Japanese Black Pine progression from JBP to almost a bonsai...

[Adair M]

I'm not a good photographer, and I'm even worse at posting photos on forums, but I'd thought I'd try to show a progression of one of my JBP.

It started as canned stock from Plant City Bonsai. I believe it was originally sourced from Brussel's. Sorry, I don't have a photo of the raw stock, or even my early work on it. I started on it before I discovered this forum.

Anyway, I first got it into an oversized bonsai pot. Still really bushy.

Then made some major decisions about choosing branch structure, and cut back drasticly. That's the "Charlie Brown" Christmas Tree look. Then after another year, and a decandling, it started looking better. Cut off a too tall leader, and the crown is looking better. And the last photo (if they post in the correct order) is how it looks today. It will be decandled, and be twice as thick this October.

 

[Adair M]

The second branch (on the left) is too long. But there are buds growing about half way from the end of the branch to the trunk. When they get strong enough, maybe next year at this time, the branch will be shortened to them.

I'll include some photos of back budding that occurred on the main branch (lowest right). It was a heavy branch that had a small shoot coming off the top with a nice bud, so I cut back to it. And wired it down. Looking down at it, you can see that in years past, it had grown only one bud, and had only extended about an inch. I wired it in the fall. Over the winter, it developed the buds. You can barely see them in the first photo. They weren't there when I wired. Then in spring, they popped needles. They were very weak, only created two needles at each bud. Obviously, those don't get decandled! You can see them in the second photo. The third and fourth photos are what they look like today, from above, and from the front.

I may decandle them or I might decide not to. I'll see how strong they are in a month.

The terminal tip of that branch (not shown) will be decandled.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looking happy Adair, will continue to improve with density.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Reminds me of one I bought from Brussels years ago, that had a skinny trunk, similar movement:


I was kind of liking where the tree was headed, but took it to a workshop, and came home with a much shorter tree, and a plan that made sense:

...but lost the tree a few years later to root-rot.

I like yours, but would like to see another good branch above the first right branch...

 

[Adair M]

I'd like to see one there, too!

There is a back branch about an inch above the first right branch, but the eye makes them blend in together. If only it were about 2 more inches higher...

I actually thought about grafting one on last winter, but I decided it was more important to repot it, and get it out of Brussel's soil, instead. I might give it a try next winter.

This tree is unusual for me because I usually have lots of back branches. For some reason, this one did not work out that way. It actually had some pretty bad reverse taper just below the apex, and i had to do some creative carving and pruning to eliminate it.

 

[october]

Nice progression. Can you post a pic of the back?

Rob

 

[Adair M]

I would... but when I try to take a photo, it's broken every camera I've ever used!

 

[jeanluc83]

Any updates on this one?

 

[Adair M]

Any updates on this one?

I actually got this one up to being “club show” quality. I’ll see if I can find some pictures.

Then, for whatever reason, it just started dropping branches! I repotted it, thinking it might be root rot, but that didn’t help. Then, it got needle cast. I think that’s what did it in.

I lost two other JBP at the same time. Another perfectly healthy tree I’d had for a couple years suddenly went brown, and the other was a tree that had been given to me “to save”. It had needle cast, and the person who gave it to me was hoping I could save it. Unfortunately, not only was it too far gone to save, I think it was the source of what killed my other two trees!

 

[jeanluc83]

That's a bummer. Thanks for the update though.

 

[BE.REAL]

I actually got this one up to being “club show” quality. I’ll see if I can find some pictures.

Then, for whatever reason, it just started dropping branches! I repotted it, thinking it might be root rot, but that didn’t help. Then, it got needle cast. I think that’s what did it in.

I lost two other JBP at the same time. Another perfectly healthy tree I’d had for a couple years suddenly went brown, and the other was a tree that had been given to me “to save”. It had needle cast, and the person who gave it to me was hoping I could save it. Unfortunately, not only was it too far gone to save, I think it was the source of what killed my other two trees!

I always wonder about that. People/places that "foster" bonsai, if you will, I assume you go over the tree, inspecting and what not, and hope the person is honest and forthright. It is crazy coincidence, hhmhmmm. Sorry to hear. I have learned a lot from your writings and truly and bummed when I see/hear bad things happening to good people. Be well!

 

[Gurudas]

Sorry to hear about this.

Adair, how can needle cast be treated if detected early enough?