bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Larch

Wessel,

Developing larch bonsai from small stock is a pretty long process.

One grower I know in the UK estimates at least 15-20 years ground growing and trunk chopping to develop something saleable as a quality bonsai starter tree.

One of my own trees is pictured below as an example of this.

Pic 2 shows points where the tree was trunk and branch chopped to induce taper. (red dots)

Then I went and did another trunk chop myself in Oct 2005 to produce a short 10" shohin larch that is still very much in early development stages 20 years or so after it was first planted!

I have been ground growing Japanese larch as stock for about 3 years and have had good success in producing low bushy trees by pruning the branches back hard to 2 or 3 buds every winter and taking the tops off. Otherwise you end up with big fat branches on a skinny little tree.

You also have to think years ahead because once you remove a branch it is unlikely that another will appear where you want it.

So with your tree, you're down to 2 branches with a large gap in between them it looks like and it's unlikely that you will get any new growth from points other than very near, or on the existing branches.

Have waffled on a bit about this I feel that you should chop the tree above the first branch and tilt it to use the branch as the new top and develop it from there as per the virt.

Perhaps not the most encouraging reply I'm afraid.

TimR