Collected Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga, family Pinaceae)

[Underdog]

This guys was hanging out of a shale cliff above/along a section of the old Ohio Erie Canal.
Quite a climb up and especially down. It has been so warm here I fear missing the window. Some of my trees are starting to wake up already.

It has a nice curve as it hung off the cliff over the canal. Almost an S for @sorce He may approve as it is natural. Trunk about 4 inched. Larger than my other classy wine glass in the last pic.

Spending night in the pond till I get a box built tomorrow. Considering putting in the ground around the pond but I may be doing excavating for a bigger pond this winter. Have to give it some thought.

 

[sorce]

Fully approved!

Nice man!

Sorce

 

[Underdog]

 

[Underdog]

I guess time will tell now.

 

[wireme]

She looks a bit more barerooted than I like to see but it's nice and time will tell.
I'd consider a layer of sphagnum on the surface, especially over the exposed roots. Probably cool and shady location for a while, I think a hemlock would like that for recovery. A western hemlock would anyway....

 

[Lazylightningny]

Looking at the bark, it looks like she's got some age on her. It takes them a long time to bark up.

 

[Underdog]

 

[petegreg]

Nice bark, good find. I've got one T. canadensis from a garden nursery and it survived bare rooting. Hopefully your nice tree will be fine.

 

[Waltron]

real nice find, congrats. also a little leery about your bare root procedure, probably had some type of mycorrhizae relationship, but im not very familiar with the species, it should be fine. Id give it a full season before you start wiring and bending. might want to think about a poly tent or greenhouse maybe? I have a jack pine that looks somewhat similar. I see a literati style for your hemlock, how about you?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I love hemlock. They do seem to appreciate more organic matter in their mix. I collected one and used a mix of recycled bonsai soil (it was a rather large training pot), some pumice, vermi-compost and long strand sphagnum, and it went gang-busters the second year after collection.

 

[Underdog]

I put it in 50% potting soil 30% 8822 and 20% bark. Some lava around the corners for filler. Cleaned out my soil stash 20 x 18 x 5 box.

 

[Underdog]

This was my first climb up the cliff but didn't think I could get it w/out killing it. Grown into the shale.
Was so tired after the second climb something was going home w/me

 

[Giga]

good luck with it, it's a nice one - I've collected few and every time they slowly go down hill. I'm not sure why they don't like me but they are pretty finicky.

 

[just.wing.it]

I love hemlock!
Very cool dude!

 

[Underdog]

good luck with it, it's a nice one - I've collected few and every time they slowly go down hill. I'm not sure why they don't like me but they are pretty finicky.

I saw an old thread of yours when searching. I was a bit harsh with it. We'll see.

 

[CWTurner]

This was my first climb up the cliff but didn't think I could get it w/out killing it. Grown into the shale.
Was so tired after the second climb something was going home w/me

Underdog,
I this the same Hemlock you posted in the Yamadori thread? This looks a little twistier.
Anyway, I'd plant it upside down with the red line being the new soil line. Give you a good start on a sturdy cascade.
Two springs ago I collected two hemlock in upstate PA, one was almost completely bare rooted like yours and its still alive and healthy.
Put it in the ground for best recovery.
They seem to grow in almost solid needle droppings. When you walk under a large one, the ground sounds hollow almost.
Good luck!
CW

 

[GGB]

Keep her acidic! I'm "rooting" for you! That's my state tree, I'd love to see some positive changes on a species I've never touched.

 

[Underdog]

I this the same Hemlock you posted in the Yamadori thread? This looks a little twistier.

No, I left this one. It was the first one I spotted up the cliff. Once I got up there I left it and went and found the other, also way up a cliff. Didn't think I could get enough root as it grew deep into the shale rock on it.

All pics above are of the tree collected except that last one I left.

 

[Underdog]

Following up on my new jumbo baby. While not "outa the woods" yet but, seeing exciting(to me) new growth.
Heavy down pours stripped most if not all last seasons leaves from the tree. Very worrisome. Small ones were emerging but browning out. Watched watering and I moved the tree back up to the north side of the house feeling when I put him out in too much sun by the pond...
Stared it down for weeks but saw what I believed to be small flowers emerging all over. A few days later they opened further to little clusters of leaves/needles. A few even growing near the trunk but most way out on branch tips.

Any advice on the browning needles? Seems to be improving on new growth since the move. Had to be either sun or over watering and I doubt the latter but we've been getting tons of rain.
I'm excited about this thing and know I was too harsh collecting but think I can make something nice out of it in time as long as I can keep it happy. I have plans to do exactly nothing to it but let it recover this year. Maybe clean up some dead twigs once I'm sure they are dead. Thanks

 

[Giga]

That is what happened to mine and they simply stalled and went downhill, I tried shade, full sun, low water, high water. Eventually I just gave up collecting them and enjoy people who have them