Spuce and fir buddies (Picea engelmannii and Abies lasiocarpa)

Cruiser · Oct 16, 2022

These two trees were collected as a pair. From where and when, I do not know.

In the wild, alpine fir and engelmann spruce can sometimes be found growing around one another. They occupy similar high elevation habitats. I’m going to embrace that and keep them together as a big brother-little brother composition.

The trunks are relatively thin and long, which work well for the desired proportions I’m going for, trees in a forested setting. Think 120’ Douglas-fir with 2’ dbh….The branches are a bit long proportionally but not terribly so.

The alpine fir has a lot of back buds popping from low on the trunk and on most branches. The spruce needs a bit of coaxing.

Some wire was applied to enhance the forms of both trees. Branches between or crossing the two trunks were shortened or removed to create separation and expose more of the spruce.

The plan is to repot them next spring. Then, if they respond favorably, pinch/prune shoots in May-June. (Use the spruce pruning schedule from bonsai4me)

At time of purchase.

Initial styling.

Potential touch up idea to narrow the fir and separate the spruce leader.

Cruiser · Oct 16, 2022

Holy back buds, Batman!

Foliage comparison.

Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce forms. Inspiration.

Cruiser · Feb 22, 2023

2/21/23 Repotted into an anderson flat (15”x15”x5”). The new soil medium is approximately 50/50 pumice and fir bark.

The roots appeared healthy but unevenly distributed. Most of the spruce roots are growing in decayed wood just below the soil surface. Fir roots were concentrated only at the top and bottom of the pot where there was organic soil.
The middle of the root mass contained a sandy, burlapped core that had no fine growth.
It appears that the roots at the bottom of the pot were the firs original base. The roots towards the top of the pot are where the tree layered above the sand and also from the spruce.

Sawing the bottom off the root mass was not a good option. Instead I carefully combed the roots out with a chop stick and rinsed sand-soil out with water. A core of the original soil was left intact. Bits of mycorrhizae that had been combed out were reincorporated into the new substrate. Hopefully it takes.