AusBonsai

Hello all,,

Im completely new to the forum, I brought a maybe 3 or 4 foot tall Picea Abies from Miter 10 today for $20 , the top has been cut so the apex is flat but its kinda growing a new branch as the top, its got quite long branches, the trunk is pretty straight, not really thick yet and I cant see any real nebari but i havent dug under the soil yet .. I really love these kind of trees and thought it was a great bargain even if I dont bonsai it ..
I relatively new to Bonsai, been into it for a while but Im starting to get more serious about it just learning from youtube videos ..
Anyways I have some questions would be great to get some advice ..

So I guess first would it be a good idea to try to bonsai this plant ?
What should I do now ? Should I prune it, repot it, and let it grow for a season ? ..
Any advice would be a great help, thanks !

Cheers K

That's a leggy looking tree. It could do with some trunk girth but it also looks to have a lot of branches coming out at the same point with will cause reverse taper. I'd cut it back, if that's even possible. It may take a few seasons to reduce the length of those branches while retaining the foliage. Find a low sacrificial branch (or two) to start getting some trunk girth and you could start training the rest of the tree. Others may approach it differently, though.


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The MOST important thing with Spruces is to pinch short the new shoots. Take off 2/3 to 3/4 when they are soft and do it every year without fail!

Ok thanks for the tips,,

I have pinched most of the shoots back, theres heaps more just growing and many more not yet opened so I guess just to wait until they have grown enough to pinch them back ..


adge0001 ,, I was thinking the top might have to come off because yeah where its been cut before all theres heaps of branches just growing out from that point, looks like an umbrella hehe ... how do I increase the girth with using the branches ?


So would anyone suggest to repot it now so soon after pinching all the shoots back ??? I have watched videos where they say it a good idea to repot them for a year in a larger pot to encourage growth and thicken the trunk ...

Thanks again for all your help and sorry for so many questions I havent really got anyone to get advice from ..

1) Treeman is a guru and his advice is good
2) The tree looks to me like it needs some love. Fertilizer, water and a good pest spray treatment (if in doubt use confidor once a month during the growing season)
3) The most important advice - join a bonsai club or society close to you. You will learn so much just talking to people.
4) Give it a trim and re-pot next year

Good luck

Ok,
Thanks everyone for the advice, I fed it when I got it have pinched back the shoots as advised, I hosed it down and have been watering it when it needs ..
So, Ill leave it in this pot for this year and just try to improve the overall health then next year repot it in a large pot and try to thicken the trunk ..
Im quite curious to see with pinching the shoots and feeding, how much it back buds and thickens up (as in foliage) over the spring/summer, because it is looking quite sparse at the moment, but sure its health will improve dramatically, I have an interest in plants and gardening and have a green thumb so pretty sure Ill get this tree looking great soon ..
Ill post pics on the progress !
Thanks again
Cheers K

Hi K
Welcome to Ausbonsai.
The wiki page on spruce does not have very much info yet, but has some links to quite a few threads to more info on them for you
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index.php?title=Spruce

As has been discussed. Watch the branches getting too leggy, and avoid too many branches from the one spot or reverse taper will be a big issue.

Ken

I thought I might try air layering, I saw a thread here where someone successfully air layered the same tree, it look as though there are two parts to it anyways so I might try that and see how it goes, could work nicely, or i could kill the tree hehe, well nothing ventured nothing gained ....
Thanks for the links Ken, I didnt know that part of the site was there !

Cheers K

How did you go with your tree? Did you end up attempting an air layer?