Shohin Larch - Winter Image

Have worked on this larch for about 6 years.

Purchased for £125 from a bonsai nursery in Dorset who field grow most of their stock. The inset is the original tree which had undergone 3 major trunk chops before I acquired it.

Had plenty of help and advice on this tree from Harry Harrington.

I eventually removed the top half of the tree about 3 years back and wired up a new leader from the back.

A bit "by the numbers" perhaps but pleasing nonetheless.

About 10 in high.

Pot by Vic Harris at Erin.

thanks

TimR

Good tree Tim,. Nice movement and taper. Hope you dont mind me making a suggestion but theres a big space with no branches. How about reducing the top and training the front branch as a new leader. Larch develop very quickly.

lovely bit of work on a nice tree -
what are your future intentions is it to extend any of the branches?
steve

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes Will, there is a bit of gap under the apex.

I could "T" off the top and swoop the 2 remaining top branches down a bit.

A further chop using the front branch is also a possibility.

Hi Steve,

What I want to do is extend the back branch down and out to the right a bit more. The 1st branch left has been notched and lowered to improve the angle off the trunk but that also has a bare area. Eventually I will need to chop back to the replacement branch growing further back.

A general problem with this tree is that foliage gets very big and it looks like a hedgehog on a really bad hair day by May-June.

When I purchased it (and when I see similar stock from the same supplier) the needles are/were very small

I think it was Vance Wood who posted a technique describing nipping back new growth very early just as the 1st shoot starts to extend as a control method for this.

Still all this taken into account, this is one tree that I have been pleased with as I have been very proactive with it, applied some quite advanced techniques (for me) and It's all worked so far.

Thanks

TimR

A very nice shohin larch.

The same larch in foliage with the top removed as per Will.

I nipped the first shoots back about 10 days back and this does seem to have retarded its tendency to fire out monster shoots with big needles willy nilly.

It looks relatively compact imo compared to its usual state.

You can see a new shoot arrowed-but 10 days is probably a bit early to measure any long term effect of the early shoot nipping procedure mentioned above.

Also feel that this will look better in its original rectangle pot (inset). This Erin oval- although a great pot - looks a bit feminine and up on its tippy toes don't you think?

Thks

TimR

P.S. Apologies for the watery dribble of soil down the left of the pot - just sloppy.

Looking good Tim. Good choice of pot too.

That's much improved... it looks like it's coming along very well indeed.

I did the same thing with my larch about a week ago myself... it was starting to look a bit like cousin It...

Kindest regards,

Victrinia

Just for interest's sake - the early pinching technique picked up from Vance Wood (see above) seems to have done the trick.

Although looking a bit wild after me being away for 10 days in Lisbon, this larch is much more under control than in previous years.

Didn't seem to have to do nearly as much regular pinching this season.

thks

TimR

An update on this tree.

It's had a tad of a prune but probably needs a bit more just as the buds change colour.

Ramification has improved and it's a shame that this looks so lousy in foliage as evidenced above.

Definitely a winter/spring image tree.

Thks

TimR

Kooking good Tim.From the photo it seems to want more thinning. There seems to be a lot of buds and branches coming from the same place? The foliage should settle down with time and better ramification. Don't repot too often either.

Update

This has turned into its customary fluffy green monster right on que this year.

I will try nipping out the extending shoots again to try and achieve some reduction in needle size.

thks

TimR

If you needle pluck all the downward needles this one will look great.

Never thought or heard of that Peter!

same sort of idea as a white pine then? i.e.style with upward pointing needle clusters.

I plucked this JWP to within an inch of its life in Nov and have the strongest budding ever.



Thanks for the tip.

TimR

Thanks TIM,
I love this little tree, so today I bought a Japanese Larch to try something similar.
I have never owned one before.
Any tips?

Mick.

Hi Mick,

The main thing I have learned is that they seem very reluctant to back-bud so be careful
when chopping or removing branches lower down as you're unlikely to get replacements or a burst of new growth low down like with an acer or elm in my experience

However, new branches seem to sprout readily from the crotches of existing branches.

Can be hard pruned back to 2 buds from the trunk to develop branch structure/ramification.

I usually prune and re-pot just as the buds start to change colour in spring. They swell slightly and take on a slightly more yellow/browny look.

Also the roots tend to get long and kind of slimey and this can be mistaken for root rot.

There's a full picture sequence of the development of this tree here

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/22153198

Hope this helps

TimR

Nice, thanks TIM.

Regards
Mick

I prefer this in the rectangular pot.

Needs a bit more thinning and some wire

Thks

timR

Hi TimR,

How is this larch?

Hi Rui

7 months late in answering - but it's doing fine and looking good imo.

Now in a new, slightly larger pot and you will see that I'm planning to grow the top out more.

Thanks

TimR

Hi Tim, great thread and photo progression you have here. Very inspiring and helpful for the newb (me) as I'm sure you know. Any update on how the top is developing? I like your idea of extending it, another inch or two from the existing apex seems perfect. How much height did you end up adding on?

-Garrett