When to trim Larch?

[Lazylightningny]

I have not taken a recent photo of new growth. I'll try to get to it this weekend.

This is a European weeping larch. Photo 1, as purchased, minus breaking off the top at the nursery. That raised some eyebrows. Photo 2, as pruned when I got home. I left 2-3 buds on each branch. Photo 3, now with very coarse growth after heavy organic fertilization.

 

[Vance Wood]

I believe earlier in this thread someone (Vance?) explained that letting it grow out and harden off would result in much longer internodes.

That is true. If you take the time to look at a Larch that has been allowed to grow wild you will notice that the bud form at about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. That is going to be the ramification of your tree. If you pinch by the end of the season you will all sorts of new buds with very short internodes.

 

[Wilson]

@MartyB , this is a great thread for you to check out!

 

[MartyB]

@MartyB , this is a great thread for you to check out!

Yes it most certainly is, thank you so much for pointing it out!

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

That is true. If you take the time to look at a Larch that has been allowed to grow wild you will notice that the bud form at about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. That is going to be the ramification of your tree. If you pinch by the end of the season you will all sorts of new buds with very short internodes.

Hi Vance,
I understand now the principle of pinching Larches for ramification. My question is about larches that are only 1-4 years old.
Do I let them grow freely all over?
Do I just let the top grow, and start pinching the kept branches?
Or just pinch all over as trunk thickening will still happen?

Thanks for all the explanations you have given in this thread.
Charles

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi Vance,
I understand now the principle of pinching Larches for ramification. My question is about larches that are only 1-4 years old.
Do I let them grow freely all over?
Do I just let the top grow, and start pinching the kept branches?
Or just pinch all over as trunk thickening will still happen?

Thanks for all the explanations you have given in this thread.
Charles

No, pinch them as well and fertilize the snot out of them to get really dense compact growth. It is better to have to face a choice of which branches to eliminate and a lot of secondary and tertiary growth than bemoan having too little growth to work with.

 

[MartyB]

Here is my next year(s) project tree. I know its a very straight trunk, I am working with it anyway. I am also not a smoker but borrowed a pack for scale.

In any case, I would like to reduce this to a 18-24inch tall tree next spring. Any tips on how to get from this format to a bonsai pot? @Wilson was kind enough to suggest I might do the pot reduction over two years due to the current size if the pot. I am not clear tho with regards to if I can cut some back already, pinching etc. Shopping for the Nick Lenz book hoping to find it for less than 200$ (!)

one thing that concerns me is that the needle vigour on the upper part of the tree is (not surprisingly ) much more vigorous than the somewhat more scraggly needles lower down. I am giving this tree full sun every day and I pruned back the middle and top branches when I got it so more sun would get to the lower part of the tree and I am happy to see it is pushing out a new flush of growth, more subdued than higher up naturally. In any case, any info to make me closer to a tree in training much appreciated!

 

[leatherback]

Why don't you chop back to the bottom 20% branches now, and get rid of the heavy top?

 

[MartyB]

Why don't you chop back to the bottom 20% branches now, and get rid of the heavy top?

So it would be safe to do an initial major cutdown now?

 

[Wilson]

So it would be safe to do an initial major cutdown now?

Like @leatherback said, chopping the top will set this tree on it's path. I threw a line on there, but you can judge the scale needed for your design.

 

[Vance Wood]

I would then wire up a new leader. Give it some movement. This is the major flaw with Larch, they tend to be very linear and grow in straight lines this way and that.

 

[MartyB]

I love this forum. Thank you kindly folks. And yes @Wilson that is pretty much where I was planning to reduce to, above that cluster.

Would it make sense to then in the spring pre-bud-break reduce the length of the lower branches, repot into better substrate perhaps a half size smaller pot, and then repeat that same procedure the following spring 2020 to put into a bonsai training pot?

 

[leatherback]

Like @leatherback said, chopping the top will set this tree on it's path. I threw a line on there, but you can judge the scale needed for your design.

Maybe for now trim there, to keep the lower branches. But I would cut a LOT lower in winter, and only keep the lowest 2 or so branches to work with.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

@Vance Wood if you acquire a bunch of larch seedlings that have been allowed to grow wild, what is the best strategy to get them reduced and ready to develop? Should they be cut back to the last node and then pinched as you describe? Can this drastic pruning be done in the grownig season or should you wait until winter? Here is a photo of a couple.

 

[M. Frary]

@Vance Wood if you acquire a bunch of larch seedlings that have been allowed to grow wild, what is the best strategy to get them reduced and ready to develop? Should they be cut back to the last node and then pinched as you describe? Can this drastic pruning be done in the grownig season or should you wait until winter? Here is a photo of a couple.

I'd pinch them first than you will have better choices for cutting back after the shoots extend from the buds after pinching.

 

[Vance Wood]

Let them go wild for a couple of three years then cut them back heavily, wire up a new leader and let that develop for a while. Do this a number or times and you start developing a tapered trunk with a big butt--ress. Get the trunk started then start working on the branches and the growth as I have described previously.

 

[Jorgens86]

Hi. After almoste a year. How is your larches doing?!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Hi. After almoste a year. How is your larches doing?!

Who are you addressing the question to?

 

[Jorgens86]

Who are you addressing the question to?

Every who posted here about larches

 

[Vance Wood]

You should start working on the new growth as soon as it extends enough so it looks like a little paint brush, the kind used in water colors. Then with one hand support the base of the bud/shoot and carefully grasp the center of the paint brush and with the other hand, thumb and and opposing finger, pull it outward. If done properly you will not be able to tell where the growth was truncated, shortened, pinched, or what ever the cause celeb decides to call this technique. Important; you do not use scissors to do this.