Sapling Division: Sputnik 184 Picea Engelmanii Forest

[Sputnik 184]

Another non native for me in the UK these are the saplings for my Engelmann Spruce Forest. I grew them from seed and they have been sitting for a couple of years waiting for me to decide what to do with them. Very little experience with Picea so this will be another fun project.

 

[Sputnik 184]

My small Spruce needed repotting from the 3” pots to encourage trunk development so I decided to plant them in small groups to begin meshing the roots. This hopefully will also encourage strong upright growth as they compete with each other so trunk wiring is less necessary. That’s my theory anyway.

 

[Sputnik 184]

My spruce forest project is still going after another year. The trees have seemed to cope with the close planting but watering is going to be tougher this summer and I may have to stand them in trays of water. I guess I’ll have to start branch selection and wiring this year too and start to consider a long term design. A bit of a novice with Picea and a total novice with the Engelmann.

 

[Kanorin]

I don't have much to add, but based on he growth that you've gotten in less than a year, they seem quite happy! I definitely think some thinning out of branches is a good idea to get some light and air into the interior of those little groupings. I like your strategy of putting together some small groupings prior to putting together the whole forest - I'm experimenting with that a bit too this year.

 

[JeffS73]

My spruce look similar to yours
Have you seen the bonsai4me info on spruce? Now is a good time to put this into practice:
http://www.bonsai4me.co.uk/AdvTech/ATPiceaPruningstylingandwiring page2.html

I found this really useful for controlling internode length. I'm experimenting with long sacrifice branches and pinching back lower growth to keep buds near the trunk as my pre bonsai develop.

 

[Sputnik 184]

I read the bonsai4me spruce advice but didn’t know if my spruces were advanced enough for this. How’s the experiment going with yours?

 

[Sputnik 184]

In the Birds Nest Spruce thread Sorce advocated building lots of strength and then a harder cutback when really healthy in preference to the pinching methods to achieve backbudding. I had been wondering about following this procedure, which does seem to be working on my larger Birds Nests,or whether this might not be as effective when trying to keep younger spruces under control.

 

[JeffS73]

I've been waiting for some of the Spring growth on mine to be ready to show you what I've been doing. I'm not sure it's best practice but it seems to be working! These are Sitka spruce, 2yrs, I've got some Engelmanii, they're smaller but similar.

No 1 before and after:



No 2 before and after:



From another angle:


It's not revolutionary, but I've got various trunk lines to select from, short shoots close to the trunks and I think they're healthier with light and air in there. They get dense quick! Hope yours are growing well.

 

[Sputnik 184]

I've been waiting for some of the Spring growth on mine to be ready to show you what I've been doing. I'm not sure it's best practice but it seems to be working! These are Sitka spruce, 2yrs, I've got some Engelmanii, they're smaller but similar.
It's not revolutionary, but I've got various trunk lines to select from, short shoots close to the trunks and I think they're healthier with light and air in there. They get dense quick! Hope yours are growing well.

Apologies. I’ve only just read your latest reply and been to look at my forest trees. In May I stood the pots and pond baskets on my grow bed for no other reason than a lack of available space anywhere else. I tried to pick up a pot to photograph the latest progress and they seem to be firmly rooted in the ground. They are obviously growing well and their colour has changed from the bright green to the hardened off blue/green coloured foliage. They are becoming quite full at the tops so I think some cut back may be required to allow light in and keep some lower growth alive.