large black pine project

[discusmike]

I have this large jap black pine,id like to start to style the tree,maybe give it a overall rough shape,its about 3 foot tall,with a 6" base.I was thinking taking that first very large branch and chopping 6" above,maybe some type of windswept or literati??What do you guys think?any hope for this tree,im hoping decandling will reduce needle length some this summer,last year i decandled to soon,and fertilized to much,ive learned my lesson.I know there is not alot of taper in the lower trunk,but it does have excellent bark,and grows rapidly.

 

[reddog]

I don't think this Japanese Black Pine has any future as a bonsai.

 

[Mojosan]

I don't think this Japanese Black Pine has any future as a bonsai.

Please don't post statements like this without explaining your reasoning. To do so only creates antagonistic discussion.

Please explain why you think this.

 

[Dav4]

There may be some potential with the trunk I see for an informal upright but I can't be sure without seeing the top 50% of the trunk more clearly(the pics are a bit blurry). A closer pic of the uncovered nebari would be nice, too. I wouldn't be focusing on needle length right now, either. You need to pick your branches now and wire them into place along with any secondary branching to begin ramification. Candling is something I wouldn't consider until the rough styling had been completed.

Dave

 

[Smoke]

Candleing isn't something I would consider untill the tree was more healthy. It looks very weak to me.

I think this tree has huge possiblities. In the right hands this could be a really fine tree. I would love to work with this material. The hard work has already been done.

 

[treebeard55]

I don't think this Japanese Black Pine has any future as a bonsai.

Please don't post statements like this without explaining your reasoning. To do so only creates antagonistic discussion.

Please explain why you think this.

Good point, Mojo.

 

[treebeard55]

There appears to be some reverse taper at a couple of points in the upper trunk, from what I see in the pics. Also, the trunk isn't the most eye-catching feature of this tree, tho it's nice. For those reasons, I wouldn't go for a classic bunjin.

But I think you could still have a pretty decent moyogi, maybe one with a bunjin feel to it. My suggestion would be to cut the trunk off at my orange line; then cut the upper-right branch -- what will become the highest one on the right -- back to where it just has one inch of needles left. Be as drastic as you can without killing the branch. I'd cut the other branches back too, tho not quite as drastically. Then let the tree recover for a year before you do any more shaping.

Alternately, you could strip the bark off the trunk from my orange line upward, and make a jin out of it.

 

[discusmike]

Thanks for the pointers everyone,i may just take Al's advice and wait to early early next spring before attempting anything.

 

[discusmike]

These are night photos but there is a white background,so it might be a bit easier to see the whole tree,the pine is throwing out candles closer to the trunk this spring so hopefully it will grow well this summer.

 

[Chris Johnston]

I agree with Al. This is potentially good material.

 

[davetree]

I agree, the hard work has been done. I think you could make a fine bonsai out of this material.

 

[discusmike]

Thanks guys.

 

[capnk]

I would suggest you put this tree in the ground, or a large pot or box, and grow it hard. Hopefully, it will pop new branches below the current first branches and you may find a potential new leader there. Any idea how old the tree is? Our experience is that JBPs will pop new growth right down to ground level when they are young and growing hard in the ground. New leader, better taper, even better nebari.
Good luck,
Chris