Dwarf Norway Spruce progression

[parhamr]

I bought a 3-gallon Dwarf Norway Spruce in mid 2016. I think it's a "bird's nest" cultivar from Iseli Nursery. This purchase was my first Spruce. I'm working on an informal upright with a sturdy, masculine style.

November 2016

Its first pruning from nursery stock. The tree canopy was globular and heavily shading out inner growths.

In 2017 I applied pinching techniques to create ramifications and redirect strength toward branches closer to the trunks. I've been watching Ryan Neil's streams to get some pro-tips

September 2017

After pruning and wiring. I don't love the "Y" trunk but I think this is about the best front. I do like the asymmetry that's starting to develop.

From here I'll continue aggressive feeding routines to build vigor and encourage more back budding. This thread will be ongoing…

 

[RKatzin]

Looks good so far!

 

[defra]

Nice start!
worked my blue spruce christmas tree yesterday

 

[just.wing.it]

Oh man, that gonna be sweeet!
I like my little bird's nest... Gotta do some work this winter.

 

[Giga]

Messing around, I would have done something along these lines

 

[parhamr]

@Giga I appreciate the virtual! I agree with some of the small changes that are needed.

I'm planning on an asymmetrical canopy, however, so the macro changes you're proposing aren't going to work for me.

Thanks, again!

 

[LeonardB]

@Giga I appreciate the virtual! I agree with some of the small changes that are needed.

I'm planning on an asymmetrical canopy, however, so the macro changes you're proposing aren't going to work for me.

Thanks, again!

I have a different concern.
Since all the energy comes from the needles, did you see a tremendous growth period after your pruning? What was the recovery time for this first shaping?
Can you post a more current photo?

 

[parhamr]

@LeonardB yes, I did take it down to the lower limit of foliage.

The second photo above is current. The tree is in a summer dormancy and has many buds. It may likely push another flush of growth this year. I'm not going to stress it until spring 2018.

This tree I was comfortable pruning hard because it has been growing extremely vigorously. This species obtains energy from needles and it stores it in vascular tissue.

 

[0soyoung]

This species obtains energy from needles and it stores it in vascular tissue.

This 'Nealism' really raises lots of questions for me. First, what part of a tree isn't 'vascular?
The terminology seems to make sense to you, so perhaps you will explain this.

My understanding is that all true energy storage in higher plants is as starch grains in living cells.

 

[parhamr]

Yes, I agree cells store energy. The "extending" species are different from pines, which store significant energy in roots, and junipers, which store significant energy in foliage. This makes sense to me; the vascular storage is a middle ground classification.

 

[LeonardB]

Yes, I agree cells store energy. The "extending" species are different from pines, which store significant energy in roots, and junipers, which store significant energy in foliage. This makes sense to me; the vascular storage is a middle ground classification.

I think when you refer to "Nealism" it is his description of the two seasonal growth periods ( of conifers?).
The first growth is in the spring and it is made possible by the energy stored in the roots pushing new growth to foliage ( and after that to the energy positive state of photosynthesis ). There is a dormant period when the summer heat swells the vascular tissues of the tree transporting water to the foliage for cooling ( which is of course why bending is so dangerous during this period because the trunk and branch tissue is so full of water that it can easily lead to tearing ).
The second growth period he refers to is late summer/early fall when photosynthesis is again pushing the tree into an energy positive state and sending all the resources it can down to the roots for storage ( as well as repairing damage from earlier pruning and bending/wiring ). Late fall the vascular tissue is circulating the sugar rich sap through the tree as the temp lowers till it reaches winter dormancy.
This is my understanding of it but further education could alter my viewpoint one way or another.
Sound ok?
Regards,
Leonard

 

[0soyoung]

Thanks, @parhamr and @LeonardB
I just cannot get my babbel fish programmed.

Ryan has this thing of whether the 'strength' comes from the roots or the foliage. My babbel fish tells me that this is in the sense of the Sampson & Delilah legend. Sampson's strength came from his hair.

After this I continue to be totally lost.

So I guess it must just be my personal problem.
I think I'll just call them 'odd parity' trees.

 

[M. Frary]

Ryan has this thing of whether the 'strength' comes from the roots or the foliage

How about this to stir things up even more.
What if the trees strength comes from both the foliage and the roots?
Did anyone ever think of that?

I think I'll just call them 'odd parity' trees.

Making names up for trees you can't really explain seems like the thing lately if you can smell what I'm cooking.

 

[parhamr]

The tree survived the winter fairly well, but I just sold it to make more room in my yard. The bottom right branch never fully leafed back out, so I might have damaged it while removing wire.

Here was a photo I took in mid April.



It was fun to learn with, but I’ll promise myself to save my limited space for better material

 

[Potawatomi13]

A compliment; Wiring technique looked very good. Nice to see.