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nixalba

Complete newbie + Need ID

nixalba
9 years ago

I've had an evergreen tree in a pot for approx. 10 years since it came in as a hitchhiker on a cedar hedge tree. I've wanted to train it for nearly as many years but have had no clue where to start and didn't want to risk killing it!

I've been doing a lot of reading and I'm beginning to get a bit of an idea of where to start. I've decided to try potting one of the seedlings from my maple as a guinea pig, since I can get new ones every year should I fail.

So, first question:
What type of evergreen do I have? I think it is a fir but unsure of which variety.

{{gwi:12618}}
{{gwi:12619}}

When is the best time to prune? Late fall, early spring?
It has been in that pot, in that exact place, since I put it in a pot. I rarely water it, never fertilize it. I just leave it alone.

This is the little maple seedling I dug up and potted. They all have the brown spots on them. Should I discard it?

{{gwi:12620}}

(I hope the photos aren't too large!)

Comments (3)

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    The evergreen's an Eastern hemlock... and late fall/winter is the time to prune. The maple has leaves way too big for bonsai, not practical to try and reduce them (is it a Norway or sugar maple?) and I'd put it back in the ground. Where are you in Canada (I'm here too, in a similar zone)? There may be a good bonsai club near you that could help more with the hemlock.

  • nixalba
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for the ID!

    I'm fairly certain it is an Amur maple. I'll leave it in the pot for kicks. I've got a full size tree in the yard and the seeds sprout up all around the tree every summer, so no need to put it back, really!

    I'm in eastern Ontario. I'll see if there is club in the area, didn't even think of that :)

    Thanks again

  • moochinka
    9 years ago

    Ok - one thing though, maple roots grow laterally and shallow, so you'd be much better off to put it in a much wider, if not particularly deep pot, and use lots of grit in the mix for quick drainage. I'm not sure what the brown spots are about (from here), but wait and see if you find insects, or what looks like overwater damage (it's better to water less often, though do it fully when you do it).

    This post was edited by moochinka on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 10:31

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