New Material - Japanese Black Pine

bandbchute

I obtained this JBP last June from Jim Doyle (Nature's Way Nursery). http://www.natureswaybonsai.com/
Jim comes to our club show in June to lecture and give demos at Dawes Arboretum. He also sets up shop in the vending area, and this was one of the tree's that he had brought for sale.
I have done very little to it so far for lack of knowledge of the species. I've been reading as much as possible and getting advice here and there from people with experience. I've just been working on keeping it alive and healthy... first things first... right? It's definately got a literati in it somewhere, at least that is what Jim himself and Jeff from http://www.staselwoodbonsai.com/ think.
I've been searching for a pot and haven't been successful in finding one yet.

Tell me your thoughts,

Brian

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Vance Wood

Pots and trees are a symbiotic relationship artistically speaking. You are in essence putting the cart before the horse in looking for a pot. You should be concentrating on what you plan to do with the actual tree. Once you get a form established and working then you look for the appropriate pot. That's the way it should be done but you can do it any way you wish. A literati should have a round and simple pot that is fairly shallow.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

kingkong

The best thing to do with this pine would be to donate it to Dawes Arboretum, a beautiful place by the way. Beman and Bertie would be thrilled . There it will be able to grow and develop into a beautiful tree for everyone to enjoy.

bandbchute

Thanks for your reply Vance. Your experience and knowledge is what I'm here for, and exactly what I am looking for. After reading your reply I went back and read my original post and you're right, I am putting the cart in front of the horse. I don't plan on doing anything to this tree except some styling and some branch reduction this year... pot maybe next year. When do you suggest is the best time of the year for styling and pruning? It seems that everyone has their own opinion on this and the more I read, the more I become confused.

Thanks again,

Brian

bwaynef

This tree should look like a plucked chicken at this time of year. That is to allow the new buds to develop in on the branches. It also allows for easier wiring of the branches, supposing you get a vision for the tree and undertake to start shaping it.

Read up on needle plucking. You're a little late to the party at this time of year, but it needs doing before spring. Jim Doyle would probably answer questions about it if it came from his nursery. Great guy.

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Vance Wood

You're right about being confused, there are a lot of different approaches to JBP culture. I would suggest Evergreen GardenWorks web site. Brent has written a couple of good articles about this issue and it would at least give you a good foundation to start from. Read carefully, there are different techniques for developmental care and techniques for more finished bonsai. They are not always favorably interchangeable. A lot of the "Sexy" needle plucking and bud removal is for the more developed material and the use of some of these methods in the development stage may hinder rather than help. One mistake often made is the concentration on needle size/length reduction. Ultimately this is where you want to go but when you are trying to develop branching and ramification in young material this may not work in your favor.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Vonsgardens

Can't tell from the picture but you may want to determine if the tree needs to be repotted, get the roots growing well and the top will follow, will allow you to do the selective pruning required get your selected branches healthy and full of budding opportunities. Early spring is a very good time to prune and do branch selection, as always seal the larger cuts.

Don't donate the tree, it has very nice potential for the future as a bunjin.

John

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kingkong

How anyone could look at this pine and say it has a future is beyond me.

tree bender

Some people look at stock and can see a tree. Some can do it, some cant. It's an art within itself. I see this tree 5 years from now. It's lookin pretty sweet. Anybody else see it?

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