Pruning my Western Hemlock Bonsai Tree

[@andysbonsai]

Looking great. Taking the top off was a definite positive step forward

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks! I agree, it makes the trunk look proportionately larger now that it's shorter.

[@baldyeti]

For not having a plan, the tree is naturally growing into its own. I’m diggin it. Maybe walk around some of those hemlock forests you have down there, get some inspiration?

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks! Walking around forests studying trees is always a great idea.

[@chrisroth9330]

Love to look at the western hemlocks when I walk around the Olympic national forest. Surprised they are not more common in bonsai. I collected two seedlings last spring and they are doing great. Thanks for the content!

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Yeah, they aren't too common it seems. I think it might be for the same reason western larch aren't too common - perhaps just a restricted range and because they aren't available in garden centers (I've never seen one in a garden center around here). Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) seem to be more common in bonsai, I think because they are available in garden centers. Best of luck with your collected seedlings!

[@n8tyler]

Chris...You live out here on the Olympic Peninsula? What kind of trees are you working with? I have some Yamadori but finding it challenging to get into any elevation where I can find better specimens...Plus the regs seem to be all over the place as for trying to get permits for collecting...Drop me a line, I live in Sequim...

[@ryanmcvay1745]

Too late but turning that apex cut into jin might have made for a really cool-looking tree. I do really like the Western Hemlock. Very natural looking tree.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Good point. I'm usually all about jins on coniferous trees, so I wonder why I didn't consider that at the time? Possibly because 1) it would have been a very thin jin (which would have still looked good and minaturized) and 2) although coniferous, this tree has a very deciduous broad leaf type look to me, so I think I was in that decidous mindset and not thinking of jins. I didn't have a clear idea going into the pruning what I wanted to achieve, besides taking the tree in. Anyway, thanks for the thought - too bad you couldn't share it before I pruned the tree!

[@treeaddict]

I enjoy these 'northern' species you have. As these are unfamiliar to Florida bonsai circles. I like this natural look on this tree, continue what your doing. Nice tree, Thanks..

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks! I also enjoy watching bonsai/plant videos of unfamiliar areas/plants. It's fun to see exotic stuff different from my own locale.

[@mm6918]

I love Hemlock also, but find them a little more challenging to style. I like that you shortened the top and that larger branch higher up growing to the left. Maybe bring each back a little more. It was hard to tell on my screen but are there multiple lower right branches coming from the same part of the trunk that could cause reverse taper? Overall, it's a beautiful tree!

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks! Yes, I considered bringing it in a little bit more. I usually study my trees in the days following, but I haven't taken a good critical look at this tree since this pruning - maybe I'll have a look and take off a bit more. It certainly has enough foliage on its branches for that to be possible without killing branches. As for the multiple branches coming from one spot - you're correct that it is somewhat congested; it is almost a broom, caused by being topped multiple times pre-collection. I've considered taking off some of the primary branches and might ultimately do that, but for now I like the 'full' look of this tree.

[@n8tyler]

Of all my Yamadori, I like my Western and Mountain Hemlock the best...Mine are all kind of spindly and my plan is to leave them alone for a few years to see if they would fill a bit...Was this specimen always full and bushy or did it start out thinner? I'm assuming it just lives outdoors year around...Any assistance/suggestions would be greatly appreciated...Thanks...

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Nice that you have both hemlock species. I'd love to drive up and collect where the Mountain Hemlocks grow here - it's a few-hours drive though, at high elevation, so a bit of a journey. Maybe this early summer when the snow melts at high elevation. Western Hemlocks are shade tolerant, so many of the young Western Hemlocks in my local forests are spindly due to growing in heavy shade. This tree was growing on a forest edge and the top had already been broken a couple times (not sure what topped it); so it was already fairly full and somewhat 'bonsai-ish' at the time of collection. The first summer after collection I kept it in afternoon shade (it got a couple of hours of sun in the morning). After the first summer/fall, during the cloudy days of winter, I moved to full sun, where it now stays year round, except for the exceptionally hot days of late summer (95+ deg F) when I move it to shade. It seems to do well in full sun with plenty of water. At first I worried about overwatering it because it's still in a mix of forest and bonsai soil, but I didn't worry too much about overwatering this summer, just dumped the water on, and it seems to be doing great. Keeping it in full sun has helped it fill out even more, but it hasn't been a dramatic change. So my suggestion, if you'd like a fuller hemlock to start with, would be to look for collectable trees in forest clearings or edges. This is likely the fastest path to a fuller tree, rather than patiently waiting and encouraging a spindly tree to fill out through pruning. That being said, I like the graceful branching of hemlocks - you could possible make a simple elegant composition with a spindly hemlock(s).

[@percyacutt3110]

Is there a bonsai club in your area, they can help?

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

I'd love to be part of a bonsai club and learn in-person from some more experienced bonsai folks. However, the closest club that I'm aware of is about a 2 hour drive away (one way) and meets during the day (when I work), so it'd be a big sacrfice for me to attend. So KZbin and BonsaiNut have become my default bonsai 'clubs'.

[@dkstott29]

My humble thought is that the apex needs to be developed more...current appearance from the video before you cut the top made it look like the top was chopped off...🤔🤷‍♂️. Now it definitely looks chopped..😂😂

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Yep, it definitely looks chopped now. But this tree is quite apically dominant, so it should grow well up there and the 'chopped' look with disappear with time - it was a small leader that I took off (much smaller diameter than a pencil). Another viewer commented on how a top jin would have been nice, which I agree with now (but too late!). I do like the way it looks better now with an overall reduced height - I'm not really going for a traditional-conical-conifer-with-a-pointy-apex look - this tree naturally has a decidous look to it, so I think my styling affected that. Anyway, thanks for the comment!

[@dkstott29]

​@BonsaiNorthwest you've done great work so far..👍👍