Ezo Spruce: pot-bound and wanting a tad of love.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » March 31st, 2019, 12:00 pm

The trouble with living near plant nurseries - bonsai and general - is that they are a natural magnet; a money pit. After supermarket shopping this morning, on the way home, I dropped by Trevor’s joint to find yet another Sunday arvo project to relax into - a horrifically pot-bound ezo spruce.

In truth, I was attracted to the species when I saw a few that I liked at my club’s monthly workshop yesterday. I didn’t have an ezo - now I do.

I was attracted by the straight trunk - I don’t have a formal upright style. I liked the spread of branching and even though the top had been cut out - I like the idea of a formal upright with the top jinned. I am encouraged by a number of surface roots - that with a bit of help - may turn into attractive and well spread nebari. There is a lot of growth emanating from close to the trunk too. So, some hope.

But the tree is jaded, faded and desperately pot bound. So - it was cheap, there is some risk but I’ll try and get it back to health and then work a nice tree in future.

Time will tell.

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Bonsai teaches me patience.
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TimS · Post by **TimS** » March 31st, 2019, 12:35 pm

Spewing i missed this! I was there last weekend looking specifically for Ezo Spruce and only found a single, very young, piece of material. Somehow i missed this one!

treeman · Post by **treeman** » March 31st, 2019, 1:09 pm

I don't think that's an ezo spruce Mark.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » March 31st, 2019, 1:20 pm

Oh! Bummer! I thought it was - it was with some others the that were labelled as Ezo and - that looked similar - just darker green, I just thought this was unhealthy. I should have asked Trev. Bugga. Poo. Damn. And a tad embarrassing for me. OK - if I find out what it is I might ask to change the thread title.

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PWC · Post by **PWC** » March 31st, 2019, 1:29 pm

No matter what it is it still looks to have good potential as a formal upright

ReDirtBonsa1 · Post by **ReDirtBonsa1** » March 31st, 2019, 2:07 pm

Yeah, that’s a nice find.

MJL · Post by **MJL** » March 31st, 2019, 7:27 pm

It was a cold, wet day in Melbourne today but if you’re dressed right - you can still potter about and get stuff done.

I was fixated on getting lost in a little project .... so.... on with some warm clothes, a waterproof jacket and I continued in the rain. And hey, at least roots can’t dry out if you’re repotting in the rain!

So, here is my “bummer it’s not an Ezo” after the removal of some moss, a bit of top soil excavation,
removing 1/3 of root ball and a general liberation of pot bound roots. I was surprised just how dry that root ball was - except in the outer edges. Bone dry - no wander the tree looked so sickly and pale.

I put some Native Osmocote in the new mix, wired it into a larger training pot, watered in with Seasol and now hopefully ... it settles in as the milder Autumn weather takes hold in April.

Branch refinement can come later if it survives and returns to health.

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To make an excuse for myself ... because then I will feel like less of a dill... I thought this was a sick Ezo because when I saw two at our club recently - one was lush, dark green, the other more like this because it was lacking water and nutrients. Ha! Always learning.

Bonsai teaches me patience.
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TimS · Post by **TimS** » March 31st, 2019, 7:59 pm

There's not much so satisfying as being out in the garden while it is raining. Not torrential of course, but a nice bit of rain is wonderful while you work on trees. I personally spent the day out in the drizzle potting up a hundred or so fuchsia cuttings to sell at some future sunday market to fund my maple addiction. Time much better spent that indoors the whole day!

Despite the mix up it's still a nice tree there, with a good spread of surface roots as well by the look of it, so it has a bright future. Just wire the uppermost shoot to continue the formal upright line, give it a feed and away she goes!

Keep Calm and Ramify · April 1st, 2019, 8:29 am

MJL wrote: I like the idea of a formal upright with the top jinned.

I like this idea too - good piece of material to eventually really hack into and create some "artificial hardships".

melbrackstone · Post by **melbrackstone** » April 1st, 2019, 9:00 am

'scuse my ignorance, but if it's not an Ezo Spruce, what is it?

Hope it pulls through, Mark.

ReDirtBonsa1 · Post by **ReDirtBonsa1** » April 1st, 2019, 4:05 pm

melbrackstone wrote:'scuse my ignorance, but if it's not an Ezo Spruce, what is it?

Hope it pulls through, Mark.

It’s a extremely rare and sought after tree I reckon. So rare nobody knows the name of it.

Timritchie · Post by **Timritchie** » April 1st, 2019, 4:24 pm

melbrackstone wrote:'scuse my ignorance, but if it's not an Ezo Spruce, what is it?

Hope it pulls through, Mark.

A cedar? Straight Cedrus deodar is my bet, not C atlantica glauca.

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MJL · Post by **MJL** » April 1st, 2019, 4:32 pm

Ha! I’ll ask Trevor to confirm - I’m still hoping for unhealthy Ezo that needs a spruce up. Ok that was a terrible joke!

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KIRKY · Post by **KIRKY** » April 1st, 2019, 5:32 pm

It is a Spruce, it just may not be an Ezo. Its not a Cedar. I have one that I bought as an Ezo and it looks completely different to this one. There are many different Spruce/Picea out there.
Cheers
Kirky

MJL · Post by **MJL** » April 5th, 2019, 8:08 am

Hi All,

Trevor has confirmed this as Norway Spruce Picea albies - Dumb me.

@Treeman thanks for highlighting.

@Admin - any chance of changing title to Norway spruce and remove Ezo - no drama if not; just a reminder of my goose-ness

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