Moving to Charlotte NC!

[Josh88]

Well Nuts, there are some big changes in store for me and my family. My wife has been offered her dream job in Charlotte, and it's 2 hours away from my parents by Ashville, so for the sake of a happy wife and letting my folks enjoy my 6 year old little girl, we are packing up and leaving the pacific northwest (which I never thought I'd do). I will be leaving an incredible bonsai community and a high priority is figuring out how to make trips back here to collect trees, but the immediate issue is of course getting all my trees across the country. The plan is for my wife and kids to fly together, while a moving truck transports furniture, and I will load up a second truck full of trees, and my dog and I will drive to our soon to be new home. I have reached out to a number of professionals in the area and gotten some very different replies, so I will pose my questions here and expect to get many different answers as well. My biggest concern is about my collected NW Natives. Everyone has given the thumbs up to lodgepole pine and doug fir, but I have received conflicting info about how mountain hemlock and subalpine fir will do in Charlotte. My folks live outside of Ashville, so if my trees just need a bit more cold time I can overwinter them up there. Does anyone have any experience with these species in this area? Any input you all have to offer in general on bonsai in the area is greatly appreciated. To those of you who live close by, please reach out and we can grab a beer or a cup of coffee once I've made the move. I will miss the bonsai community out here greatly, but looking forward to meeting some new faces and making some new friends as well.

 

[sorce]

You're blessed passing through here.

Safe travels!

Sorce

 

[yenling83]

De

Well Nuts, there are some big changes in store for me and my family. My wife has been offered her dream job in Charlotte, and it's 2 hours away from my parents by Ashville, so for the sake of a happy wife and letting my folks enjoy my 6 year old little girl, we are packing up and leaving the pacific northwest (which I never thought I'd do). I will be leaving an incredible bonsai community and a high priority is figuring out how to make trips back here to collect trees, but the immediate issue is of course getting all my trees across the country. The plan is for my wife and kids to fly together, while a moving truck transports furniture, and I will load up a second truck full of trees, and my dog and I will drive to our soon to be new home. I have reached out to a number of professionals in the area and gotten some very different replies, so I will pose my questions here and expect to get many different answers as well. My biggest concern is about my collected NW Natives. Everyone has given the thumbs up to lodgepole pine and doug fir, but I have received conflicting info about how mountain hemlock and subalpine fir will do in Charlotte. My folks live outside of Ashville, so if my trees just need a bit more cold time I can overwinter them up there. Does anyone have any experience with these species in this area? Any input you all have to offer in general on bonsai in the area is greatly appreciated. To those of you who live close by, please reach out and we can grab a beer or a cup of coffee once I've made the move. I will miss the bonsai community out here greatly, but looking forward to meeting some new faces and making some new friends as well.

Def look up Tyler Sherrod and Danny Coffee, not sure how far they will be from you, but both very talented and solid teachers.

 

[Adair M]

Charlotte has a great bonsai community.

The Bonsai Learning Center is in Mooresville, which is a suburb of Charlotte.

Asheville is not far away, and Danny Coffey has a studio there. Tyler Sherrard is in Hickory, again, not too far away.

And there are two great shows that are based in Kannapolis, just outside of town: the Winter Silohette show is the first weekend in December and draws people in from Florida to Maine to show.

Every other year, the National Shohin Exhibition is held there as well.

I would contact Tyler and ask if he has any of the species of tree that you have. He’s good buddies with Matt Reel, and the two of them can figure it out.

 

[Martin Sweeney]

What town/city. Charlotte's a big place.

If you have roots in Asheville, the NC Arboretum would be a fine place to donate you PNW natives. They have temp controlled winter storage for their collection.

Regards,
Martin

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Josh,

No experience in NC but...............

Looks like Charlotte is USDA zone 7B to 8A humidity 60-70 , Vancouver,WA is 8A to 8B humidity 60-80, so a little colder in Charlotte surprisingly!

I've always been told Tsuga Mertensiana doesn't thrive much south of Seattle at sea level, but I have them, you have them, and Hagedorn definitly
has them too, and he's south of us.
Same with sub alpine fir, I've had one here (Longview,WA) for 20+ years

Happy trails!

 

[Dav4]

My gut says leave the hemlocks and firs out west as my understanding is that both are very finicky outside of their natural range. Fwiw, Tyler spent the day at my house yesterday and I'm pretty sure he mentioned that the Western Hemlocks take approximately 3 years to decline and ultimately die in Hickory, NC... .

 

[rockm]

Josh,

No experience in NC but...............

Looks like Charlotte is USDA zone 7B to 8A humidity 60-70 , Vancouver,WA is 8A to 8B humidity 60-80, so a little colder in Charlotte surprisingly!

I've always been told Tsuga Mertensiana doesn't thrive much south of Seattle at sea level, but I have them, you have them, and Hagedorn definitly
has them too, and he's south of us.
Same with sub alpine fir, I've had one here (Longview,WA) for 20+ years

Happy trails!

This is a little misleading. SUMMER in N.C. is very different than the Pacific Northwest--hotter, more humid (and the occasional hurricane ;-) ) I would expect the Maritime species such as the Tsuga may have some issues in the heat.

Anyway, welcome to the Mid-Atlantic! If you've got a weekend, you're not that far from D.C. and the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. There is a Potomac Bonsai Society show and sale coming up in May. Lots of activities, sales etc. Worth a trip if you're settled and around by then.

 

[rockm]

My gut says leave the hemlocks and firs out west as my understanding is that both are very finicky outside of their natural range. Fwiw, Tyler spent the day at my house yesterday and I'm pretty sure he mentioned that the Western Hemlocks take approximately 3 years to decline and ultimately die in Hickory, NC... .

This is true of larch too. They mostly Decline and die south of the Mason Dixon (with a possible few in the higher elevations around the Blue Ridge.)

 

[Josh88]

What town/city. Charlotte's a big place.

If you have roots in Asheville, the NC Arboretum would be a fine place to donate you PNW natives. They have temp controlled winter storage for their collection.

Regards,
Martin

We are not sure yet Martin. The offer was accepted this past weekend and to say we have a huge amount to do is an understatement! As I have been looking, the suburb of Davidson looks to be a top contender for our family, but of course, having never been to the area my opinions are formed mostly from reading online.

 

[Martin Sweeney]

We are not sure yet Martin. The offer was accepted this past weekend and to say we have a huge amount to do is an understatement! As I have been looking, the suburb of Davidson looks to be a top contender for our family, but of course, having never been to the area my opinions are formed mostly from reading online.

Davidson is very nice. North side of Charlotte. Lake Norman and Mooresville are also nice on the North side. Bonsai Learning Center is Mooresville. I am South side in Waxhaw area.

Regards,
Martin

 

[Underdog]

North side of Charlotte. Lake Norman and Mooresville are also nice

I second that. I love that lake and friendly folks.
Depends on where her job is cuz Charlotte traffic is a bitch at rush hours. Don;t want that comute.

 

[Josh88]

I second that. I love that lake and friendly folks.
Depends on where her job is cuz Charlotte traffic is a bitch at rush hours. Don;t want that comute.

Living in Vancouver WA and working in Portland OR the past 7 years, it’s gonna take a serious commute to compete with what we’re leaving. I hope Charlotte isn’t up to this task.

 

[bwaynef]

Anyway, welcome to the Mid-Atlantic!

Merriam Webster agrees with you, but I've never heard NC referred to as anything but the South.

 

[watchndsky]

Merriam Webster agrees with you, but I've never heard NC referred to as anything but the South.

it used to be the south - not so much anymore. we have charlotte, rtp and gbo to thank for that.

but to the op - hemlocks and larch dont do well here unless your in the mountains. there are brief periods of cold, but winters are generally mild here and the summers get pretty hot.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I live in Asheville and occasionally visit my daughter near Greensboro, and all I can say is get used to summer heat and humidity fast! I have found it best to only visit her in winter. I have eastern hemlock and larch up here but them I am at over 2000’ and zone 7a so get a break on summer heat and humidity. The Charlotte area traffic reminds me of the Washington DC area where I spent 40 years somget ready for bumper cars. As said the Mooresville area seems to be nice and is out away from Charlotte proper. Maybe you can trade your hemlock and larch for bald cypress and crepe myrtles.

 

[Josh88]

My gut says leave the hemlocks and firs out west as my understanding is that both are very finicky outside of their natural range. Fwiw, Tyler spent the day at my house yesterday and I'm pretty sure he mentioned that the Western Hemlocks take approximately 3 years to decline and ultimately die in Hickory, NC... .

So I have reached out to as many people as I can and it sounds like this is the news that I don’t really want to accept. Although some very reputable folks felt they could survive there, I’m going to leave them out west. I haven’t heard back from Tyler, but got to talk to Randy Knight yesterday and he felt the firs would likely decline in the first year and the hemlock within three. If I understood correctly he felt it would be the heat and humidity that would do them in rather than a lack of winter dormancy. This is tough for me to swallow as most of my collected trees are hemlock and fir and a few have very promising futures I think, including one I just took to a workshop recently with Jan Culek. I’m now hoping to trade these trees to good homes for pines, juniper, and deciduous material that will dig the new locale. As hard as it is to let them go it would be lot harder to watch them slowly die. If any NW nuts are in the Portland/Vancouver area and might be interested in some tree/pot swapping, shoot me a message. Here are just a few that need new homes...

 

[Adair M]

I think that would be wise. Rather than try to do a swap, I think it would be better to sell for cash, and aquire new material once you arrive in Charlotte.

Don’t fret, there’s plenty of great trees that will do well there.

 

[Josh88]

I think that would be wise. Rather than try to do a swap, I think it would be better to sell for cash, and aquire new material once you arrive in Charlotte.

Don’t fret, there’s plenty of great trees that will do well there.

I’m certainly not averse to cash My thought process was that people are always looking for a deal and I might get a better value from trade than cash, but I would be quite content with either as long as they will be well cared for. I appreciate the reassurance as I’m feeling a little crazy and stressed out at the moment

 

[Adair M]

Well, if you want the most for them, sell them on bonsai auctions on Facebook. Or, perhaps put them on consignment with a local bonsai shop or artist.

I figure the fewer trees you have to transport, the better. And by buying here, you would be getting trees that do well here.

One thing we do for some “Western” trees is to graft on foliage and roots that are better suited for our climate. For instance, I have a Western Juniper that I’ve grafted Shimpaku foliage onto. It will fair better here now than with the old foliage. And, I’ve put San Jose roots on a Utah juniper.

It’s probably too late to do anything like that for your trees, but things like that can be done.