Mohawk Valley Bonsai Forum

Collected Larch (reply)

dougwhitfield — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:25:02 +0000

Clarifying...I do think literati is going to be my next step unless someone convinces me to try something different.

Collected Larch (reply)

dougwhitfield — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:16:27 +0000

Literati. Literati never entered my mind, I was just thinking "boring trunk"...eliminate the trunk. Air layering can always be employed if the odd and graceful twists and turns in the trunk don't work out. More ideas out there?

Collected Larch (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:09:32 +0000

Doug, If (IF) for any reason you decide not to air-layer it Buffalo Bog Larch might be an excellent candidate for a wonderfully twisted, distorted literati style bonsai (bunjin). With such a long slender trunk and full growth up top it could work very well.

But decide nothing now. You could keep it in this bucket all winter. Work on it in Spring.

Let's see what Dave says.

Collected Larch (reply)

dougwhitfield — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:41:08 +0000

Buffalo Bog Larch is indeed in a bucket that drains.I planned on air layering an inch below the crook. Looking at this plant again, the size at present is about 3 feet. I welcome all suggestions.

Boxwood: 1 year in the life of... (reply)

DaveA — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:20:44 +0000

Tom, no up-potting going on here. I was planning on sawing the rootball to about an inch thick and planting it into a decent looking container for further refinement.

Dave

4th of JuLarch (reply)

DaveA — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:06:52 +0000

Tom, absoloutley no change since the last picture. Not one new needle, nor has one fall off. I am not surprised by this at all. Last year I collected a small larch in mid-summer and it to showed no signs of top growth for the rest of that year. However, it grew stronger than any of them this year, so I remain optomistic for the future with this one.

I removed about 75% of the original foliage mass perhaps more immidiatley after collecting.

Dave

Collected Larch (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:46:48 +0000

Doug, When you say bucket do you mean pot with drainage holes? A solid bottom bucket would not be good - no way to drain water out. Bad for root development.

Yesterday I went scouting the place where I collect larches, lots of new 'POSTED' signs and slim pickings. I didn't go all the way in as it is very overgrown in summertime, plenty of poison ivy and ferocious mosquitoes. Oh, the perils we face trying to find nice trees to collect! So I can not guarantee anything but will try. Might be able to locate and get permission from whoever owns this swampy land along route 51.

Glad you got your bog larch. They make nice bonsai. We got a few from Pauline Muth also, and will also post pictures. Got a new camera just recently.

Will be in the garden all day.

Collected Larch (reply)

dougwhitfield — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:20:39 +0000

I'm looking forward to finding a larch in November. Should I look forward to letting it be in a bucket or the ground for the winter and working on it in spring or do you start work in November?

Early in the summer, my brother brought me a larch baby from a Buffalo bog. It came to me with very few roots, so I put it in a 5 gallon bucket of loam, peat moss and a little bone meal that I'm keeping well-watered and in a sunny place to try to nurture it though the summer and develop some root growth (it looks healthy). My plan is to try air layering the two foot tree in the spring when it's more vigorus, with the notion of planting the top later in the summer. I'll post a pic of this larch and ask everyone for their advice.

4th of JuLarch (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:31:55 +0000

Would love to see an update. This looks like a real classy tree.

new pots (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:27:43 +0000

Made any final selections yet on the crackle pot?

September Symposium (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:18:08 +0000

Dam - is it Friday yet?? Am I anxious or what?
Like we really need a few more larches and cedars around here, right?

YES WE DO !!!

Boxwood: 1 year in the life of... (reply)

Tom M — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:13:54 +0000

Lookin' good. Are your plans to up-pot it, maybe a grow box?

Soon it will be like the Ted Matson/Brad Murdock demo tree !!!

Programs at PFM Bonsai Studio (reply)

Tom M — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:12:51 +0000

West Charlton, NY
Sep. 25 FREE OPEN WORKSHOP - Bring in your trees and tools to 'work'. If staying for the day bring lunch. Hours open 9-4. Call or e-mail to register.

Sep 26 Same deal but only from 9-1, closing early to present a demo in Cambridge, NY

MHBS & Capital District Sogetsu Society Annual Show (reply)

Tom M — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:04:48 +0000

Sep. 18-19th at the Saratoga Springs Art Center- free admission
Demonstrations on bonsai and ikebana flower arranging. You may bring your bonsai in for advice. Sales area. Beginners workshop.

Hours Sat 10-5 and Sun 10-4 Info at (518) 882-1039

Chasing Pigs (reply)

Tom M — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:39:45 +0000

OK Bob I'm expecting a follow-up on your misadventures on St. Croix, and whatever happened to that '73 Mini. Don't care if there was no bonsai involved - or was there? Were you fleeing the local tree gestapo with a tiny haul of shohin sized tropicals? Or rum-running down the mountainside a bit too fast?

You started this, so fill us in

Larch work (reply)

Tom M — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:30:13 +0000

Dave, I re-read your posts about this tree at Bonsai Nut and the replies that you got. They go back a full year. The history and the progression are so interesting. Has the previous owner seen the changes you've made? Pleased with the development?

You would have really enjoyed Pauline's workshop/lecture/demo on larch last week. It was very good, and nice to get different perspectives from more than one 'expert'. She, and many who were there from a large region, is a huge fan of the American larch tree.

Next up - D. Easterbrook.
PS - we are practicing with our new camera - will be uploading soon.

a little procumbens (reply)

Tom M — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:15:59 +0000

Little guy is coming along nicely - and the chunk of club fert is being put to good use !

Opportunity knocks...a chance to work some big tropicals (reply)

bonsaivet — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:11:51 +0000

Yes, I tried to Google it with little help. Trust me, there's enough material to work on here without looking for anything special. I let Son decide on what he wants to work on today, looks like a large ficus and another 'mystery' tree after breakfast.

The first ficus we worked on is pushing a ton of new growth, last night I was trying to explain cutting back to increase branch ramification. Something else that has little understanding here.

Bob

Boxwood: 1 year in the life of... (reply)

DaveA — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:39:03 +0000

A bit of an outdated update, this was a few weeks back.

Dave

a little procumbens (reply)

DaveA — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:33:27 +0000

This is what it looked like after a couple months of free growth before i pinched it back.