P.Thunbergii J.Blk.Pine How many of you grow them?

vance hanna

Although I've beenhighly successful in growing P.Thunbergii for nearly 30yrs in Zone 5/6 MI there was a questioneer published by Jack Wikle of Techumseh, MI. When he was Pres of ABS he was requesting information on pine growing in general in form of a survey. Although I did not see the results...

I've often wonder why P.Thunbergii is not more prominent East of the Rockies. As most of my friends in LA and all over California have them. I've had supreme success here in the 'arctic' for decades...
Anyone care to comment?

__________________
vance hanna
fine bonsai take time

Advertisement

Candy_J_Shirey

Vance -

I have three black pine in training. (Two pictures are enclosed here). My goal is to be confident with the black pine and to this end, I have been in a black pine study group with Kenji Miyata for the past year. We have learned some black pine styling, when to needle prune, when to pot, how much water, etc. There is much to learn and absorb and I will continue with the study group. Kenji Miyata is a good teacher and charming man.





I also have an affinity for the black pine - the king of bonsai.

I've showed you mine, now show me yours.

-Candy

HB Smith

If I could only work on one species of bonsai, it would probably have to be Japanese Black Pine. The age and character of the bark is outstanding, they respond superbly to bonsai techniques, I love how they look after they are wired out, and I really get into the redirection of energy flow with differential needle plucking, and decandling. They are such strong, hardy trees. Guess that's why I picked it on my avatar.

__________________
Sincerely,
Howard

www.BonsaiSmiths.net

007

When I finally move to a home which gets some direct sunlight, the black pines are going to become my focus. I live in a stupid North facing apartment right now.

__________________

heymikey(deceased)

Getting back to the original query, A search of the internet indicates that JBP are highly susceptible to pine wilt disease in the east and midwest (caused by a beetle which carries a nematode) and in certain areas (North Carolina was mentioned) are very difficult to keep alive. The disease is not very much of a factor with most of the native pines. Also a "turpentine beetle" was listed as a cause of JBP decline. I believe that Austrian black pines are equally susceptible as the JBP and they have had a lot of problems with them in some midwestern areas. I haven't heard of any such problems with either type of black pine in California, however Monterrey pines are very seldom seen anymore due to some sort of bark beetle disease. I had 3 removed over the past few years.

BrianBay9

I have one, still in nursery pot - about a year now. I'm just trying to learn how it grows and responds to pruning before I do anything with it.

Aaron_K

I planted about 50 Black Pine seeds in trays here in England. The only thing that germinated were weeds that had found their way into the trays and also some gross looking algae slime.

I am a big fan of the Japanese Black Pine and would love to own one.

rockm

Vance,

I think JBP is more prevalent on the West Coast and western U.S. because of the deeper pool of larger population of Japanese-Americans there. That population began propagating this species for bonsai more than 50 years ago. The material available there, along with its progeny, has produced alot more quality available stock, especially in Southern California.

There are sources of qulaity JBP stock in the East, but it's nowhere near the quality of the California stuff. I have a medium-sized one that was grown out over ten years or so on the Eastern Shore of Maryland by a landscape nursery.

The reverse is true with other species. We here in the East have alot of older Kingsville boxwood, for instance. I've gotten pretty nice 25 year old and older Kingsvilles with half inch trunks for as little as $20 here. That's because a few foresighted eastern growers planted alot of this out back in the 1960's and 1970's, after it was "discovered" in a Maryland nursery.

I think there are many regional species quirks like this throughout the U.S.

Will_Heath

Candy,

Beautiful examples of Japanese Black Pines. You are indeed blessed with teachers, thank you for posting those pics. The semi-cascade has very nice movement, I really like that one.

Will