LiddleBuddha

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite a minute, but I hope everyone's been doing great! The weather's changing here in PA and I've got my spring time bonsai itch on big time!

I've been offered two trees for free if I want them. They're both Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Picea glauca 'Conica' trees. One has a lot of dead growth on one side, because it's planted so close to a wall.

But one has good growth and seems healthy. I took a few pictures...








Could I get a few thoughts / opinions about this tree? It's possibly a candidate for a twin trunk style? But I don't know really. Sadly, the trunks don't have very good taper. It's a rather tall tree too; almost 5' tall.

Thanks in advance for your help and comments!

noissee

well, there is that 6:1 ratio that usually proves suitable, and i think twin trunks are very impressive bonsai. perhaps see about chopping both trunks for taper, and planning to make the thinner trunk shorter than the thicker. i would also thin it out some to see what kind of branch structure you're working with, and maybe post some pics after it's thinned.

noissee

p.s. you might want to consider leaving some of that dead growth for a little character

Brent

Picea glauca 'Conica' is a very difficult to almost impossible subject for bonsai. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with one unless it already showed a great deal of character.

The problems are: Foliage only on the outermost branch tips. Open it up and it looks silly. Back budding is very difficult, so you have to live with this 'foxtail' look for years if not forever. It doesn't wire well. It may take years and several rewirings to put a branch in position. Take the wire off and it springs right back. The branching is very nodal, that is, you only get foliage at the nodal rings of the branch (if you can get it to back bud at all). This gives it a very angular appearance and the nodes usually swell giving you a bulge at the side branches.

In all my years of bonsai, I have seen ONE that I liked. It was a tall literati that was very austere and was obviously very old, that is , in training for a very long time. This long exposure of the branches and trunk developed a nice bark texture and it had been wired and worked for so many years, the branches were quite handsome (and short). But this tree was probably well over twenty years in training.

Brent
EvergreenGardenworks.com
see our blog at http://BonsaiNurseryman.typepad.com

noissee

i'm sure brent is right, but if it were me, i wouldn't pass up a free tree. i guess it depends if you're up to a challenge or not. it would be pretty neat to train the second alberta spruce that brent liked

LiddleBuddha

Hey Everybody,

Thanks very much for your comments and thoughts. Looks like I've got a decision to make. Am I up for a challenge or not? hehe..

I might just try it since it's free. But I have noticed what you mentioned about the foliage, Brent. I definitely don't want a "poodle tail" bonsai. But we shall see.

I'll keep you updated, and I'll definitely post more photos if I decide to go for it.

Thanks again for your time and insight. Hugely appreciated!

Curtis

I think if you get a tree, your in for the long haul. You have nothing to loose. If anything you would get lots of practice wiring and cutting/ branch selecting, blah blah blah. I think it will bud back for you. Have you ever takin a look at Walter Paul's Norway Spruce. Theyre the same kind of tree so take the plunge.

bonsaidad

Keep it, and at the worse use it as a sacrifice tree to hone some of your skills that will be needed in the future.
As its been said, never pass up a free tree, because after you have practiced on the branches, why not try carving a Shari, or jin on the trunk?.
Remember there is no such thing as a useless tree!.





Best regards BD Paul

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