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Paul Berish
Join Date: Jun-2002
Location: north shore of Lake Superior
Country: Minnesota
Posts: 1,197
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Larch Collection, The Five Year Plan
The Five Year Plan.
The best time to begin preperation for collecting of a Larix sp (decidua, or laricina (Larch/Tamarack)) is late fall. After the golden color has become bright and is starting to fall off is an excellent time to venture out into the forests. However always try to remove the tree from the ground in early spring for best survival.
Tools you will need. Backpack, and inside it put pruners, folding saw, a SHARP spade, burlap sack or other, water for you and your tree, and a camera if you plan on posting a "how to" thread on BonsaiTalk....I forgot it this time.
Moss is a yes and no supply. Yes if you are collecting your Larch from dry grounds, no if you are collecting your Larch from a peat swamp.....obviously plenty around. Be sure your moss is plenty wet, to keep your rootball from drying out. Tho, you wont be collecting your Larch for a few seasons on this plan.
In these sketches, I have drawn a twin trunk specimen commonly found in the forests around my home. Yes twin trunks are great bonsai, but for this purpose I chose a twin trunk to show how a single tree can be started and readied in a few years. Readied for a training pot for final styling and ramification that is.
These are crude sketches at best, base of tree is around 12 inches. You will chop both trunks down to below the finished height of your ideal future, from there choose the thinner of the two trunks to keep.
FALL 2002
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