Jack Pine Bonsai?

TBlake84

Hey all, great forum you have here. The wealth of knowledge is almost overwhelming!

I recently got into the art of bonsai and I recieved some Jack Pine seeds in a kit (it's kind of a hokey gift I got for Christmas - but nevertheless). I was just wondering, since I can not find any pictures of a jack pine bonsai in the gallery, is this a traditionally accepted species for bonsai? If so, could anyone give me some pointers on growing this tree and possibly some pictures/style suggestions? Thanks so much and I look forward to knowing this forum so much better. It's an addiction already.

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rockm

Is this the kit the seeds came in?:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...glance&n=283155

Jack Pine isn't used very much for bonsai. Doesn't mean it won't work. Means there are probably better alternatives out there that work much better as bonsai.

Pine seeds are pretty useless when it comes to doing bonsai. They are great for starting pine trees, which may eventually become bonsai in two or three decades, though. If you want to do bonsai, start with a more mature stock tree from a nursery--a $25 three gallon stock juniper is infinitely more inspiring and instuctional for bonsai than waiting for seeds to mature and grow for 10 years before you can work on them as bonsai.

TBlake84

Thanks rockm for that reply. Yes, that is the kit I got. It is really lame and basically the only good thing that comes in it is the mame pot that comes in it. Anyways, I will certainly be on the lookout for a larger plant come spring as all the nurseries have pretty much closed up around here this time of year. Thanks again.

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rockm

Tblake,

I got the same kit a while ago from a well-meaning relative. The pot isn't bad believe it or not. It makes an excellent pot for small companion plants to go with bonsai. The one in my kit was black glzed stoneware.

The rest of the kit's contents ("soil"-although the soil in mine was a ring of some kind of polymer that holds water and seeds, scissors and instruction booklet) are useless.

That said, I would encourage you to cultivate the bonsai gift thing wiht the people that gave you the kit They know you're interested. Let them know the gift was appreciated (as it should be--they tried after all) by all means.

After that, it might not hurt to show the giver what "real" bonsai looks like, what real pots and tools and books and other stuff looks like and what you're looking for.

I got several "lame" bonsai gifts from my relatives and spouse when I started.

However, my wife now has a better "bonsai eye" than me and knows the
publisher of "bonsai Today" pretty well, since she's ordered so much stuff from them over the years. She knows which pots and books I have. She knows which one's I'm searching for--and unfortunately--how much some of this stuff costs ;-)

TBlake84

Rockm... Don't get me wrong, I am certainly thankful for the gift and the pot that came in the kit is very nice. But what kind of tree would you recommend for a beginner? I was thinking a ficus because I am in a dorm room at school in Boston for 9 months of the year and don't have anywhere to put it outside. The sago palm I have is nice but it too slow growing to really be a hobby and training it is pretty much out of the question. Take care.

__________________
Cycas revoluta
Acer buerguerianum
Acer saccharum
Acer palmatum atropurpureum
Ficus neriifolia
Eugenia myrtifolia

rockm

Ficus would be my choice for your location. I would buy a nice "finished" ficus and go from there. Most "finished" ficus bonsai sold are anything but finished. They usually have fair to middling or even decent trunks that new branches can be grown on.

Sago palm is a bore as "bonsai."

Hasaki

All good Jack pine bonsai are collected trees. You may find grafted cultivars in the nurseries but they will be small plants usually. Jack pine[Pinus banksiana], not the cultivars, is a more difficult pine for bonsai. The cultivars are easier because they are dwarf or witches brooms but difficult to find larger plants. There are good Jack pine bonsai out there.
I would suggest that you plant the seedling in the ground in the spring...then wait maybe ten years for it to be even potensai.

Hasaki

vtbonsaichief

Hey Tblake, I have a few friends in college, and I've given them some portulacaria, (sometimes called mini jade) and some ficus benjamina 'too little'. They have all done fairly well, and provided that the ficus never dries out, they can even grow fairly fast. Lighting depending, however.

I'll probably be banned for saying this, or stoned to death, but if you can find a pot full of mini-ficus at *shudder* home depot or lowes, sometimes you can find one with a nice shape. Sometimes.

Thats just the beginners answer. As you get more expeirence you'll find better sources. Check EVERY nursery you can find, you never know where you can find a good plant.

Actually, you say you're in boston? New England bonsai isn't too far away. I believe they're in Bellingham. Nice place.

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