Shohin Black Pine

bonsaial1

95%? I think you think this tree had more foliage on it than it really had. I maybe removed about 40%, and at 4 or more feet from the roots. If you look at the root ball, you will notice that the can is cut about 3" thick. The 5 foot long gangly tree was supported by a meager root system 4 1/2 feet from the food. I think the tree had already given up on supporting the tree so far away, and that is the reason it pushed the small branch so close to the root system. Just guesses for me now.

The soil over the years had been washed out of what I figure at one time must have been a full container of soil. The root ball is now at a manageable size for me to continue my work.

The tree will be repotted in the spring, and at the time it was bought, plus the fact that the tree has responded favorably tells me that it can't wait for what I have in store next. Poor thing just does not know any better.

In the past I have always made my chops on an undisturbed root ball. That way I get maximum push for the new tree. I get the whole summer for the plant to exhaust its reserves and then I fatten it up for the winter, and root prune in the spring, that way the tree slows down so I can continue training at a more leisurely pace. Is there a down side to this I am missing, let me know.

Regards, Bonsaial

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Every year around Thanksgiving they cut down the Christmas Trees in the Santa Cruz mountains. Some families leave a ring of branches as they are instructed to do, some do not. In any case they are cutting more than 99% of the available tree away, and most of the gosh darn things grow back every year, until they get too old, or just give up entirely.

I think the key is the age of the material and when the cutting is done. Cut at the right time, those roots are packed with starch and they are the food source. Cut when young, there is still a lot of dormant buds ready to be awakened, and the bark is not too thick to obstruct them. Of course the variety of pine probably matters too, but they have Scott's pine and Noble fir, spruce and such and they all seem to recover pretty darn well if you give them the chance.

Regards,

Matt

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ripsgreentree

Al: You talk like I have never seen this tree. It was a standing joke for the last three years about cutting this tree back for a shohin. I am glad that you are having fun with this tree. Show it to me after the roots are fixed and it has been in a bonsai container for a couple of years, then maby I will give you an ataboy. Until then you are still in a dice game.

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ripsgreentree

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bonsaial1

See ya in four years!

simon

hi al you mention trimming the needles as they were too long
dont they turn brown on the ends if you do that i have a black pine that i have posted on this site peviously and he could sure do with a hair cut also a big thankyou for posting projects like these it gives people like myself with no real experience an idea of what can be done
kind regards simon

bonsaial1

Needle cutting can sometimes induce budding. On this particular plant I needle pruned due to the fact that the canopy was so large that no sunlight was reaching the inner tree. This is a slow death for the inner branches that we sometimes depend on for the canopy of the tree. BY cutting the needles shorter the inner branches will recieve sunlight and air. It will cause the tips to turn brown, and this would not be something that one would do for a show or display.

Regards, Bonsaial

simon

Bonsaial
thankyou for your reply as always it was most welcome
regards simon

ripsgreentree

Simon: Pine candle and needle cutting techniques require a very healthy tree to recover from the stress that these techniques can cause. It also requires some time. Also these techniques will differ depending on the stage that your tree is at.

For exact times and correct cuttings I would reserch the magazine Bonsai Today or other written material. For me I will cut candles in Feburary and then recut to specific buds in April. I will allow these candles to open there needles for the summer and in August and September remove venture buds that are too vigerous and needel prune to cause the tree to back bud for spring. The results of this work should be buds/candles the diameter of 1mm instead of the diameter of a pincel. The needles should shorten to about 1 1/2 inches when they are fully extended in the fall. The tree will be at its peak when the needles have extended out about 1 inch.

When you combine these techniques with proper wiring you will get the wonderful pads that you see on show trees and in photos. You can do these techniques for two years in a row then rest your tree for a year and start again. With selective pruning needle pruning and wiring you can greatly increase the ramification of your black pines. I will say again that first is health and vigor, with out it you are just harming your tree.
I really do suggest that you do the research and find more precise information.

Hope that this helps

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

bwaynef

Did I miss the update? How's this tree doing? I'd love to see it.

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