small spruce

[Vance Wood]

Honestly---- looks contrived. I really like this little Spruce and personally I think it should be cut back to promote back budding where the tree needs it, but balancing the tree in the stone pot on a heavy slab like you have it now looks less than natural.

 

[just.wing.it]

Think so? I mean perched up on the larger stone would look alright in your view? I'm thinking so, I've been wondering about it for a while but just now is the first time I've sat it up there and looked so I'll give it more consideration time before deciding.

It is different and unique, and yeah, I think it could be made to look very realistic... I feel like I've seen it before, in nature.

 

[wireme]

Photoshopped the rootpad a bit. I like to think I can get the tree a little lower than this. Reducing the left side may be a problem, would not have been possible last time it was planted, maybe by now it will be. Maybe a hair more slant too.

 

[wireme]

It is different and unique, and yeah, I think it could be made to look very realistic... I feel like I've seen it before, in nature.

Honestly---- looks contrived. I really like this little Spruce and personally I think it should be cut back to promote back budding where the tree needs it, but balancing the tree in the stone pot on a heavy slab like you have it now looks less than natural.

Ha, thanks both of you, funny to see the two different views pop up back to back! It's the nice thing about bonsai, you can't go wrong... Er, no, can't go right maybe?

I'm thinking the biggest problem with the pairing might be that the stone is just the wrong size, big enough to be overpowering, a bit too small for a convincing landscape look. Either that or it's just exactly right. It is a nice rock on its own. I'm ready for some kind of change, if nothing that I like better comes along by spring I'll probably try it out as long as the required rootwork won't endanger the tree. Whatever it sits on can always be changed. Actually there is another stone out there in the yard, that just maybe.....I'll look at that too, show a pic later.

 

[just.wing.it]

Ha, thanks both of you, funny to see the two different views pop up back to back! It's the nice thing about bonsai, you can't go wrong... Er, no, can't go right maybe?

I'm thinking the biggest problem with the pairing might be that the stone is just the wrong size, big enough to be overpowering, a bit too small for a convincing landscape look. Either that or it's just exactly right. It is a nice rock on its own. I'm ready for some kind of change, if nothing that I like better comes along by spring I'll probably try it out as long as the required rootwork won't endanger the tree. Whatever it sits on can always be changed. Actually there is another stone out there in the yard, that just maybe.....I'll look at that too, show a pic later.

Agreed.

 

[PiñonJ]

One thing I'm learning in my classes is that people who do rock plantings often choose rocks that are too big for the tree. Yours could look cool, but it will be a miniature landscape, not a bonsai. The landscape will divert attention from the tree, which is fine, if you decide that the landscape is what you want to emphasize. But I think the tree is cool enough to make it the focal point. Here's a Blue Spruce rock planting I helped create at my last class. Notice the proportion of tree to rock:

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Photoshopped the rootpad a bit. I like to think I can get the tree a little lower than this. Reducing the left side may be a problem, would not have been possible last time it was planted, maybe by now it will be. Maybe a hair more slant too. View attachment 148627

I am not sold. The pairing is ''almost right'', but the rock is a bit distracting. @PiñonJ has a good point, but I don't fully agree with his point either. The size of the rock alone is not the issue, but the depth of the rock, the height of the lower half from the bench to the flat that the spruce would be on seems too thick, if the rock were rotated 180, would the spruce fit on the lower flat? Definitely in my mind you would need something on both flat surfaces. Moss, or very low ground covers would make sense.

Choosing a rock is as difficult, or more difficult than picking the right ''exhibition pot''. Often I see new to bonsai choosing a really bland, just any old rock, for a rock planting. Or they pick a rock that is too showy. Also too small, or too big. Frankly, I'm not sure I can help, I am not confident in my artistic skills. I'm very confident on horticultural questions, but art? I'm afraid I'm closer to paint by numbers than an artist.

Cogitate the move at least until next spring. This spruce is nice enough I felt I had to throw my less than helpful 2 cents in.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Thought, plant moss on both flats of the rock. Between now and next spring see how that image sets. If you like the rock that way, adding the tree might work.

 

[wireme]

Thought, plant moss on both flats of the rock. Between now and next spring see how that image sets. If you like the rock that way, adding the tree might work.

Funny, and strangely I was thinking exactly the same thing, less than 2 hrs ago, drinking coffee in the yard that very idea popped into my head!

Thanks for the input.

 

[wireme]

It’s wee spruce time again. I decided not to repot it this year, it’s perfectly healthy and happy, focus on the tree, find a nice potting deal next year hopefully.
Pruned and wired and set up for the season. I’m still on the program of a spring cutback and that’s all. So far it keeps giving me nice places to cut back to. There’s a couple spots where and extension pinch done last summer would have given me better bud placement but by next year those young branches should be behaving better. A couple spots also where I cut back to a place without buds but expect to get some by summers end. Will see what happens, there are buds further in to cut back to if no luck with that.

 

[wireme]

One more pic. Lookin up from below.

 

[Djtommy]

The tree is looking very nice. Nice bark, any idea how old they are before getting bark like this? It’s about time to find a better pot/slab. Gonna look awesome then.

 

[Wilson]

Lookin good! I really enjoy the small spruce and fir that are up in the krummholtz zones.

 

[wireme]

The tree is looking very nice. Nice bark, any idea how old they are before getting bark like this? It’s about time to find a better pot/slab. Gonna look awesome then.

Yeah, I wonder. I’ll bet this was a good twenty or more years old when I collected it and I’ve had it for 7 or 8 yrs now.

 

[wireme]

Lookin good! I really enjoy the small spruce and fir that are up in the krummholtz zones.

After your comment I googled krummholtz spruce images. A couple mirai spruce were in there they had been tagged krummholtz on Instagram or something. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to call them krummholtz, I thought more west coast seafront swamp or something, cool though.

 

[wireme]

The tree is looking very nice. Nice bark, any idea how old they are before getting bark like this? It’s about time to find a better pot/slab. Gonna look awesome then.

So, suddenly thinking I may move it this year after all. There has been this stone on a shelf by the door for years here. It collects random pocket items. Pocket change, old screws, driver bits.,,
Looking for a bit this morning and... hey! This has been an option all along invisible plain sight. Funny.

So this tree has only been potted once from collection container onto current stone. At the time it was a problematic one root deal. One root heading right. Maybe now there are more root options close to the trunk, who knows but a planter with some length might still be needed. So this thing, may still be oversized long for the trunk but at least it’s very thin. This shows two sides of the stone with the tree on.

The second is my preferred front of the stone but will be harder to get the angle. Might have to build up the soil on the left. Here’s a virt. I think this is probably worst case scenario for rootpad thickness and size. I shoul be able to do better.
So an improvement over the current situation no doubt, here’s my question should the tree be pushed towards center as much as possible or is it alright hanging over? Maybe some accent on the other side to balance a bit?
Al opinions welcomed, if I do this it will probably be a couple days from now.

 

[wireme]

Oh yeah, I forgot, there is this too. A possible but more unlikely option.

 

[wireme]

That virt with the shrubbery on the right just looked way off.

Empty stone over there seems to work much better. This is looking better to me. Don’t know if I really would whittle the soilpad down to that or not.

 

[Dav4]

Oh yeah, I forgot, there is this too. A possible but more unlikely option. View attachment 191676

This, maybe planted on the left and not in that pocket.

 

[wireme]

This, maybe planted on the left and not in that pocket.

It gets narrow. No room anywhere but the pocket and even there.. probably possible, probably too risky for the likes of me. I’ll definitely have a look see should I decide to change rocks here and I’m pretty sure I will.