Elanden Gardens Project: Ponderosa Pine (WARNING: EMBEDDED PHOTOS!)

Victrinia_Ensor

I wanted to share a project tree from yesterday. It isn't really a great specimen for bonsai from a traditional perspective. It's a very large tree, probably about 44+ inches across, and it's lacking a great deal of girth for all that size. Though Daniel didn't discount the notion of a cascading bunjin when I suggested it. I believe this tree has enough presence, and distinctive movement to pull it off exceptionally well. It was only collected this spring in Wyoming, and the pot it's in is by no means it's preferred pot.



The main branch of foliage which appears to be in the front is actually a branch crossing over the main line of the trunk from the back. Daniel wanted to move it a good deal to the left.

While moving large branches is a common enough occurrence in the garden, it was his method in this case, that I felt would be beneficial for others who may have never tried such a move.

The problem with moving this large branch was it's size and it's desired location. With the tree hanging out of the pot so far to one side, there was nothing to anchor the branch into the new location. So Daniel rigged a brace on to the main trunk to give him a place to anchor the branch to.

He took a section of broom stick about 16 inches long and secured it to the underside of the trunk.





He had cut a notch into the end of the stick to hold the wire still on the end of the brace. (In this photo you can get a sense of just how large a branch was being moved, and also it's original position of crossing straight over the top of the trunk.)



Ponderosa Pine is a very flexible tree... so moving it into it's basic position was not a great challenge. (Though to hear Daniel belly-ache about having to hold it while I tied it in... you'd think it was a Herculean effort... :p )



Then he decided to lift that branch in it's new position, as it would free up the full view of the trunk line.



To hold it in this second position, Daniel made a strut to support the branch. He cut a "v" notch into the wood stake and cradled the branch in that. Due to the size and pressure of what we were working with, there was no need to additionally secure the strut. It isn't going anywhere...



One more guy wire was used to turn the moved branch back just a little. And the initial rearranging of this tree was complete.

I think the important thing here is to think creatively about how we approach something problematic.... I'm sure there's some very fancy machinery someone has designed to deal with this kind of issue... but I tell you... a little scrap wood and a bit of wire... and this is what we had.....



Now isn't that something?


Kindest regards,

Victrinia

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Ms. Vic

Le belle cose prendono tempo...

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David Yedwab

Ms. Vic - great articles. I'd like to tie two of your latest together, what does Dan recommend about candle removal on Ponderosas? Or don't ponderosas get candles in WA. Remind Dan I'm asking about the one he did many moons ago when he visited NJ and I'm stll trying to get somewhere with it -- it had a bad case of lost roots a few years ago and now is finally recovering enougfh to think about more than keeping it alive.

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David Yedwab

jfecme

You are so lucky to be able to work with a gifted teacher, and we are so lucky that you will take the time to share with us.

Thanks so much, and please keep up the good work!

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Over 25 years experience - good and bad, and still learning!

Yandrosxx

Victrinia,

Do you have any pics of the final styling of this tree? Do you have any thoughts on the care of ponderosa, decandling, needle trimming, feeding that you could share. I have a large ponderosa and it has always been sort of a mystery to me as to how best to deal with it.

The method displayed in this post has also inspired meto tackle a significant problem with part of my tree.

bonsaikc

In this case as in most, Victrinia created her own luck. She took the effort to go meet Dan, and I am certain that her infectious good humor and charm along with her growing passion to learn, inclined Dan to let her help.

Vic, thank you for this great series. It was well worth the wait to download all the pics.

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Chris Johnston
Sashi-no-eda.blogspot.com

Kansas City Area Workshops 2008

PatArizona

Very imperssive Victrinia...well done...You and Dan...both.

Pat

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BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain.
THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life.

anttal63

very nice start. great use of material well done all thanks for sharing vic.

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Antonio . . .
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BarbaraM

Thanks Vic, I always like your threads. Some day I would love to see Elanden Gardens in person. I feel connected to the place through all of your sharing.


I appreciate the point about using basic materials to accomplish a task. You are right. We can do so much with common items. Thanks for the documentation so we can all learn. You are a teacher.

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"What I like about bonsai is that it has a beginning but no end. A bud today becomes a branch tomorrow. It is like searching for the rainbw's end; the farther it is pursued, the farther away it is." John Naka

Victrinia_Ensor

Yan...

The tree has not yet been finished, I imagine we'll be working on it more this year. More or less the goal was to get the structure of it headed in the right direction. Daniel hasn't had me work over the ponderosa's very much. We have to divide and conquer in the garden... so it means that I spend most of my time working over the black and red pines, and Daniel works the ponderosas. I believe his treatment of their candles is roughly the same as the black and red pines, but I want to confirm that. I will get you the information you need when Daniel gets back from China at the end of the week.

He has had me do the thinning them though... Looking at the tips straight on, he has me cut the lower needles, and the needles which run along the "spine" of the tip. See the attached (very rude) drawings. This lets the light get deeper into the tree.

Daniel's feeding methods are the same for all of his trees. They get a dose of miracle grow every two weeks. The only ones he won't feed are Mountain Hemlocks, because they will get too rambunctious to his mind.

I would be very happy to see the problem you are tackling now. I always enjoying seeing how others approach challenges with their trees.


Kindest regards,

Victrinia

Attached Images

	branch tip.JPG (13.5 KB, 21 views)
	branch tip2.JPG (10.3 KB, 23 views)

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Ms. Vic

Le belle cose prendono tempo...

www.elandangardens.com