I went shopping for Ponderosa Pine yamadori

[parhamr]

It’s time for an update on tree J. This season I’m wholly sure it has survived the collection trauma—buds pushed vigorously, a lot of needles set buds since last year, and there’s a thick mat of roots growing out the bottom of the flat.

I think this is about my current favorite for styling position:


The base is a little stronger here and the movement of the trunk is a bit more dramatic—something between these two may win:


Finally, here’s the angle at which I’m letting it grow and build strength:

 

[parhamr]

Tree H is looking great and growing slightly more strong than J. Most of its tip candles have extended 3 inches and there’s so much growth that the tissue is swelling enough as to separate some flakes of the bark.

No pics of it, today.

 

[River's Edge]

It’s time for an update on tree J. This season I’m wholly sure it has survived the collection trauma—buds pushed vigorously, a lot of needles set buds since last year, and there’s a thick mat of roots growing out the bottom of the flat.

I think this is about my current favorite for styling position:
View attachment 246392

The base is a little stronger here and the movement of the trunk is a bit more dramatic—something between these two may win:
View attachment 246393

Finally, here’s the angle at which I’m letting it grow and build strength:
View attachment 246394

Tree is looking very healthy. I also prefer the first position at this time. Appears to have a better angle to balance the trunk line and movement from the viewer. Also, the upper straighter branch viewed in the last picture appears to be in a position for bending and creating an interesting apex back and forward with the position shown in the first picture.
Development may involve repositioning to further develop the root ball for a final position.
Good Work.

 

[Lazylightningny]

No, this kind of trees are avaialble at Nature's Way Nursery in Harrisburg or at Hidfen Gardens near Chicago from around 200 to 500

Nature's Way has no trees listed on it's web site.

 

[Walter Pall]

Nature's Way Nursery has one of the biggest offerings of quality bonsai material in the country - way over 400 quality trees.. They do not ship in general. One has to come in person. Trees range from S$ 50 to 18,000.

 

[Walter Pall]

The trees shown here are the new ones of this year. A couple hundred older ones were still in the greenhouses.

 

[Soldano666]

Dang. Tough choices

 

[Mike Westervelt]

2nd position for me Reed. Way better movement and base.

In the first inclination, the first trunk section and the third section(after the twist) look straight and nearly parallel to my eye.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Tree H is looking great and growing slightly more strong than J. Most of its tip candles have extended 3 inches and there’s so much growth that the tissue is swelling enough as to separate some flakes of the bark.

No pics of it, today.

Any updates on Tree H???

 

[Potawatomi13]

Funny. Was just thinking of these 2 trees. Wondering?

 

[parhamr]

Any updates on Tree H???

Tree H is doing great and I’m about to repot it. The growths are super healthy and there are lots of buds.

Funny. Was just thinking of these 2 trees. Wondering?

Ugh. I fucked up with tree J and it’s dead. What a painful lesson to have learned!

It was just a classic series of errors: too much removed in repotting, poor weather after the repot, too much water in subsequent months. In hindsight its roots just weren’t yet well enough recovered and I should have waited another year.

I didn’t have the right pot and the friend who was going to help me with the repotting had flaked out on me. I own the mistake… its dead husk in my yard is an expensive reminder to do things right!

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Tree H is doing great and I’m about to repot it. The growths are super healthy and there are lots of buds.


Ugh. I fucked up with tree J and it’s dead. What a painful lesson to have learned!

It was just a classic series of errors: too much removed in repotting, poor weather after the repot, too much water in subsequent months. In hindsight its roots just weren’t yet well enough recovered and I should have waited another year.

I didn’t have the right pot and the friend who was going to help me with the repotting had flaked out on me. I own the mistake… its dead husk in my yard is an expensive reminder to do things right!

Nooooooooo! I'm sorry to hear that... I was really looking forward on seeing its progress. I started collecting Ponderosas circa 2019 and I barely joined the Bnut group last month, so naturally - I searched for Ponderosa threads. So your post was definitely a source for me. Are you contemplating on getting another one from Randy?

 

[Potawatomi13]

SOOO sorry for this happening! Still.... don't give up. Seconded question to visit Randy again? If needing a future friend to help with the repotting please call on me.

 

[parhamr]

I’m going to need clearance from my wife for any future visits to Randy!



Tree H

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

I’m going to need clearance from my wife for any future visits to Randy!

View attachment 361663
View attachment 361664
Tree H

Tree H looks like it’s recovering well, and in great shape! Please keep me posted if you get approval from the wife if you can go to Randy’s again. Maybe I can wire you some $ and you can get me one as well

 

[parhamr]

Well I repotted tree H but this feels like just a transitional setup until I get just the right pot. It was growing in a granite pocket, which should be no surprise, but it has lignified roots deep into the rootball. The “maximum limitations” of those woody roots means the rootball is like a brick that roughly fills this pot: (I don’t like this pot, but it’s a great size, shape, and material for this next stage)


That as the approximate front works in the formal sense: the base is at its widest, there’s movement in the trunk, and the feature (shari) is visible. I think I can make something of this.

I removed maybe 10 percent of the field soil that was present and trimmed up some roots that were encircling the bottom of the nursery can. There’s also definitely still the option to make this a cascade by wrapping hardware cloth over the top of the soil and strapping the pot to a board


This isn’t exciting work, but let’s do this one step at a time.

 

[BrianBay9]

I have successfully used a granite slab for ponderosa like this and they look great (rough, not polished granite obviously). You'd need to keep your original planting angle though.

 

[parhamr]

I want to be clear I’m very open to thoughts and input on this tree. Of the things I do in bonsai, my experience with Rocky Mountain Ponderosa is low (I have some Willamette Ponderosa) and with yamadori my experience is middling (but conceptual knowledge is medium-high).

The trunk of this tree is interesting. Only from this front do we see the widest base and the deadwood at the same time. That’s one constraint.

The deadwood is around where the tree has circled back a little bit from injuries. This is somewhat inverse taper but especially a big visual weight of closed space. I know yamadori are given some excuse for “defects” and so I think there’s no big problem here. (I’ll just recognize this tree is interesting but not world class.

What feels right (maybe familiar??) would be to set a guy wire (blue) to compact the tree, close that space a little, and to somewhat hide the imbalance of weight between the base, middle trunk, and deadwood area. The red lines show how the trunk would move.


Some BSOP members and Mirai students who have seen this tree in person were really wanting it to become a cascade. I’m not quite sure why I feel hesitant to do that.

Maybe where I’m landing is this conundrum: the trunk is dancing around and lively (which I love) but the main branching is quite compact and doesn’t seem like it could “carry” the design of this tree as expansive and fluid. The root ball and trunk just seem to work as a cascade and I think the foliage would nicely continue the aesthetic. As a cascade design the placement of the foliage seems like it would work quite well from a horticulture stance, too: nothing would be too low and shaded out.

So did I just answer my own problem? I suspect I might need to wait to pick a style until the foliage is absolutely cranking out new buds and branches.

 

[parhamr]

I have successfully used a granite slab for ponderosa like this and they look great (rough, not polished granite obviously). You'd need to keep your original planting angle though.

Ooh this is helpful! Thanks. I have access to a ton of natural lava flow slabs. They’re dark like basalt but have a lot of craggy texture. How does this look?


I could also find something upright or that has a hollow where the cascade orientation of this tree’s rootball would work.

 

[BrianBay9]

Ooh this is helpful! Thanks. I have access to a ton of natural lava flow slabs. They’re dark like basalt but have a lot of craggy texture. How does this look?
View attachment 361833

I could also find something upright or that has a hollow where the cascade orientation of this tree’s rootball would work.

Looks great! I eventually gave up on these kind of slabs because of the weight. Hopefully you're younger than I.....