Vance Wood,
I read your article on American Larch on the MABA website and found it enlightening. You opened my eyes as to why I cannot get the beautiful blue green color that I've seen in larch growing in the Maine wilderness and why the needles are long and droopy. I have a 7 larch group planting and one larch in the ground that I am trying to develop a refined nebari via the tourniquet method.
The larch in the ground (growing in the typical loam, clay of New Jersey soils) has the needle properties I desire, but the ones in the group planting do not.
May I please ask several questions regarding your article in general:
With your 1/2 sharp coarse sand/ 1/2 regular bonsai mixture, how do you ensure adequate drainage with such small particles in your medium?
Do you provide full sun or part shade?
When you say you just "pull" the apical buds as opposed to "pinching" them - what exactly do you mean?
To "energy balance" you mention removing stronger buds to strengthen the weaker. Do you randomly "pull" or "pinch" buds regardless of their location on the branch or like in pines do you focus more on buds further out on the branch being less aggressive as you move your way into the inner buds? I will patiently wait for your response.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Owen NJ Zone 6
I read your article on American Larch on the MABA website and found it enlightening. You opened my eyes as to why I cannot get the beautiful blue green color that I've seen in larch growing in the Maine wilderness and why the needles are long and droopy. I have a 7 larch group planting and one larch in the ground that I am trying to develop a refined nebari via the tourniquet method.
The larch in the ground (growing in the typical loam, clay of New Jersey soils) has the needle properties I desire, but the ones in the group planting do not.
May I please ask several questions regarding your article in general:
With your 1/2 sharp coarse sand/ 1/2 regular bonsai mixture, how do you ensure adequate drainage with such small particles in your medium?
Do you provide full sun or part shade?
When you say you just "pull" the apical buds as opposed to "pinching" them - what exactly do you mean?
To "energy balance" you mention removing stronger buds to strengthen the weaker. Do you randomly "pull" or "pinch" buds regardless of their location on the branch or like in pines do you focus more on buds further out on the branch being less aggressive as you move your way into the inner buds? I will patiently wait for your response.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Owen NJ Zone 6