Mountain Hemlock-damaged bark and potential styling

[DirtyZ]

I found this mountain hemlock that I like, but upon digging I see that the bark near the base seems to have been knocked away pretty significantly. Seems to affect the visuals and taper. Wondering if this should be a big concern? I guess I could wait years and years tapping my feet or else use the other side as a front…it’s got a bit more bark.

Also included a potential trunk chop idea for a future style. Would wait a while for that…I think it was dug up last season.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

At least with eastern hemlock, they ar e prolific with their wound healing and bark rolling. Just give the tree some time to recover, and it should work itself into the design.

 

[DirtyZ]

Thank you @MrFancyPlants

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

From the images, not sure the inner layer of bark was removed.

In any case Mountain Hemlock is indeed a fast healer and, if treated correctly, a a fast grower.

Having two Mountain Hemlock yamadori would recommend putting in an Anderson flat and doing nothing but fertilizing and watering the tree this year, and possibly the next.

These trees do not like full sun and are on the cooler, wetter side.

You didn’t post your approximate location on your profile, so can’t say more than that. Would recommend you do post your approximate location and USDA Plant Cold Hardiness zone on your profile so we can give you the best recommendations possible.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[DirtyZ]

Thanks, for that! I’ll update my profile too.

 

[River's Edge]

I found this mountain hemlock that I like, but upon digging I see that the bark near the base seems to have been knocked away pretty significantly. Seems to affect the visuals and taper. Wondering if this should be a big concern? I guess I could wait years and years tapping my feet or else use the other side as a front…it’s got a bit more bark.

Also included a potential trunk chop idea for a future style. Would wait a while for that…I think it was dug up last season.

It appears that lower branches were removed upon collection and the base was buried deeper. If brought back above ground it may recover over time. The remaining question is how. you feel about the appearance of the base and styling the tree! It is not uncommon for Mountain Hemlock to have a base well below the surface when collected. One of the quirks that make collecting the species more of a challenge. Also very common with other species growing in areas affected by heavy snowpack, rock slides etc.
If the tree was dug up only a year ago the priority should be to stabilize the root ball and health of the tree over the next year or two. If possible get some clear information from the source before deciding. Wait for clear signs of healthy growth extensions before too much work is planned.

 

[jevanlewis]

I had to leave behind my Mountain Hemlock when I left Seattle for Utah two years ago. It was a bit bigger than yours and not a great bonsai candidate, and so I took it out of my massive grow box and put it in the ground as a landscape tree. Now that I'm in Utah, despite the dryer and hotter summer climate, I'm going to give Mountain Hemlocks another shot. I'm looking forward to following your progress on this thread.

 

[DirtyZ]

Thank you @River's Edge for that information. They’re a unique species so nice to hear of details. I’d read another post of yours discussing repotting and think I’ll follow those guidelines when the time comes.

As it stands I ended up not buying this tree but instead found another much cheaper option. Maybe I’ll still get the other one too…it seemed to have more bonsai potential with its bends and more aged bark. But again…this one was dirt cheap @ $36

Seems to be more leggy though…and would need some pruning eventually to give some shape…though there are some very young branches sprouted close in that could in time be better branches. Also a trunk chop seems in order eventually. Perhaps better as a lawn tree but I’d still like to try something with it.

I wanted to check the base and root ball…it’s in some thick compost soil that the root ball was just sitting atop. Not much root movement toward it…The mountain soil has rocks in it that look to me just like Akadama! According to the guy who’d collected it it was taken from a mountain toward eastern Oregon a year and a half ago, wrapped in burlap, placed with the others under a heavy shaded canopy of what I think were ponderosa pines. He probably just dumped the rootball into the soil pot this spring I’d imagine…

I’d like to repot and do your 1/3 root reduction. But there are no visible buds swelling yet. Might slip pot into pumice…might just wait it out another month or two

 

[DirtyZ]

Update: Ended up buying the original tree I’d posted. (The second one isn’t showing any bud swelling yet, I think I’m going to slip pot into pumice since it’s sitting on so much wet excess soil in its can)

I’d been keeping an eye on this one at the nursery and noticed some slight buds beginning to emerge last Friday. So I bought the tree and the same night I did a repot where I cut a couple old larger rotting roots, moved the mountain soil from a large portion of the original root ball, much of which didn’t have many fine roots, bare rooted another 1/3, and planted into a wood box. Now to keep it alive and think of what it could become.

 

[Thuj Life]

You have a really exciting tree here. I'm curious how it's holding up a month later?

I have a western hemlock in need of some significant intervention but I'm nervous about doing anything at this time of the year here in Oregon...

 

[DirtyZ]

You have a really exciting tree here. I'm curious how it's holding up a month later?

I have a western hemlock in need of some significant intervention but I'm nervous about doing anything at this time of the year here in Oregon...

Thanks. It’s the first tree I’ve been really excited about.

It’s holding up well. Not too long after I also decided to repot the first hemlock I’d picked up as well. The bendy one here continued to bud out fully after the repot. It had good growth I think, but also some dieback. One lower branch shed all of its needles and there is yellowing around the center of the canopy also. However, it seems these things yellow some amount each spring from things I’ve read. A lot of the branches on the tree were spindly and dead from before I bought it as well…lower ones that seem to typically die back easily with this species.

Anyway, the second repot (straighter trunked tree) has surprised me. There was similar dieback beginning to happen which signaled to me perhaps it might start to bud. Part of me though thought maybe it wouldn’t be at all this year (it was well over a month ago that the other tree began budding. And this one seemed weaker, possibly due to its post-collection care). But now, several weeks after the repot it’s also beginning to push out buds!

 

[DirtyZ]

You have a really exciting tree here. I'm curious how it's holding up a month later?

I have a western hemlock in need of some significant intervention but I'm nervous about doing anything at this time of the year here in Oregon...

I checked out the post you made for your hemlock. That’s a nice tree. It wouldn’t let me comment on there. Can you make a forum post out of It? Might be more visible so hopefully more experienced people will chime in.

That doesn’t look like a ton of dieback, then again it could continue…might be a hard time to repot as from what I’ve read the best time is a 7-10 day window from when the buds first start to swell and open.

Looks like yours has already budded for the season? Maybe just keep it watered but not too wet, they’re finicky. One thing you could do is slip pot into a slightly larger pot with some pumice around the outside and bottom to provide some aeration. Would be safer than a full repot.

Other thing too is to mist the foliage a bit, on days where is warmer…in the evening I think. And also play with yard placement? I’ve read they like morning sun and afternoon shade. If it’s in direct sun all day that might hurt it more

 

[pandacular]

The one on the right looks very unwell. I would definitely get it into some shade. A greenhouse would be ideal. Pushing buds is a good sign, but it's almost two month late to that.

I would be careful to recommend any hemlock repots this late in the season--caution is advised when working hemlock roots.

 

[DirtyZ]

The one on the right looks very unwell. I would definitely get it into some shade. A greenhouse would be ideal. Pushing buds is a good sign, but it's almost two month late to that.

I would be careful to recommend any hemlock repots this late in the season--caution is advised when working hemlock roots.

Thanks. Yeah the needles on that one looked janky from the start. The people who collected it had it growing under some thick pines and maybe not getting enough light, also the rootball was too wet it seemed inside the nursery can. I’m glad it’s starting the bud; I’d wondered if it would. Not sure the repot had anything to do with that but seemed better to free up the roots than let it sit all year in the container maybe becoming worse. I do have access to some greenhouse area tho, maybe I will put it in there for a while

 

[River's Edge]

Just a bit of clarity here with respect to bud break and mountain hemlock. It varies a lot. Two of my very healthy well past collection Mt. Hemlock are just breaking bud in the past week or so. We had a much cooler than usual spring here in parts of Vancouver Island. When I collect Mt. Hemlock the best time in the spring can be the end of June, Mt Hemlock are typically collected above 4,000 feet and the snow pack can still be present enough to delay collection until the beginning of July. It is common for buds to just begin swelling after the snow melts. The roots are just beginning to come out of dormancy in that case! Not sure where the poster is in the Pacific Northwest or what elevation they live at. Could be very different from sea level to higher elevations. Long explanation for it could still be appropriate.
Agree completly, that caution is advised in working the roots, better to stage or segment the repotting process. More aggressive root work should wait until the tree is well established and recovered. Two to three years after collection in most cases.

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks. Yeah the needles on that one looked janky from the start. The people who collected it had it growing under some thick pines and maybe not getting enough light, also the rootball was too wet it seemed inside the nursery can. I’m glad it’s starting the bud; I’d wondered if it would. Not sure the repot had anything to do with that but seemed better to free up the roots than let it sit all year in the container maybe becoming worse. I do have access to some greenhouse area tho, maybe I will put it in there for a while

Keep it in morning sun and afternoon shade. Mist the foliage each time you walk past it and keep the roots damp but not sitting in water. Protect from drying winds. A sheltered spot is best. Mt. Hemlock thrive in higher elevations that often have mist and fog prevalent. They benefit from moisture on the foliage.