Larch, Larch, Larch

jemmick

Well People here we go again,
I do live in an area that I can collect my favorite species or at least one of my favorite. However I envy those (Wolfgang and Walter Etc.) who have mtns such as the Alps to collect from.As a result at times I have to be content to find them and purchase them If the price is right. This is a tree that I purchased from an X club member who was downscaling their collection and didn't particularly care for larch(don't know why) At any rate it had not been potted ever and not much styling Just pinching . It must have been wired at least once poorly and had bad scars. BUT the price was right $10. It was as seen.
Regards,
Jonathan

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jemmick

Well, the first year I just chopped off everything but the bottom two branches on the left. I then waited for a year to let it recover.There may have been other options but this is the one I chose. If it didn't work all I could lose was ten bucks ( It costs money to go to school) The next year I put it in it's first pot, this called for a radical root prunning After which I let it rest another year. This led to this years problem . The pic shown is what happens when you constantly pinch larch and don't get in there and trim the bud clusters down to two . This leads to swelling and though it dosn't show that much in the pic it leads to buds all over even where you don't want or need them( bar branches, under the branch etc.)

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Jonathan

jemmick

This is a pic of the tree taken today after trimmmmmming and wiring . Let me know what you think . I plan on relocating it better in the pot. I have another larch purchased at the same time. When It gets wired I'll share.
Regards
Jonathan

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Attila

Hi Jonathan,

This is a good start for a slanting style. Right off the bat, I would get rid of the jin. It is too straight and uneventful. I would keep on building the trunk-line until the tree doubles its current size.

IMO the direction should continue towards the left, I would hate to see it reverting towards the center of the pot.

Initially I thought that this is a hopeless job. The only good news is that a larch can bud pretty much from everywhere (note: my larches are VERY reluctand to bud from wood that is over 5-7 years old, so budding from branches of the above mentioned age is unreliable).

My comment on the price is that whether is $10, $20, $30, it makes no difference: It is the time that you will spend on this tree during the next 10 years what matters. That's where the real cost is (it's called opportunity cost; if you have an MBA or CPA, sorry). Keep that in mind.

As it stands, I think it's a good start and may be worth the effort.


Regards,
Attila

Jonny D

HI Jonathan, I think you've done a great job here to sart off with, particulalry from what you started with.

I'm going to disagree with Attila (Sorry Attila I don't normally) on a few things though. are you planning to work on the jin? It looks like you are from the photo, with some work and shortening it could be quite nice. I certainly wouldn't get rid of it. I'm not sure if I would consider this slanting style probably some where between slanting and infomal. However I do agree that the movement should be toward the left. consequently i'm not so sure about the branch toward the right, I find it a little distracting.

By the way I like the pot! Who's that by?

Cheers Jonny.

Treebeard

Hello Jonathan,

I think you've made very good progress with this larch. I wish I had one like it to play with.

With some creative carving, the deadwood at the top could really enhance the look. If it was mine to do as I liked with, I would investigate the feasibility of a shari down the front/right to meet up with or get near to the scar near the bottom.

Here is what I mean.

Regards,

Chris.

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jemmick

Attila; I do agree about the price issue and so far this tree has payed me back in price and time spent, so far it has been an enjoyable exercise.
JohnnyD, I do plan on working with the jinn (maybe shortning it ).
The pot was purchased from Bonsai By The Monastery.
Treebeard; Thanks for the encouragement and yes that is just as I imagine it, I guess"' there is no new thing under the sun"I'm sure Walter's is much older . I also think that style, as such, is a rule that I find helpful but at times a tree, especially a collected tree may fall between the cracks as to it's category and often I find myself styling a tree and then when it's done finding a style to call it . This is , I guess, why we learn the rules So we can break them( hopefully in a successful manner) Case in point ; While attending a show at the toronto club the main entry tree was a larch and it broke all the rules However the members thought enough of it to show it in that prominent place and indeed it was a beautiful tree. I guess you'd call it the natural style .Just me rambeling
Thanks all for your imput!!!
Regards,
Jonathan

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