JBP literati

JesusFreak

Shohin
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Tifton, Ga
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8B
He’s long and lanky. Not much I see from him besides a literati. He is young though...ideas?
 

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I would create movement in the lower portion to the left and then have the currenr low branch at the right of opposite curve. Graft a branch low as your first branch and use right existing as second branch.

Something like...
20200307_094157.jpg
 
Really like this idea. I’ve never grafted anything so that will take some learning. When would you suggest to start making these adjustments. I just put it in that pot last week. It came wrapped
 
Adding a low branch really changes this to informal upright. I'd rater see literati with less branches rather than more.
Some trunk bends is good - shows a struggle to survive. Try to avoid regular and S shaped bends. Some large bends, some tight, different directions so you don't produce another corkscrew trunk. We already have enough of those from commercial sources.
 
Really like this idea. I’ve never grafted anything so that will take some learning. When would you suggest to start making these adjustments. I just put it in that pot last week. It came wrapped

At that age, you can wire it whenever you want really.

Bend it real good.

As the tree ages and thickens the strong angles will soften up visually. Now is the time to start introducing that movement.
 
I felt the OP implied he didnt want a literati, so I gave an option to do something else.

Either way, I would let grow this spring/summer and wire in fall.
 
I felt the OP implied he didnt want a literati, so I gave an option to do something else.
Always difficult to properly understand someone's intentions from the few words we tend to get in modern communications. 👍 Will wait to see whi of us has interpreted correctly.

While looking at other than literati (because while literati looks simple, good literati is incredibly difficult) pines are usually very flexible. I think some good bends in the lower trunk would bring the existing branch down to an acceptable level to work on an informal type bonsai. A single tight bend can reduce height by about 3" in even a thin trunk.
 
Sorry guys. Didn’t mean to be so confusing. Yes I was wanting to turn this into a literati because of the lanky style it already owns. I need to put a bend near the base to make literati?
 
Bend does not nee to be near the base for literati. Literati has few 'rules' - generally thin and with few branches and little foliage. That's about it.
Some are relatively straight, others quite contorted. Some just have a few bends, some have abrupt kinks, some have gentle curves.
Literati should not be the fall back position for lanky trees or those that don't fit other styles. Good literati is incredibly and frustratingly difficult to achieve.

You probably need to spend some time looking through images to try to get a feel and look for the style. Look for images you really like - not all bonsai posted as literati are good literati or even good bonsai so do extensive searching.
 
Sorry guys. Didn’t mean to be so confusing. Yes I was wanting to turn this into a literati because of the lanky style it already owns. I need to put a bend near the base to make literati?
A literati is an old, battered tree. A sapling like yours would never make a convincing literati. And it is so young that you can train it to be any style you want. But it will take a decade or more, especially if you keep it in a pot
 
A literati is an old, battered tree. A sapling like yours would never make a convincing literati. And it is so young that you can train it to be any style you want. But it will take a decade or more, especially if you keep it in a pot
There’s always that one guy that just comes in and crushes your dreams lol
 
There’s always that one guy that just comes in and crushes your dreams lol


Julian Adams made a very nice small literati with a Japanese Red Pine.
It can be done with a black pine too.

This thread talks about it a little. The second post shows Julian's little JRP literati bonsai.
It is a very cute and convincing little tree!
 
There’s always that one guy that just comes in and crushes your dreams lol

Not really. Ten years not such a long time at all. Bending, contorting sooner(now)rather than later most wisest idea;). As far as pot growing; in case of Literati thin trunks the norm and JBP will bark up easy anyway. Also does not need to be small. Literati have relatively small mass so personal vision sees 3' trunk and still pretty small so go for it.
 
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