Albertageo
Seed
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Hi. A newbie here. No knowledge of bonsai but learning from this great site from so many experienced individuals.
I've been growing our native alpine plants for a few decades. These are mostly from our nearby Alberta Rocky Mountains.
My question is about White Bark Pine ( Pinus Albicaulis)). We find this at higher altitudes...often in a contorted krummholz form on harsh windswept slopes. They survive despite wind, sun, drought and long freezes.
Anyways, to my question. I gather up some 'soil' (mostly scree)to bring home when I'm 'way up' high collecting plants such as moss campions, saxifrages, etc. Again this year ( for the second year) I have a hundred or so of volunteer White Bark seedlings ( seeds from the soil) growing in my alpine beds. Last year I potted them up in flats then replanted them back in their habitat. This year I'll do the same but thinking about keeping a half dozen to try and bonsai.
Anyways, I'm new at bonsai and would like to know if this species is worth taking on? They are only a few inches high so I'll let them be this season. However, If not, then I'll get them 'all' back into the wild where they will hopefully have long lives.
An aside. I'll also try a couple Engelmann spruce as I see positive posts on them. I'll also twke in s few a Subalpine Fir which has a subspecies unique to our region. Anyways, these species have some really weird shapes on our high mountain slopes.
I've been growing our native alpine plants for a few decades. These are mostly from our nearby Alberta Rocky Mountains.
My question is about White Bark Pine ( Pinus Albicaulis)). We find this at higher altitudes...often in a contorted krummholz form on harsh windswept slopes. They survive despite wind, sun, drought and long freezes.
Anyways, to my question. I gather up some 'soil' (mostly scree)to bring home when I'm 'way up' high collecting plants such as moss campions, saxifrages, etc. Again this year ( for the second year) I have a hundred or so of volunteer White Bark seedlings ( seeds from the soil) growing in my alpine beds. Last year I potted them up in flats then replanted them back in their habitat. This year I'll do the same but thinking about keeping a half dozen to try and bonsai.
Anyways, I'm new at bonsai and would like to know if this species is worth taking on? They are only a few inches high so I'll let them be this season. However, If not, then I'll get them 'all' back into the wild where they will hopefully have long lives.
An aside. I'll also try a couple Engelmann spruce as I see positive posts on them. I'll also twke in s few a Subalpine Fir which has a subspecies unique to our region. Anyways, these species have some really weird shapes on our high mountain slopes.