Collecting 2020: Larch Yamadori (Fall)

[@AnonymousAnonymous-mw1cb]

thanks for this video

[@BackGardenBonsai]

3 great trees! Hopefully they all survive. They all look very healthy and looked like they had plenty of roots 👍

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Thanks for watching!

[@TonyHigginsonVlog]

Excellent video. That second one is calling out to be made into a raft style!

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Ohhh I love that idea Tony! Thanks for watching, will probably style it next spring...

[@ToccataLuna]

Hey man I just found out your channel and I'm really glad I did. Michigan is a second home for me, since I used to go to Calvin and I lived in Kalamazoo a bit as well. Now I moved to the west coast but I miss all the trees in Michigan. Keep up the great work and good luck on your bonsais! Your larches, oaks, redwoods, and spruce seedlings are just fantastic to watch!

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Awesome Enzo! They are coming along slowly but surely. You have beautiful trees out west too! Calvin is only a few minutes away from me, very cool. Thanks for watching and all the best!

[@invivobonsai]

That first larch is great but I'm also loving the shohin/mame sized EWC that came with it! It's tiny but already has old bark.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Yesss! Was honestly pumped to bring it along. Could be a cool one someday, and you’re right about the bark! Gonna be tough for a smaller EWC though with the foliage...

[@CConn-df7hy]

Nick Lenz book is the authority on Larch I have found. Good luck with it

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Certainly seems to be. Thanks for watching!

[@paleprod]

You should include the potting process as well.. let me know how much of the original soil was removed :D . Anyway, it was a great video! Love the idea of fall connection.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Will try to do so next time. Need to make it a priority, was scrambling to hurry and get them into pots. Not too much of the old soil was removed where the fine roots are per Nick Lenz' guidance, and pumice added into all air pockets available. Thank you for watching!

[@paleprod]

@@GreatLakesBonsai Thank you for your answer!

[@invivobonsai]

@paleskin Just adding on, usually the priority is getting the tree home and growing first and removal of old soil only happens later when the tree is healthy in its new home. Collecting it s tricky process and wild trees can be delicate sometimes, so best to go it slow!

[@paleprod]

@@invivobonsai You are 100% right! I will try to air layer more trees this year, it's more efficient in my opinion.

[@smokyhillbonsai-gerrettmor6373]

Fun videos! It's time in central Kansas to start scouting spring digs. Spring is just around the corner.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

So jealous! Gotta wait until March here for actual digging I’d say. Good luck out there!

[@benbseattle]

We dont have larches here in Seattle but man that must be some fun hunting grounds. Lots of hemlocks and cedars. I Just went up this month too and will have video on it soon I hope.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Plenty of amazing trees out there to fill your every desire though! There are some mountain larch, larix occidentalis, in Idaho, but I know that’s a ways. Near Spokane though! Look forward to the collecting vid!! Love western red cedars :)

[@CharlieForeign]

I’d like to see you you create a forest bonsai with with some of these formal upright trees. You have so many available you!

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Cheers Carlos, love the idea and I’m well on my way. I think a forest of all-collected trees would be awesome. I also have about 40 young larch growing and getting thicker by the day, planning on combining into a forest in the next year or two!

[@CharlieForeign]

@@GreatLakesBonsai looking forward to seeing it!

[@matthewyakabuski9620]

Great vid I to love the Lenz book. Live in eastern Ontario Canada but have not found a good larch collecting site interested in your aftercare I have done collected cedar going after a rock crack large one this spring going to try a automatic misting system during recovery going on Ryan Neal belief that some species have there energy in there foliage

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Thuja seem to do fine with spring collection but the ones I’ve got are from the bog versus rocks. Should be some good spots nearby you for larch - Toronto bonsai society folks have some awesome ones! Aftercare for cedar has been plenty of water, free draining soil worked into the root system, definitely misting the foliage a bit. Thanks so much for watching!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Good stuff man, thanks for sharing. So does the book say to get rid of everything below the sphagnum layer? I guess I should just buy the book...

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

He says leave an inch or two of the black bog soil, but essentially that the roots down there are dead/un-useable, yes indeed!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

@@GreatLakesBonsai ah, I see...thanks. I mean I’m just fooling myself to think that I’ll ever find a larch worth digging up, but hey...ya never know!!

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

You never know indeed. I never recognized my buddy’s property as being full of larch. Just keep your eyes open!

[@AnthonyPetrone]

Damn, I dug up two Larch last spring and both didn't make it. I think it's too late to dig some up now, it's basically winter here in northwestern Montana already. Maybe I'll try another this Spring and if it doesn't make it def get a couple in the fall.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

If you have access, worth a try. I’ll report back on how these do as well next season to see. Montana is a lovely place... I bet there is some incredible yamadori to be found. Mountain larch larix occidentalis?

[@AnthonyPetrone]

@@GreatLakesBonsai Yup that's the one we have, yeah I actually see quite a few with some really interesting natural shapes. Def report back, I'm interested to hear what happens as I really would love to one day create a little larch forest from these nice wild specimen.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

@@AnthonyPetrone will update for sure. Good luck, I was out in Idaho with my brother a couple years ago and discovered those mountain larch, they are lovely.

[@roehle9962]

Hey, just discovered your channel. Just got home from a really awesome hunt but i left this absolutely magnificent larch. Its in quite moist and loose forest soil and would be quite easy to collect, should i wait until next fall? The buds aren’t open yet, i live near the german coast and our weather (especially frost etc) should be pretty similar.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Hey there! That’s a tricky one. I’d be asking anyone in your area that has experience with what I assume is European larch? Our eastern larch / larix laricina collects well from bogs in the fall - but that is a specific scenario/environment. I have dug up landscape larch that I’ve been ground growing prior to seeing any green in the buds - with success. I would think that if you are prior to buds turning green, this might be a good time to collect your larch. Especially if the soil is nice and loose and you can minimize root disturbance. But I can say from experience that you can always wait - either find someone local with experience or try collecting some less desirable larch / smaller in the same setup, and see how they do / apply those learnings to the “magnificent” one?

[@margaretsims4344]

Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai recommends sphagnum moss as a growing medium for any tree needing special care. Ie he plants newly removed air layers or a sick tree in sphagnum moss. Nice trees you collected

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

I definitely enjoy Peter's videos and would like to visit there someday! Fortunately, these larch come with sphagnum moss already packed into the top layer of their root system (they grow in it naturally), so I'm hoping that helps them along!

[@briansinthewoods]

Regarding larch, you collect in the fall if they are in a peat bog but still spring if they are in "soil"??? I collected 4 larch last spring, and they are doing well. But they are my first larch. I was planning on looking for more this spring, we have lots north of where I am in new hampshire. But I was collecting in the mountains, not bogs. Videos are great, keep them up.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Thanks for watching Brian! I’m following guidance from Nick Lenz’ book that I mention in the video - and the only larch I have access to in the lower peninsula are bog larch. I know folks who have collected in spring with success. If yours are doing well with your method, I’d stick with it! Nick’s rationale with bog larch is that early fall is just before significant root growth phase for larch, which allows them to recover before winter. Always varies by climate, but ours are probably similar - and he does distinguish between bog and lakeside larch but doesn’t mention mountains Etc. - maybe try out early fall collection and see how one or two respond, see if you notice any differences? God speed!

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

I’ll also note that I prefer spring repotting/root work for my larch already in my possession. Though, these are much healthier trees. But they respond well to spring work, for what it’s worth.

[@Bigburt-]

Where in MI are you located? Cool to see other bonsai people in MI.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Near Grand Rapids on the west side! Thanks for watching, always enjoy connection with fellow mitten dwellers!

[@Bigburt-]

@@GreatLakesBonsai Oh wow, i'm in Wyoming. I will def be watching your videos from now on. Sweet

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Awesome! Always happy to chat bonsai as well, especially once Covid goes away! @greatlakesbonsai on Instagram. West Michigan bonsai club is a good option too, became a member this year and hope to meet up with them soon as well.

[@yrybakov]

hey, i see you’re using pumice for soil mix, so do you use anything else in the mix or just pumice with native tree soil, thanks

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Hey trigger, for collected trees, the goal is larger (at least 3/16”, I prefer 1/4”) particle size. Pumice is a good choice. If I’m using sifted pumice, I’ll combine it with something that also retains moisture - pine bark or coco coir in the case of larch - larch do not like too much acidity in a container so I stay away from adding any peat (which is fine for other deciduous like maple or hornbeam). I’ve heard of folks using straight pumice for collected conifers, but larch don’t like to dry out so pure pumice would likely be too dry. An easy option is Bonsai Jack soil - this is a nice mix though it is expensive. I buy the 7 gallon (2 bags) on their actual website as Amazon only sells smaller quantities. But they have a great soil mix. Just expensive for collected trees which often go into large boxes = more $$!!

[@yrybakov]

@@GreatLakesBonsai hey, thanks so much for a generous response! really appreciate those tips. i’m in a dry climate so i’m guessing i could also use lava rock with pumice and pine bark. it would have to be next fall by the time i try another larch tree. btw do you repot larch in the spring tho? thanks again.

[@binbin9]

hows this tree doing?

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Tree is doing well. Should have another video up next year on styling next spring. It has spent two years now in a nice bonsai pot. Making progress!

[@CharlieForeign]

Do larch back bud?

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Not in my experience - really need to cut back to existing buds - adventitious don’t seem the be available. Therefore = learning how to graft well!

[@jameswalker3416]

Why is peat bad? Its decomposing sphagnum.

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

Larch don't like acidity. The decomposing aspect creates acidity. This all according to Nick Lenz in his book. Larch prefer more neutral PH for their roots. The larch roots gradually die as the peat level rises. Thanks much for watching!

[@jameswalker3416]

@@GreatLakesBonsai Thats interesting I grow carnivorous plants as well and don't realize when sphagnum decomposes it changes the ph.

[@paulkendeffy8893]

Make a raft with the second one that has only branches on one side

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

That’s a creative idea! Hmm. Definitely would be neat, a raft forest of sorts? Going to try and mock up a couple of designs... thanks for weighing in, going to consider this!

[@paulkendeffy8893]

@@GreatLakesBonsai why not you have so many! And that one has the most limits for a upright tree. A forest would be amazing. If you do it I’d love to see the progress

[@GreatLakesBonsai]

I’ll debate it over winter - won’t be touching it next year for recovery. You are SPOT on, it has the most limitations/least interest. Well said and will do!