JBP Frailties

[nurvbonsai]

Hi,

I’m starting to see some frailties on this JBP. Can anyone diagnose issue from this picture?

Thanks

 

[Charlo]

Hi, when I first look at a pre-bonsai or bonsai I always start out with the trunk. You have wire on yours, but there is no movement/ twist on the lower part. There is just a slight bend halfway. Kinda boomerang shape. Not sure if those are old needles, the long yellow ones. Not sure why the top part has short needles but the bottom has long needles. What is your watering criteria? When and why do you water it? How much sun does it get? More information on how you care for it would be helpful.

 

[nurvbonsai]

I’ve watered it daily during the hot summer months we‘ve had. I tried to put movement in the trunk line but I suppose I fell short in that regard.

Hi, when I first look at a pre-bonsai or bonsai I always start out with the trunk. You have wire on yours, but there is no movement/ twist on the lower part. There is just a slight bend halfway. Kinda boomerang shape. Not sure if those are old needles, the long yellow ones. Not sure why the top part has short needles but the bottom has long needles. What is your watering criteria? When and why do you water it? How much sun does it get? More information on how you care for it would be helpful.

watered daily during hot summer months, I tried to put movement into the trunk, but it seemed to only give me so much. I can try bending some more but I wasn’t getting that traditional S shape.

I live on a second floor balcony in which the sun rises from the NW corner giving me my best light in the morning hours.

 

[nurvbonsai]

Some more photos

 

[Russ1]

Maybe not enough sun? I just let mine bake in full sun all day and water accordingly.
I don't have a current image but this is from July 9, they are at least 50% bigger now.

 

[River's Edge]

Your seedling is staying too wet and not getting enough sunlight for JBP.

 

[Charlo]

Hopefully you are only watering when the top part of the soil is starting to dry, and not keeping the soil too wet. Do you keep it in one place and not turn it from time to time so different sides get to face outward? I am trying to figure out why needles would be so long on one side and so short on the other. I realize you do not have the opportunity to keep it in full sun, but please try to keep it in the sun as much as possible and make sure you are not watering too much or letting it completely dry out. BTW it is a very young tree they are flexible, don’t be intimidated to get some movement in them.

 

[SeanS]

The brown long needles (just below the most recent sets of needles) are likely brown because you damaged them with the wire that seems to be crushing them in the first picture. They’re dead now.

 

[Shibui]

The brown long needles (just below the most recent sets of needles) are likely brown because you damaged them with the wire that seems to be crushing them in the first picture. They’re dead now.

I'm pretty confident that it's more than just crushed needles. The older needles above the wire are also looking way off colour.
IMHO. @River's Edge has the likely problem.
Pines love sunlight. They hate wet feet. Watering by the calendar (once a day, etc) is a sure way to keep the soil too wet. Or it may have dried out one weekend.
You can check by sliding the root ball out of the pot and checking the soil and roots. Healthy white roots is good. Black, soggy roots is bad.

 

[nurvbonsai]

Thanks all

 

[nurvbonsai]

I'm pretty confident that it's more than just crushed needles. The older needles above the wire are also looking way off colour.
IMHO. @River's Edge has the likely problem.
Pines love sunlight. They hate wet feet. Watering by the calendar (once a day, etc) is a sure way to keep the soil too wet. Or it may have dried out one weekend.
You can check by sliding the root ball out of the pot and checking the soil and roots. Healthy white roots is good. Black, soggy roots is bad.

Thanks @Shibui i took it out and snapped some pictures. can you glean from this if what you and River’s Edge said if in deed it’s the case.is it dead?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

At this time of the year I would expect to see some white roots actively growing. If it's not showing any of those, it's likely to be on the way out.

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks @Shibui i took it out and snapped some pictures. can you glean from this if what you and River’s Edge said if in deed it’s the case.is it dead?

The brown roots at the bottom are still viable. Will not see improvement without more sun and better watering practices. I would suggest removing the wire carefully. IE: cut it off one coil at a time so as to do less damage in the removal.

 

[nurvbonsai]

The brown roots at the bottom are still viable. Will not see improvement without more sun and better watering practices. I would suggest removing the wire carefully. IE: cut it off one coil at a time so as to do less damage in the removal.

Here are a series of images from mid day and wire removed. I did damage some bark the sun has crossed over my complex balcony and hangs above now. Thanks River

 

[SeanS]

The way the bark has come off the trunk indicates the pine is already dead. That isn’t living bark

 

[stubmle]

Agree with Sean, this one is likely deceased.
Don't let the death be in vain- learn from it! Try again!

 

[River's Edge]

Here are a series of images from mid day and wire removed. I did damage some bark the sun has crossed over my complex balcony and hangs above now. Thanks River

It does appear the bark has peeled off all the way around. If that is so the pine will not survive and is likely already dead.

 

[nurvbonsai]

Maybe not enough sun? I just let mine bake in full sun all day and water accordingly.
I don't have a current image but this is from July 9, they are at least 50% bigger now.

View attachment 613333

Is this pure bonsai substrate? With kanuma in the center? I just ordered another seedling.

 

[Russ1]

Is this pure bonsai substrate? With kanuma in the center? I just ordered another seedling.

No, some are in 4 parts Perlite, 1/2 Part Coco, 1/2 Part Peat and others are in My Transitional Pine Mix: 1.5 Parts Pine Bark, 1.25 Parts Turface, 2 Parts Pumice, 1.5 Parts Lava, 1.5 parts Crushed Granite.
The Granite will probably be replaced with Lava in the future but I've used it for years and I have lots of it so it's cheap. They Key is they all drain well and at this stage the pines are doing well in both mixes. I won't really know until next re-pot but I suspect the root growth is a bit coarser in the Perlite Mix based on some Brazilian Rain Tree cutting I Re-Potted this Summer. I'm now using/testing a smaller grade Perlite.