Western Hemlock - Ideas?

[camikins]

Hi,

I got this hemlock about 1 1/2 yrs ago from a friend's garden when he was doing some reno's. Has been sitting in a pot since. No idea what to do with it. Ideas / suggestions?

It's about 3 ft / 90 cm tall.

Thanks.
Cam

 

[ABCarve]

It sure looks like an eastern hemlock to me. It looks like you have it wired a bit. Be very careful it grows in quickly. I use guy wires to pull the branches down. They can be moved every now an then to keep it from scarring. They do not back bud at all on old wood. So get it trimmed back a good bit if its established in the pot, but leave some green if you want the branch to continue. When it starts growing in the spring, wait until the shoots are just about harden off and cut it back to one or two pair of needles. That will help the foliage thicken up. The tops are very vigorous so be vigilant of that unless you want it to grow out a bit. It can be done. Here one I'm working on.

 

[camikins]

Great tips, thanks so much. Interesting eastern vs. western hemlock. I'm from the w. coast of Canada, and knowing that it wasn't a mtn hemlock, I assumed that it was western.

I'll try your pruning advice. thanks.

 

[ghues]

camikins,
If it came from a nursery it might not be western hemlock but a eastern cultiver? (weeping hemlock).
I'll be honest OK....this will be a great training tree as it doesn't seem to have any age....
Can I suggest that if this is your first tree that you try and find a local club so that you can share your new interest?
Cheers Graham

 

[ghues]

It sure looks like an eastern hemlock to me. It looks like you have it wired a bit. Be very careful it grows in quickly. I use guy wires to pull the branches down. They can be moved every now an then to keep it from scarring. They do not back bud at all on old wood. So get it trimmed back a good bit if its established in the pot, but leave some green if you want the branch to continue. When it starts growing in the spring, wait until the shoots are just about harden off and cut it back to one or two pair of needles. That will help the foliage thicken up. The tops are very vigorous so be vigilant of that unless you want it to grow out a bit. It can be done. Here one I'm working on.

Just for clarification AB Carve,
Hemlocks dont pairs of needles (like a black pine), they have single needles. When I prune hemlocks (western and mountain) I prune back to a small branch in the currents years growth or last years.
Cheers Graham

 

[jferrier]

Looks more like

a mountain hemlock than a western, to me, but I'm no expert on the species. The western 's needles are opposite of each other in a line with needles straight out, and the Mtn. hemlocks needles occur in whorls around the branch.

 

[Gene Deci]

A picture of the base of the tree, with the roots exposed if they are not already, would be useful. That is often the most important part of a tree to take into consideration when deciding what to do.