Has anyone tried to create a bonsai of this tree? I am new to the art of bonsai. I picked this tree from the local nursery trimmed it and potted in a growing pot a year ago. The plant looks scraggly with brown needle tips but si growing with lots of back budding. Any tips on care would be greatly appreciated. I live in Phoenix AZ.
Afghan Pine or Pinus Eldarica
- Thread starter sokrkids
- Start date
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
You might want to get well acquainted with the Phoenix Bonsai Club and their website. They have a pretty nice plant list and some basic instructions. Eldarica is on this page: http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/PPlants3.html#GroupIII
You might have better luck with Aleppo and they have shorter needles. All that said you can do great things with Bougainvillea, Olive, Pomegranate, Vitex and a few others. Remember, shade cloth is your friend.
You might have better luck with Aleppo and they have shorter needles. All that said you can do great things with Bougainvillea, Olive, Pomegranate, Vitex and a few others. Remember, shade cloth is your friend.
grouper52
Masterpiece
There's another name for it as well, but it eludes me.
I brought a 2" one back in my suitcase from a Phoenix landscaping nursery about six years ago when I was there for some training. I put it in the ground here in my "pine garden" - a completely different climate here than it is used to - and it has done fairly well except that it hasn't budded very far back onto old wood, and looks a bit straggly - nothing insurmountable though. It has thickened up nicely (about 5" now) and might be going into a grow pot/box in a year or two. Fair nebari. Rather uninteresting bark at this stage - it may mature nicely - we'll see. The needles are a bit longer and more delicate looking than I like, but some experimenting with training & pruning techniques may help with that.
My thoughts are that a tree used to harsh climates will more often do well in a cushy climate than vice versa, and this is one example.
I brought a 2" one back in my suitcase from a Phoenix landscaping nursery about six years ago when I was there for some training. I put it in the ground here in my "pine garden" - a completely different climate here than it is used to - and it has done fairly well except that it hasn't budded very far back onto old wood, and looks a bit straggly - nothing insurmountable though. It has thickened up nicely (about 5" now) and might be going into a grow pot/box in a year or two. Fair nebari. Rather uninteresting bark at this stage - it may mature nicely - we'll see. The needles are a bit longer and more delicate looking than I like, but some experimenting with training & pruning techniques may help with that.
My thoughts are that a tree used to harsh climates will more often do well in a cushy climate than vice versa, and this is one example.
grouper52
Masterpiece
Mondell Pine - I think that's what it was called.
sure ...lot of times
always mediocre results, I stick to Japanese Black now, they can take similar heat, and are easier, more valuable, and better looking
Attila Soos
Omono
My main gripe against the Pinus eldarica (Afghan pine) is that they don't have the vitality and energetic growth that is comparable to the Black pine. So, the black pine outperforms it in every aspect that I can think of. Slow to back-bud, slow to respond to pruning, lots of weak shoots that eventually die back.
Having said that, it could be that we just don't know enough about this species, and fail to give them the optimal conditions, so we treat them just like a black pine. I don't see a problem with needle length, it is comparable to black pine (mine is actually shorter), so as long as it responds well to needle plucking and fine ramification (which I don't know, since I am still in the trunk-building stage), that shouldn't be an issue.
But it can handle heat well, so in Arizona it may be a good choice. With the Phoenix heat severely limiting the choices you guys have, any plant that can survive is a good addition. So, I would encourage people to experiment with it, in order to expand our bonsai choices and add diversity.
Having said that, it could be that we just don't know enough about this species, and fail to give them the optimal conditions, so we treat them just like a black pine. I don't see a problem with needle length, it is comparable to black pine (mine is actually shorter), so as long as it responds well to needle plucking and fine ramification (which I don't know, since I am still in the trunk-building stage), that shouldn't be an issue.
But it can handle heat well, so in Arizona it may be a good choice. With the Phoenix heat severely limiting the choices you guys have, any plant that can survive is a good addition. So, I would encourage people to experiment with it, in order to expand our bonsai choices and add diversity.
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robert gardner
Yamadori
taking a deliver of a Afgan pine this week. In Snohomish Washington a little milder weather than Phoenix so it will be n interesting Bonsai experiment.
I have several other pines and all are doing great. Thsi new guy is about 10 inches tall so will see what happens. Thing about making a skinny no branch on the
bottom tree.
I have several other pines and all are doing great. Thsi new guy is about 10 inches tall so will see what happens. Thing about making a skinny no branch on the
bottom tree.
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My same thoughts on this. Any time I am looking to add a new tree, it's heat tolerance is my number 1 question before buying any material. Afghan tends to thrive here in the desert, which is one of the very few pine species available for this zone (aleppo pine is another). I'll be looking to obtain an Afghan here soon, I'll share as soon as this comes to be!
