$20 Alberta Spruce!

JohnB

I purchased this Alberta Spruce January 3rd from a garden center. This was a leftover from Christmas. It was in a 5 gallon pot and was originally priced 49.99!

After a bit of hacking and some basic wiring I arrived at this basic structure.
I want to see which branches do well. I will remove more as the tree recoves and gets firmly established.. maybe next year.

All Comments and advice are welcome!

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albertatwo.jpg (56.9 KB, 266 views)

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DavidN

John, this actually looks like a very convincing formal upright already. Get the branches to angle down more eventually and also minimise the amount of folage on the branches too. Great start here.

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JohnB

Thanks!

I have already removed about 70% of the branches in stages since winter. This way shock would be minimal for the tree.

At this stage my approach was this:
A. Determine what branches would be suitable for a design. Leave more branches on the tree than needed in case any of them "go south".
B. Cork any sap leaks from branches cut off and let them dry out over time. They will become jins only after the tree re-routes it's sap flow.
C. Lower them into a relative poition to allow them to get appropriate light, and allow the foliage and new buds to develop in the right direction determined by the angle of the branch.
D. Pray I haven't shocked the tree too much, and it recovers well, so that next year I can begin serious styling.

That little fluff on top will evenually go. I left it there to maximize the health of the tree for the time being.

ChrisM

john, i too just did a formal upright with an alberta spruce (http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthr...=&threadid=6176) although mine looks a lot younger. i have to agree with david on lowering the branches. your tree gives an exagerated sense of age which will only increase by doing so. i have drawn this to show what i mean, the branches with the arrows need to be lowered, the rest look like they already slope downward enough. the red X's on the lower four branches show the ones i would just take off, the rest of the bare branches above add to the age factor. just my opinion of course as i am no expert and the one i did was the first alberta i've worked on.

chris

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JohnB

Thanks Chris!

The branches you selected with the arrows on top are all un-nedded branches and I will be eliminating them when I am sure the tree is doing well. I left them there because I am concerned for the tree's health.

The lower branch you have an arrow on is placed there at that angle as part of one design idea I have. The ideas a hinge on the tree surviving the next 12 months. I will be refining the design when true branch selection happens.

I lowered them to their relative positions to give the tree a start design wise, and to get the new growth flowing in the right directions.

I'm taking my time because Alberta Spruces, in my experience, can be "picayune".

The nubs of removed branches are there for now only to allow the branch to dry out. When you prune them right to the trunk the sap leaks out of the tree A LOT! I do this to minimize these leaks.

I feel it's better at this point to procede slowly to ensure the tree's survival. I've lost 2 Albertas in the past thanks to my impatience.

I hope this tree is around, and healthy next year, this way I can post it's progress. The final design will be storter to exaggerate the trunky-ness of it.

grampz

John,

I do really like this tree...Although we can't see the root structure in these photos, I think this will be a tree to be very proud of in the near future...I love the taper the trunk is already showing...

I see you are in zone 7, and I assume College Point, Texas...If this is the case, you are very wise to proceed in the manner you have outlined for the survival of this tree...This species although nice to work with is definately not native to Texas or zone 7...Please keep us informed of the progress of this tree...I for one will be looking for the future reports...

I would like to give this species another try...perhaps with the methods you are using even I will be able to sucessfully use the Alberta Spruce...I was sucessful with them in more northern climates but all I have tried here in Texas have died...

Thanks for this post...
Regards
Behr

JohnB

Hi Grampz (Behr)
Thanks for the comments

I'm in NY. College Point is part of Queens.
Zone 7 is fine for Albertas and they can handle much colder too.
The roots are so...so and will be ok when the tree is done. I don't think they'll become anything special in my life-time anyways! Though they are flat to the surface which is a plus.
thanks
J

John Dixon

JohnB,

I have a forest of these that were all office discards from about five years ago. Pretty easy tree to deal with once established, EXCEPT for one thing.... branches will not be cooperative for "downward growth". Standard wiring will seem to do the trick, but once removed, the branches will once again start to angle up.
The best solution is the clip and grow method. Cutting the branches back hard (leave some growth) and make the cut angle so the scar is at the top will cause the tree to force new buds to start DOWN on the remaining live wood at the tip. Continuing this process causes the branch to bend "downward" a little more at every trim. This has been the most successful procedure for me with spruce.

You may have already been aware of this. If not, I hope you find the suggestion helpful.

Best regards,

John

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John Dixon

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