it is on one of my noble firs.

Gouging caused by the insect.

A woolly wax coating protects them. That can be scraped off revealing the darker insect beneath.


This one has produced little brown eggs. Those will hatch soon. The crawlers will emerge, find a site to attach and start to wool-over for winter.


The plan is to inspect my other firs and administer Bioadvanced Tree and Shrub systemic granules (Imidacloprid 1.1%). I believe that now and Spring are the best times for treatment.