You can cut (healthy) larch pretty hard until the beginning of August, a little later when in the field but not much. Normally you want to give the new growth time to harden off before the first frost, about a month and a half or two months is good.

Bob

Thanks Bob,,I trust you with your information..I trimed it where it looks pretty good now so I will let it go for this season.hope you are getting better from the wreck and things are going good...thank you john

Well the larches are not doing good at all.. the second ones needles are brown and drouping sp. like they want to fall off. i just do not know what to do with these trees,,the first one has no foliage at all. on the second one there are some small buds in the center of the brown needles..what to do please.thanks john who is stressed out!!!!

You haven't said much about what kind of soil or container they're in, or about how often you water, or anything else, so write more and we'll try to help.

Larke,,Sorry this is a double post,the information you asked for is in the next to the last post on this page..that is all but the container which is a over size plastic tub.. i keep the soil moist per. head cutter.he tried to help when i first got these trees. i do not have to water every day but i mist them any way.. everyone on ibc said they were easy trees to work but not for me. the pictures i have seen of them are real nice so i wanted one.. what am i doing wrong i am thinking i will lose them.thanks for your help...john

I wondered when HC said to water so much as that's not been my experience with any conifer. Some do appreciate more than others, but it's relative. The info. I asked for is not here (unless I'm going blind). Don't forget misting can add plenty of water to the mix. Do you have really good big drain holes in that tub?

Larke The soil mix is turface and bark with somesoil added.maybe there is too much water for the roots but i was told not to prune the roots.do you think i should take them up and look at the roots and trim some then add something for more drainage????? let me know please thank you john

I think you didn't need the soil to begin with in there, but now is not the time to be pulling up anything or pruning roots, just be less frequent with watering, but do it well. If you leave a tub of water nearby, that alone can be enough humidity to keep the tree happy, but of course you may get mosquitos! Larch always tend to grow near water, but that can even be 500 yrs away - depends on many other little things in a given environment of course.

Sorry to hear about the problems with the trees but we are ( in most cases ) taking a living thing and making radical changes in it's environment, not once but several times in the first few years. Even with the best of care we all lose trees once in a while...hell my marriage cost me two of my best ones and almost a third one.

The brown needles sound like the trees were just in too much direct sun after being repotted, larch will shock. Although they are a conifer, the care is more like a deceduous tree. You said that there are green buds surrounded by the brown foliage, the trees will probably make it although the first needles will be lost.

Bob

Thank you Bob,i really do not care if the first needles fall..I do want these trees to live.i hate to lose a tree except if it is one i am trying to learn from..sorry you lost yours but you do have a new wife!!!! How are your other trees doing?? WISH you could send me one from vietnam that would bereally different..i was there 1969 1970 not doing bonsai at that time..thanks john

It's been so hot this year that most of the trees are just dormant, the big Fukien Tea came back pretty well and I've had to do some pruning but not much. With a few exceptions, most of the tropicals we have here can be bought in the states, they just do better here.
Ya, I was here from 65 thru the summer of 68, it's much more pleasant now.

Bob

Thanks for the post BOB,,I,m glad the fukien is comming back..i was thinking about how big your trees are..can,t buy anything like that here unless you have a larg bank account,i don,t!!! take care john