Ponderosa Pine- comments Herr Walter Pall?

Vonsgardens

Hi,
I got back this week from a trip to South Dakota and Colorado looking for Ponderosa Pines and visiting a good friend and working on his trees. While in Denver I went by a friend's home to see his bonsai, mostly collected trees- and was very impressed with the quality and scale of his bonsai. While there he offered me a tree that he had collected (I believe in Wyoming) a number of yeas ago- they had essentially scraped it off a big flat rock, transported it home and then set it on a slab of granite. There it had prospered. We took the tree off of the slab, placed the rootage in burlap- it is a sold root mass- and I didn't take the slab as I was sure that I had a big enough pot for the tree at home.Anyway, as is always the case- no pot was big enough- my 36"x20" oval pot was way to0 small (it will fit when I am comfortable about root pruning next spring). So I built a 42x24" box (notice the extra wood for handles?). I would expect that this tree is in the 100-250 year range- High altitiude collection, completely contained root system, north and harsh climate.

Anyway. it is a beast. I am looking for suggestions. The rock under the trunk is only there for transport- take it out and the tree doesn't budge. Changing the planting angle significantly (at least to vertical) will take a while as there are three long (3/4" or greater roots that extend horizontally approximately 32" from the trunk. So? Any Ideas?

Attached Images

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David Yedwab

Looks like a great project. Keep us posted.

__________________
David Yedwab

ethanopia

Have you seen the Golden Arrow DVD on Ponderosa Pine styling? It is a pretty neat movie. We wathed one styloing at our last meeting, well those of us that didn't venture to Cinci...anyway it's not by any stretch of the imagination a nail biter edge of your seat thriller. But if you have a Ponderosa project then I would highly reccomend checking it out.

available here, http://www.goldenarrowbonsai.com/catalog1.htm

-Ethan

OKbonsai

John,
You done good. I bet Von really loves having another big tree to move around. John and I have very understanding wives who are good sports when it comes to moving these monsters every spring and fall. Can't wait to see what I get this next spring. Thanks for sharing John.

Vonsgardens

Ethan,
Thanks. Was at Andy's before going to Denver and crawled around among the collected trees. Have been fortunate to be able to go and pick up trees a number of times from Andy over the years. He has a fine group of Ponderosas and Rocky Mountain Junipers this year and some really nice Lodgepole and Limber pines. Gives you a bit of zone envy.

Walter_Pall

Vonsgardens,

twhat you have is a typical ponderosa as they grow in the mountains. Now the task is to get it dense to be able to style a decent crown. The main thing in the end will be the phantrastic trunk which has to be underlinded by the crown. Not the other way round.

Most people never get their ponderosas dense. The trick is to forget everything you ever heard about ponderosas.

I lant them in very well drining substrate. I leave them out all year, summer and winter, no winter protection, when it rains for a week without stop. I water agressively. Twice a day on hot days. I water all over the tree, make sure the foliage gets wet and also the trunk and branches. I feed aggressively. Abut every two weeks from end of March to begining of Ocotber. Lots of nitrogene. No such thing as fall feed. The whole thing throuhout the season. Feed that you can buy in any garden center, meant for flowers, vegetables and general garden plants.

You have to do ALL of this. If you miss one you will have big problems very soon.

Here are two pondrosas as of this summer before and after maintenance.

Then the foliage of a ponderosa after eight years of my regime. David cannot believe this.

I would start getting the pondersoa healthy and dense and start styling the beast aftewards. it will take you about five years though to get there.

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__________________
best regards
Walter Pall

CD now available online
http://walter-pall.de/cdavailable2.jpg.dir/index.html
http://walter-pall.de
http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/

Vonsgardens

Thanks Walter, great pictures, I remembered that you said you were raising them quite differently than most over here when we spoke in Texas. As with the Water Elms and Rocky Mountatin Junipers, we are trying to work (along with many others) to get these truly interesting North American species into the lexicon of bonsai growers here.

David Yedwab

Yes, as Walter's pictures indicate, his ponderosas are incredibly green and they actually grow candles (more like JBP than the ponderosas I know here in the US), both as shown in the last two pictures Walter posted.

Since I returned from my "non-visit" to his garden, I've started feeding and watering mine more like Walter does. Too early for results yet, but the bigger healthier one does seem greener.

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David Yedwab

Will_Heath

Walter,

I do not have Ponderosa Pines yet, although I have always wanted one.

Thanks for the information on care, this will be bookmarked for future reference. Incredible, I never would have guessed the need these pines have for water and food.

Will