New additions to the family: Black Spruce and Tamarack. Plus a grow box.

JPH

Mame
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Eeyou Istchee
Went out collecting last Friday and yesterday. Found a skinny little Tamarack with nice bark. And a neat (to me) Black Spruce with some real character. The roots on the spruce were okay, buy not as compact as I would have liked. I might give this one an extra season of growth before messing with it. Most likely fall 2024. My plan is to create the impression of a lightning strike. The Tamarack will obviously be reduced in height. But again, just going to wait a few years for it to get strong.

Substrate is mainly fir bark for orchids... Not ideal but pumice is just too expensive to have shipped in any kind of usable quantity. It drains well, and doesn't decompose quickly. I also wrap the root balls in living sphagnum/feather moss from the location I collect the trees from to help with the roots. I'm going to be checking out the local gravel pits for some 1/4" rough gravel. Again, this isn't the most ideal thing, but so far its been working out. I'd like to find a better/sustainable solution in the future. Open to suggestions!

I make the grow boxes with scrap wood from pallets I get for free at the dump or from various stores in town.

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Very cool! The black spruce is interesting and love the repurposed grow boxes.
 
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Collected a new Black Spruce today. It had a great shallow root system! I have my eye on some larches as well. Hope to get out there again sometime this weekend.


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