First Bonsai: Scots Pine?

[sononomabonsai]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and new to bonsai, thank you for having me!

My brother and dad have been collecting and caring for bonsais for the past two years but I am brand new. I acquired my first bonsai recently and I am wondering if anyone here could help me identify it give me any information about the tree itself or the pot it is in. The gentlemen I purchased it from said that it was an approx. 60 year old Scots pine (not sure about this at all) so I figured it would be smart to check here for any information someone may be able to glean from the photos. I really, really like the shape of the tree and although the painting on the pot may not be inline with what most people in the bonsai community like, I enjoy it.

I plan on taking the tree to a local bonsai expert soon for additional information on how to care for the tree.

Anyways, any information or recommendations on about the tree would be greatly appreciated!

-George

 

[Paradox]

yea looks like a scots to me

Needs alot of work. Looks like its been allowed to grow for years without much training or pruning.

It needs to be wired but you cant do that now, youll need to wait until fall.
The top needs to be thinned out, kinda of looks like an apex needs to be decided on.

Good idea to take it to someone knowledgable to help you get it back in shape
This will be a long term project. Be very careful not to do too much at once or in one year.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Tell your brother and father, if we don't already know them, that you will surpass them in knowledge quickly.

Sorce

 

[sononomabonsai]

Thank you for the quick reply! There is a bit of wiring left on the tree now actually, would it be prudent to remove it? Or should I wait until I get someone to take a look at it? (That may be 2 months out, given the COVID-19 situation where I live).

yea looks like a scots to me

Needs alot of work. Looks like its been allowed to grow for years without much training or pruning.

It needs to be wired but you cant do that now, youll need to wait until fall.
The top needs to be thinned out, kinda of looks like an apex needs to be decided on.

Good idea to take it to someone knowledgable to help you get it back in shape
This will be a long term project. Be very careful not to do too much at once or in one year.

 

[Paradox]

Thank you for the quick reply! There is a bit of wiring left on the tree now actually, would it be prudent to remove it? Or should I wait until I get someone to take a look at it? (That may be 2 months out, given the COVID-19 situation where I live).

If the wire is biting into the bark then yes, I would remove it. Otherwise, see what the person you bring it to has to say.

 

[Adair M]

That’s an old tree. So, it’s going to be more sensitive to change. So, take it slow!

Your first priority is to get it healthy and strong. Unfortunately, you missed the potting window, so you’ll have to wait until next year. Meanwhile, you can fertilize it.

it’s helpful to everyone if you put a general idea of your location in your profile. So much of doing bonsai is climate dependent.

You started your bonsai career with an interesting tree! Search the forums here on Scots Pine and you’ll find a lot of information about them. They do NOT get treated like Japanese Black Pine. They get treated more like Japanese White Pine. You’ll find more information about the Japanese pines than Scots, but there is some info about Scots available. But when reading posts about pines, beat in mind yours is more like a JWP than JBP.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The pot made me chuckle. In a good way, it is so 1960's retro.

@Adair M is right. This is an old tree, keep it watered, make no radical changes. First just learn how to keep it watered and happy. Go very light on fertilizer. This is a senior citizen tree. You did not mention location. If you give us a general nearest big city and state, we can probably recommend a local expert to consult. There is enough there in that tree that it would be worth taking the time to consult one or more experts. Depending on which local bonsai society is nearby, some have good knowledgeable pine people, some do not. Don't let anyone, expert or not, start pruning on your tree the first time they see it. Listen to them, take notes, don't let them cut your tree. You do it, and only after you are comfortable with what ever gets proposed. It is okay to take it to more than one person for an opinion.

Personally, I would not do much, keep it watered. Fertilize mainly in late summer, early autumn. Do no pruning, then repot in spring, or if you live in a cool summer area, like in the "Lake Effect" zone along Lake Michigan or Superior, you can repot in late July or early August. But if you don't have cool summer, wait until spring. (tips like this are the reason we all want to know your location, we are not trying to visit. LOL).

Give it a year to get healthy. Get yourself a couple inexpensive junipers so that you have something you can prune away on. The key to curing impatience with bonsai is to buy more trees.

 

[Mayank]

Unfortunately, you missed the potting window, so you’ll have to wait until next year.

When is the potting window? I'm assuming that you said it has passed based on the buds and their growth since you don't know the location?

 

[Adair M]

When is the potting window? I'm assuming that you said it has passed based on the buds and their growth since you don't know the location?

I repot pines in spring before the buds swell. I’d rather be too early than too late.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

The key to curing impatience with bonsai is to buy more trees.

This is the best thing I've ever read on this or any other bonsai forum! Thank you Leo, you made my day!

 

[Paradox]

I repot all my scots as well as other pines in the spring before bud swell as Adair does.
I also agree with Adair, early is preferable to late