Misting System for my Scot Pine

[Adair M]

I want to be checking that I am not over watering or under watering? When I bought this, the seller was an experienced Bonsai person. I bought five of this plants.
He said it is a Bonsai.

Its just that unless a tree does not show movements etc, people don't call it a Bonsai. I disagree with that but I want to keep that disagreement to myself. After all whats there in classifying a tree as Bonsai or not a Bonsai.

I believe this 30 year old tree will need the same sort of knowledge that typical Bonsai need. What say?

There is a difference between a casual jogger, and an Olympic marathoner. Both run. But, you would have to agree there is a vast difference in the training and dedication and commitment to running between the two.

A tree in a pot is not necessarily a bonsai in spite of what the ignorant might say. If all you want is a garden potted tree, well, you have one. If you want a bonsai, you have a decade of work in front of you.

That may not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

What makes you think that pot is too small? I see long needles. A sign of health. I see long internodes. A sign of health.

Vance and I have each been practicing bonsai for nearly 50 years. You are conversing with a century of bonsai experience, both of us specialize in pines.

Don’t try to pretend you know more about what is and what isn’t bonsai than we do.

You came here asking about how to mist a pine that needs no misting. What you need is education. Don’t do anything, other than water the tree daily, until you join a club or take some classes, or watch some good YouTube videos, or something!

 

[Vance Wood]

I want to be checking that I am not over watering or under watering? When I bought this, the seller was an experienced Bonsai person. I bought five of this plants.
He said it is a Bonsai.

Its just that unless a tree does not show movements etc, people don't call it a Bonsai. I disagree with that but I want to keep that disagreement to myself. After all whats there in classifying a tree as Bonsai or not a Bonsai.

I believe this 30 year old tree will need the same sort of knowledge that typical Bonsai need. What say?

Yeah I know--you are one of these guys who believe that a bonsai is simply something in a pot and has nothing to do with artistic execution or anything that takes an skill to accomplish. Plant the tree in the ground and forget it. I would rather see that happen than realize the fantasies of a very stubborn misguided person kill a perfectly good tree.

 

[Vance Wood]

There is a difference between a casual jogger, and an Olympic marathoner. Both run. But, you would have to agree there is a vast difference in the training and dedication and commitment to running between the two.

A tree in a pot is not necessarily a bonsai in spite of what the ignorant might say. If all you want is a garden potted tree, well, you have one. If you want a bonsai, you have a decade of work in front of you.

That may not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

What makes you think that pot is too small? I see long needles. A sign of health. I see long internodes. A sign of health.

Vance and I have each been practicing bonsai for nearly 50 years. You are conversing with a century of bonsai experience, both of us specialize in pines.

Don’t try to pretend you know more about what is and what isn’t bonsai than we do.

You came here asking about how to mist a pine that needs no misting. What you need is education. Don’t do anything, other than water the tree daily, until you join a club or take some classes, or watch some good YouTube videos, or something!

Sorry Adair; this guy is uneducable, he already thinks he has it figured out and nothing anyone can say is going to save this tree.

 

[Adair M]

Sorry Adair; this guy is uneducable, he already thinks he has it figured out and nothing anyone can say is going to save this tree.

Well, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. He just needs his eyes opened.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be driving up to Rochester. You gonna be there?

 

[Nishant]

My simple question was weather Scot pine roots are actively growing at this time of year so that they will egress into new compost.

That’s all. I want to avoid the situation where roots are sitting surrounded in wet compost during winter season.

 

[Kendo]

"A tree in a pot is not necessarily a bonsai in spite of what the ignorant might say. If all you want is a garden potted tree, well, you have one. If you want a bonsai, you have a decade of work in front of you. "

This is anything. Some think different than others. If you wanting education you listen to Sensei, he come before you. If want bonsai then work for 6 year to begin.

 

[Nishant]

This thread went in tangent direction. People here were quite helpful but there is a clear misunderstanding.

I only have a small garden and can’t place the plant in ground.

I want to take every possible action to keep the plant healthy and happy so that can thread graft it and maintain the size. Only Bonsai experts can easily answer my question not a landscapist. So if there is a risk of roots sitting in wet compost all winter, I wouldn’t do repotting

 

[Adair M]

This thread went in tangent direction. People here were quite helpful but there is a clear misunderstanding.

I only have a small garden and can’t place the plant in ground.

I want to take every possible action to keep the plant healthy and happy so that can thread graft it and maintain the size. Only Bonsai experts can easily answer my question not a landscapist. So if there is a risk of roots sitting in wet compost all winter, I wouldn’t do repotting

I thought this post started with you asking about misting?

About testing for soil wetness:

When you water, does the water stand on the surface? Or does it soak in quickly? Have you tried sticking a chopstick into the soil? Leave it there for a few minutes, then pull it out and inspect it. Is it moist? Wet? Dry? How quickly does it take for water to drain out of the pot once you start to water it?

All these things tell you about the condition of the rootball. No one uses a slatted pot. Why do you think your tree needs to use something that no one else has? You say the surface dries out quickly, daily. And yet you’re worried about it sitting in water?

All these inconsistencies tell me you are eager, yet uninformed. Do some basic study.

 

[Nishant]

It drains well and dries up in summer. I am worried that slip repotting may cause wetness in winter if roots don’t grow into the new compost layer.

Slatted planter is just to give me a peace of mind all along because as they say most plant get killed by mishandling roots than the shoots.

I am too scared of watering until it flows out. What if there is an actual problem with draining. How will I get the excess water out?

 

[Vance Wood]

Well, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. He just needs his eyes opened.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be driving up to Rochester. You gonna be there?

No, I can't be there this year, I wasn't invited for one.

 

[Adair M]

No, I can't be there this year, I wasn't invited for one.

We’ll miss you. I’ll keep my eye out to see if anyone brings a good Mugo.

 

[my nellie]

... ...I want to take every possible action to keep the plant healthy and happy so that can thread graft it and maintain the size. Only Bonsai experts can easily answer my question not a landscapist... ...

After reading all the comments posted in this thread, you really got me curious...
Are you or are you not interested in creating a bonsai out of this tree?
You are addressing your question to "bonsai experts" although you do not have as a goal the creation of a bonsai tree?
I am not questioning you or your view for your tree... I am simply trying to understand...

 

[Vance Wood]

He reminds me of a pendejo I ran into on FACE BOOK several months ago that thought he knew everything there was to know about advanced techniques but almost and absolutely nothing of the basics.

 

[Vance Wood]

We’ll miss you. I’ll keep my eye out to see if anyone brings a good Mugo.

Thanks I appreciate your consideration, it's nice to see and I will miss all of you as well.

 

[Nishant]

After reading all the comments posted in this thread, you really got me curious...
Are you or are you not interested in creating a bonsai out of this tree?
You are addressing your question to "bonsai experts" although you do not have as a goal the creation of a bonsai tree?
I am not questioning you or your view for your tree... I am simply trying to understand...

Thanks for the reply.
At the moment, I want to keep the tree as it is.
I will start pruning and shaping it only after I have enjoyed it in this form for a few years and have learnt about Pines through small experiments. For example, this year I did de-candling and it was really delighting to see the new buds in August with smaller needles.

 

[sorce]

is a clear misunderstanding.

Even though they (Vance and Adair...very specifically) know you don't know what you don't........they cant seperate you from the pendejos!

The misunderstanding is not clear to them!

But I assure you...with a combined near 100 years in the game.... All of the advice can/should be saved to a hardrive !
(They Old!)

Please don't take the misinderstanding personal!

S

 

[sorce]

Passed 100...
Passed 100?
Could be passed 100!

Which makes it pretty clear....how this was misunderstood! Lolol!

S

 

[my nellie]

At the moment, I want to keep the tree as it is.
I will start pruning and shaping it only after I have enjoyed it in this form for a few years and have learnt about Pines through small experiments.
For example, this year I did de-candling and it was really delighting to see the new buds in August with smaller needles.

I do hope this reply of yours will now clarify any misunderstanding

 

[Vance Wood]

Thanks for the reply.
At the moment, I want to keep the tree as it is.
I will start pruning and shaping it only after I have enjoyed it in this form for a few years and have learnt about Pines through small experiments. For example, this year I did de-candling and it was really delighting to see the new buds in August with smaller needles.

Why would you want to learn about Pines through small experiments, when doing this by yourself is unnecessary? Don't you yet understand that every year with inactivity is a step in the wrong direction that one day it is going to cost you your tree. Then you are going to find yourself in that "What's wrong with my bonsai?" club trying to save a tree that is in desperate need.

 

[Ryceman3]

I want to take every possible action to keep the plant healthy and happy so that can thread graft it and maintain the size.

I’m pretty sure thread grafting a pine is not going to work (as has been stated by others numerous times already), but for the sake of the argument let’s say that you did manage to graft successfully to the bare interior sections. These bare sections became bare because the exterior growth/foliage of your tree shaded them, and without sun no viable buds developed right? If you are going to “maintain the size” as you say, won’t these grafts be shaded out, and therefore eventually fail because nothing has changed in terms of increasing sunlight to the interior of the tree? If you graft, sun is a big factor in getting those grafts to be successful long term. I’m having trouble seeing how you can both maintain the shape you have and successfully graft, I think you need to cut back and allow sunlight in if you want those grafts to be viable.
I should add, I’m no bonsai expert so feel free to disregard ...