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[IBC] Larch
I have several Tamaracks , Larix laricina 'Tamarack , which I
collected several years ago. I have read several articles on caring for them and I am confused. I would like to know when, how and how much to pinch them back, like how many new leaves should I leave on each whorl ? Should I continue to pinch back the new shoots all year or do they need to grow some before winter ? For the most part I do not want them to get much bigger. Also I have read one should wire before the buds open up in the spring, and another article stated by wiring then you could damage the cambium and kill that branch. Confused. Bob Seele Nicely outside of Chicago ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#2
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[IBC] Larch
Robert Seele wrote:
I would like to know when, how and how much to pinch them back, like how many new leaves should I leave on each whorl ? Hi, Bob. You have asked some interesting questions. Here is what I do and would recommend. Bear in mind also that I'm talking about a healthy bonsai. Starting in the spring, prune the upper third, especially the crown, of your larches vigorously. By that I mean using scissors to thin out buds. Lower or weak branches are pruned less vigorously or not at all (the weak branches). This approach, combined with follow-up pinching, results in balancing the energy level and foliage mass of your tree. As the tree continues to grow elongations will develop. If they are not needed for design purposes or strengthening an area on the tree, they should be pinched using the ancient thumb and finger technique. ;-) If some of the shoots have hardened to the point where pinching by hand can't be done, just use scissors. As to how far back you should pinch the shoots, well, that is up to you. You can take off the whole shoot or a portion of it; it won't hurt the tree. But keep in mind design, etc., etc. About removing needles in a whorl: I have never done that in the sense that you mean, although I have seen one tree where it _appeared_ the owner had done exactly that. The tree looked quite nice, very airy and neat. I have also heard, or at least heard the question once asked, about defoliating larches. This I have never done or seen and I don't remember the answer to the question. Sorry. However, removing needles from whorls does not seem to do any harm. I, and others, regularly remove downward growing needles or unusually long needles growing upwards, when we clean a tree for shows or important visitors, such as Reiner. ;-) Keep in mind, though, if you don't remove the whole needle the tip of the remainig portion will turn brown. Should I continue to pinch back the new shoots all year or do they need to grow some before winter ? For the most part I do not want them to get much bigger. Again, if you don't need the shoots for design, remove them. So, yes, you can pinch them throughout the year. In my view they don't need to grow for the tree to winter better. ( We, in Toronto, have our last exhibit in October, and as larches generally turn gold in November, we don't very often get a chance to display them in their fall colour. As a result, I don't worry one way or another about fall extensions. However, some of us tend to photograph our larch bonsai when they have turned, and then the extensions are taken off.) In summary, I have not noticed any difference in the spring in the health of larches that were wintered with extensions and those that were pruned. Also I have read one should wire before the buds open up in the spring, and another article stated by wiring then you could damage the cambium and kill that branch. Confused. OK, speaking for myself, I wire larches when they are actively growing. That's a pretty ambiguous statement, I know. But remember, the buds on larches go through several stages in coming out of dormancy. First the buds start to swell slightly and get shiny. The next step is they turn a bit waxy pale (like a ripe pimple - yuck!). Next, the buds will show green through the waxy film, and finally the foliage will emerge and it looks like tiny shaving brushes. In my view, you can wire larches at any point during this process. The interpretation you should give to "wire before buds open" is that the tree is actively growing as I described above. For example, I like to wire before the foliage has burst through because that way I don't have to worry too much about damaging the needles. If I knock off a bud or two accidentally, it is no big deal because there are oodles of them and more will grow during the year. The "wire before buds open" idea should not be confused with wiring when the tree is dormant. When Reiner and I were younger we were very eager to get at our trees in the spring. Working on larches was hard to resist. They are a real pleasure to prune and wire! We found that some branches and branchlets did suffer from this activity. In some cases the damage was quite severe. But it was not the act of wiring that caused the damage, it was the bending and other manipulations to which the branches were subjected once the wire had been applied. I think I can speak for Reiner here when I say that, since we held off wiring until the buds were at one of the stages described above, spring branch damage has rarely been attributable to wiring. I hope this helps a bit, Bob. Enjoy your larches. By the way, how large are your larches? John Biel Toronto ON Canada ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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