Tycoss
Chumono
Those are great. Exactly the sort of image I had in mind
Oldest collected white spruce!
- Thread starter Tycoss
- Start date
Tycoss
Chumono
It was the most brutal winter I can remember here. In December it went from +10C to -20C in 24 hours. All my conifers suffered more winter damage than usual, but the buds on this one are strong as ever.
Tycoss
Chumono
It's impressive how bluish full sun can make new foliage on "white" spruce.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
defra
Masterpiece
Nice base gonna follow this one with interest i also do have a "candelabra" styled tree !
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
i dont believe in all the vids everything is done at once, some are edited over a few months. nice spruce, i would take my time with it. speaking from someone who's killed a couple of spruce by doing too much
Can confirm that. Speaking about Norway Spruce, do too much to it and you have nice contorted firewood for the barbecue.i dont believe in all the vids everything is done at once, some are edited over a few months. nice spruce, i would take my time with it. speaking from someone who's killed a couple of spruce by doing too much
Do you use Celsius not Fahrenheit? Just curious. (I have to google conversion if F is used here all the time)
Tycoss
Chumono
I am Canadian, and thus think in Celsius. I used to be alright with mental conversions, but it's a skill I seem to have lost.
Tycoss
Chumono
I do believe this tree is probably about ready for its first basic styling with wire etc. involved. I have gone back over old spruce threads in the forum. People like @fourteener and @Walter Pall have changed my approach to spruce, and this old thing has been very vigorous as a result.
The tree had it’s height halved the second season I had it, and it’s width halved last year. I just cut back some of the new extensions from this year, to encourage interior growth.
Interior growth that had been bare is showing lots of buds now, so I should have lots to cut back to in the future.
The tree had it’s height halved the second season I had it, and it’s width halved last year. I just cut back some of the new extensions from this year, to encourage interior growth.
Interior growth that had been bare is showing lots of buds now, so I should have lots to cut back to in the future.
Tycoss
Chumono
I was looking at the current “back” of the tree (if yamadori has such a thing). It actually shows off the taper and movement of the main trunk fairly nicely. 
However, it does not show the secondary trunks or deadwood as well as what I thought would be the front:
What would be your preference and why? I know it has no significant nebari, but I still think the base is “heavy” enough to anchor the image.
However, it does not show the secondary trunks or deadwood as well as what I thought would be the front:
What would be your preference and why? I know it has no significant nebari, but I still think the base is “heavy” enough to anchor the image.
Tycoss
Chumono
A question I did have is regarding these branches that seem to want to go up, and only have growth near the ends. They are not quite big enough to be sub trunks yet, and I already have either 3 or 4 of those depending on what I do later. I could either wire these more vertically, guy wire them down, or remove them all together. You can see examples in the picture of the back of the tree above. Here are more:
These have very dense foliage near the ends, but not much further down. They have bark that is not yet flaky, but is maturing.
These have very dense foliage near the ends, but not much further down. They have bark that is not yet flaky, but is maturing.
Tycoss
Chumono
I forgot to mention, before I get scolded, I will not be doing the first rough styling of this tree until October, when the tree is dormant but not yet covered in snow.
Tycoss
Chumono
Here is a fir I saw witch gives an idea of the sort of wound on a candelabra conifer that I have. Also a closeup of my deadwood wound. 
wireme
Masterpiece
So you cut back to encourage new interior growth but you also already have lots of new interior buds prior to this cutback. If you wouldn’t mind updating again at the end of this season can you let me know if this cut back you just did results in even more interior buds than you already have now?
Tycoss
Chumono
It did with other spruce and more interior buds was the result. Apparently Walter Pall does something similar with his Picea abies. I’ll keep you updated.
wireme
Masterpiece
When were the other spruce done?
Tycoss
Chumono
Last time it was done in August to the other tree and in June to this one. I have read recently in a post from Walter Pall that cutting earlier produces more ramification in the branch tips, and later produces more interior buds. This is what I saw with those two trees, but it may just be that the other one was younger and more willing to bud from the trunk. I don’t have the other spruce anymore. I gave it to a coworker who admired
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Tycoss
Chumono
Sorry so long to post back on this tree. The tree backbudded like crazy this year, but I’m not sure it has much to do with the pruning regime. It is quite well established now, and I was very aggressive with the water and fertilizer last year.
I tried to wire down the bigger branches last fall, but most of the big ones near the top will have to be removed and replaced by smaller ones. I need to find a good source of copper wire that ships to my area (anyone have recommendations?), as the aluminum stuff doesn’t seem to cut it. You can’t see much anyway right now under all the new growth.
wireme
Masterpiece
Certainly looking healthy and vigorous!
That’s really good for, what is this year 3? Some of my spruce have been like that but a few others have taken longer. I have two really good ones that are finally now showing their first strong growth and it’s year 5 for them.
Tycoss
Chumono
What do you attribute the difference to? Is it the conditions they were collected in? Age or altitude?
