Will’s 2023-2026 little Christmas tree entry

[Eckhoffw]

Here’s what I found.
DAS Conica. 1/2 off at the Home Depot. As usual, I didn’t plan on buying any plants. My wife sent me for Christmas lights, and, well, you know how that goes.

Untouched photos.

I plan on going slower this time around.

For now I’m happy with just cleaning out the little shoots crowding branches, and the thin weak growth that I know won’t amount to anything useful.

Here’s where we’re at after the conservative cleaning and pot chop.

Trunk is 2” at the low flair point.

We will see if I can keep my hands off of it till spring!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Slowly working my way up the tree.

 

[Eckhoffw]

It’s feeling very much like spring here - twin Cities, Minnesota.
Global warming, El Niño, whatever the cause, it’s Preposterously warm for the beginning of February.


After reading up some of @James W. Thread:

Dwarf Alberta Spruce, gleanings and musings

Just thought I would throw this out there for discussion/information. Most of this is distilled from various sources on the web. Species: Picea glauca White spruce, Black Hills spruce and Alberta spruce are regional variants of P. glauca P. glauca is more closely related to Engleman...

www.bonsainut.com

I decided to repot my DAS.



I was pleased to see the trunk continue to flare beneath the soil.
Some problem roots to address later, but I can now see a 3” base to work with.
I put it in a pond basket with a mix of 50% original soil and 50% mixture of pumice, lava, and calcined clay.
In a month or so, I will heal it into the ground and wait to see how it responds.

 

[Eckhoffw]

More pics.


I plan on putting a tourniquet on the root at left and right.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Well…. The late winter repot may not have been my best idea.
This tree got frozen solid after a brief, cold spell. It was in my greenhouse mulched in, but I don’t think it was enough protection.

Anyways about 3 weeks ago it got crispy down low.

I’ve kept it above freezing since, and it seems like the die back has stopped.

We will see. It may be completely dead.

Design by dieback.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Oh dear So sorry this happened. Have you got more for the contest? if not, get one ASAP. Nurseries are hip deep in these things right now

 

[Eckhoffw]

Oh dear So sorry this happened. Have you got more for the contest? if not, get one ASAP. Nurseries are hip deep in these things right now

I’ll be quite happy if the die back stops there.
Currently, there is more than enough foliage there to work with, + Jin options.
We will see.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I do have this guy I got from Home Depot -holiday clearance. Baby blue spruce.

I didn’t plan on putting it in the contest, but maybe it’ll be a player.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

I do have this guy I got from Home Depot -holiday clearance. Baby blue spruce.

I didn’t plan on putting it in the contest, but maybe it’ll be a player. View attachment 533264

Blue Spruce, nice! I want one of these. Blue foliage is very attractive to me. Nice dense blue foliage pads

 

[Deleted member 47471]

I’ll be quite happy if the die back stops there.
Currently, there is more than enough foliage there to work with, + Jin options.
We will see.

That’s true, you would likely remove it anyway up to the bottom 1/3 of tree, especially with that thick trunk and movement.

 

[Ruddigger]

That DAS has a nice flare.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I think it’s going to be alright. Buds are greening up and thanks to nature, and my negligence, I already have design obstacles/suggestions.

 

[Eckhoffw]

New growth.
I think I’m still in.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Well, it’s alive and well. I’ve Removed the dead, and Started gently working my way up with wire.

 

[pandacular]

How has it been keeping this tree watered? Mine is a thirsty tree and not in a basket, so I wonder if yours dries quickly.

 

[Eckhoffw]

How has it been keeping this tree watered? Mine is a thirsty tree and not in a basket, so I wonder if yours dries quickly.

It is healed into the ground. I leave it there unless I’m working on it.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I’ve been doing that more with my trees lately. It just seems to keep moisture levels at a constant without rigid watering routines. Trees in developing stage growing stronger.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Wondering if I should wire mine now in Spring I have a handful of them without wire yet… though I might wait until fall when growing season hardens off and tree slows down movement of fluids

 

[Eckhoffw]

Wondering if I should wire mine now in Spring I have a handful of them without wire yet… though I might wait until fall when growing season hardens off and tree slows down movement of fluids

Probably not a bad idea. I’m being impatient. That’s why I said enough, and put it away.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Continued thinning towards the top hoping to keep energy balanced.
Happy to see this one recovering.