small spruce

[0soyoung]

Anybody know of an iPhone ap that will work for virts?

AutoDesk Sketchbook

 

[wireme]

I hope to have all the bits and pieces arranged a bit better for spring flush this year. Either way it's still coming along bit by bit. Just started fiddling this evening.

 

[wireme]

Pointless random morning update before work..
Oddly the moss has been largely brownish so far this spring, no clue why, tree is fine buds a'swelling.

 

[Vance Wood]

The moss was probably burned by fertilizer.

 

[PiñonJ]

Pointless random morning update before work..
Oddly the moss has been largely brownish so far this spring, no clue why, tree is fine buds a'swelling. View attachment 146114View attachment 146115View attachment 146116

Nice buds! Is the moss hydrophobic? If so, it's time to replace the top layer of soil.

 

[jriddell88]

Man you've got some good ones , this one is special , I love the movements ,lean, branch placenment , it will only get better , nice work .

 

[wireme]

The moss was probably burned by fertilizer.

Thanks Vance, that might be it, I've never seen my moss brown like this in spring before. Fert has never seemed to hurt it but I have always in the past fertilized organically. Towards the end of last summer some of my conifers weren't holding as deep a green as usual. Eventually I bought some chem fert and used it on all of them so maybe that is it.

 

[wireme]

Nice buds! Is the moss hydrophobic? If so, it's time to replace the top layer of soil.

Ah, no more than usual I don't think. I kind of find that moss is always hydrophobic once it's thick enough and full coverage no matter what is underneath. When it gets to a point then I thin it by pulling clumps here and there and mow the rest short with scissors. I'll watch though to see if it seems harder to wet than usual.
That chore is coming up on a bunch of trees trees as I move down the priority list.

 

[wireme]

Man you've got some good ones , this one is special , I love the movements ,lean, branch placenment , it will only get better , nice work .

Thanks, I hope it will!

 

[M. Frary]

chem fert

At the rates I use,it turns moss into black sludge in less than a week!
The trees don't mind at all but the moss roasts.

 

[wireme]

 

[Vance Wood]

Beautiful little tree.

 

[wireme]

Beautiful little tree.

Thanks a lot Vance! I've been kicking around the forums on and off since you guys used to frequently post on the gardenweb forums. There's a just few people including yourself who were forum veterans even back then from whom I always hoped to get the odd "well done, good work" kind of comment from. I could word it more strongly but let's just say any words of encouragement or anything remotely resembling a positive comment of any kind whatsoever from that small group have been extremely rare! People have a hard time letting go of first impressions I think. Not you, thanks.

 

[wireme]

Spring flush extended now.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Really kind of like it. Developed nicely.

 

[just.wing.it]

View attachment 147051

Very nice spruce!

 

[wireme]

Really kind of like it. Developed nicely.

Very nice spruce!

Thanks fellas. I'm quite proud of it actually, I figure it's not easy to build and maintain a canopy with any branch structure to fit a regular englemann of such a small size. Even more so when the trunk is also so skinny. So I'm happy so far. Canopy is more or less built, we'll see how maintenance goes. I kind of think I'm probably at the stage where I should start pinching elongating candles but I'm going to try continuing with just yearly pruning back for a while just to see. To late for pinching this year anyways now probably.

 

[wireme]

I'm keeping my eyes open for a new home for the tree too, I'd like to move it to something next year. Out of everything I have kicking around the place right now (and that's not much) this might be the best match. If I can reduce the length and depth of root pad, maybe plant something else on the lower ledge... Could be pretty sweet. The tree is not wired to the stone its on now obviously, I can pluck it off anytime.

 

[just.wing.it]

Looks convincing

 

[wireme]

Looks convincing

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.