Thanks guys for all the nice comments. Made my day.
Hank,
David's observations about the jin are astute. Steps can be taken, but eventually all jin on a pine will deteriorate.
JonnyD, Thanks mate!
FredL,
This pine is probably 45 to 65 years old. It has old wood/bark all the way to almost the tips of every branch. It has been in training for some time. The time involved to bring this pine up to where it might ought to be would be about 1 year. It is not so because I've been mulling things over for so long. This last bit of work left several things undone. For instance, the apical region needs to be thinned by 1 or 2 branches. Furthermore, I did not wire out the entire tree. It is still messy. The long needles are just because I did not bud cut this year in order to let it gather strength. By this time next year, it could easily be a winner. With a few more years and some back-budding, it will have an even more aged, mature look.
As for your pines, I can't advise you as I've not seen them over the past 1-2 years. However, a pine that is growing vigorously and in good health can be worked hard. But, don't work it hard and then pick at it for another few months. Work hard - let rest fully.
David,
Thanks. I agree that the web
can be a good learning tool. The trouble is, of course, that we may learn all sorts of awful stuff. However, it is a great resource and I post this kind of thing because I believe that some might learn from seeing it - AND - I might learn from hearing what others say about it. It's just a big cycle.
Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
www.andyrutledge.com/palaver/main.htm
zone 8, Texas