Golden Larch
Pseudolarix amabilis
DOB -
Height -
Origin - China
Pot - Chinese ceramic
This golden larch is beginning to develop a good branch structure and is growing well. With some more development it will be a great tree to brighten up a bonsai display.
Placement
The Golden larch grow best in full sun, preferably semi-shaded in summer during the hottest hours. They should be protected from excess rain in winter. The Pseudolarix prefers semi-shade during hot summer weeks and should be protected from drying winds. It is not frost hardy and should be kept in a cold frame during winter.
They must be watered thoroughly when the soil gets dry. The Pseudolarix needs a lot of water and should be kept moist, never let the rootball dry out. In summer the pot of the Pseudolarix can be placed in a shallow water bowl to ensure sufficient moisture on hot days.
Fertilizing
Start feeding after the buds have opened in spring. You can use a high nitrogen product first to help the new shoots develop vigorously, later choose a balanced product. Use liquid fertilizer every week or apply solid organic fertilize every month.
Pruning and wiring
The larch takes regular pruning well. If larger branches must be pruned, this should be done in winter or early spring, before the tree starts growing. The twigs are shortened to two buds where possible. Larches have sticky resin which makes cut paste obsolete, and grow strong callus tissue which closes cut wounds quite quickly. In summer the long shoots are shortened when they have grown 4–6" long (10-15cm) and the buds near the base of the shoots become visible. Larches can be wired during winter dormancy, before the fragile buds begin to swell in spring. Younger branches of the golden larch are quite flexible and can be shaped easily with wire and guy wires. The twigs and branches thicken quickly during the growing season and the wire must be taken off in time before it bites into the bark too deeply. Moderate wire marks will grow over quite soon, at the latest when the bark becomes flaky.