Larix Decidua – Young Plant – Informal Upright

Position: Full sun for most of the year, provide partial shade and protect from strong dry winds during summer to avoid excessive transpiration and subsequent dehydration. It’s a hardy species, but still some protection from extreme frost is a good practice for potted specimens with delicate root system.

Watering: Ensure frequent, regular watering as well as good soil drainage. Excessive, permanent moisture and scarce soil aeration could favour root rot problems. Never let the soil dry out completely.

Feeding: Feed generously during the whole growing season to favour wood formation, vigourous sprouts and back budding. Reduce instead or even entirely suspend fertilisation from spring until the new growth has hardend off to reduce needle size. From late summer opt for a more balanced feed to prepare for winter dormant period.

Repotting: Repot every 2 to 5 years, depending on the plant maturity state, preferrably in early winter, when the plant is fully dormant. Do not prune the roots excessively, as this may result in hydration issues during the hottest summer months. Avoid bare rooting or root washing to preserve the michorriza.

Soil Ph: Will thrive both in slightly acidic soil (ph 5) to slightly above neutral level (ph 7.5).

Pruning: Maintenance pruning can be performed all along the growing season, to preserve the canopy shape, promote ramification and rebalance the strong apical dominance (prune the apex much more aggressively than lower branches for this purpose). Major, structural trunk and branch chopping should be done later during the dorman period.

Wiring: Larch wood is extremely flexible, wiring can be done anytime in the year though it is advisable to avoid leaving wire in contact with the bark during the coldes winter months to avoid frost scars.

Pests and Disease: Larch is a relatively pest resistant tree. Aphids and scale insects can be a problem.