Pinus contorta - spaans dwarf

[J. Adrian]

I found a nice specimen, kind of spindly but nice trunk.What experience(s) do you have with them and Do these make good bonsai? And how apt are they to backbudding?

 

[0soyoung]

@parhamr is working on one.

I have one in my landscape. What I've noted is that it often times produces some really long needles in addition to the normal short ones (they could be removed, of course). I have yet to find a bonsai in mine and I'm sorta mystified by it, so it remains in the landscape. Treatment like a JWP seems to be 'the way' to handle it, but I've not found a way to 'make it pretty' like JWP can be made with (lots) of wiring. Parhamr seems to have a vision so I'm waiting to get a clues from his effort. Until then, I'm working on other stuff I have.

 

[J. Adrian]

@parhamr is working on one.

I have one in my landscape. What I've noted is that it often times produces some really long needles in addition to the normal short ones (they could be removed, of course). I have yet to find a bonsai in mine and I'm sorta mystified by it, so it remains in the landscape. Treatment like a JWP seems to be 'the way' to handle it, but I've not found a way to 'make it pretty' like JWP can be made with (lots) of wiring. Parhamr seems to have a vision so I'm waiting to get a clues from his effort. Until then, I'm working on other stuff I have.

Thank you for your response Osoyoung.
I might get a chance to take pics tomorrow if i'm able to visit the nursery again.

 

[parhamr]

@0soyoung I also get varying needle lengths! This year I’ve had needles of 3" in length and the previous years’ were only about 1". I’ve been aggressively watering and feeding this year, so I think that’s the cause.

 

[ohiogrown]

I’m in haines alaska and I’m pretty sure this is Pinus contorta. I’ve seen some amazon yamadori out here. I didn’t really get the pics of the great trees I saw as they were on cliffs as we were driving but I got this pics hoping for identification.

 

[ghues]

Sure looks like Lodgepole.

 

[J. Adrian]

 

[J. Adrian]

Heres some more pics, needless to say I purchased it.

 

[J. Adrian]

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wild trees are contorta most likely. Lodgepole first cousin tree. Your tree is a graft.

 

[J. Adrian]

Wild trees are contorta most likely. Lodgepole first cousin tree. Your tree is a graft.

Its harder for me to tell on this one but I do see it. I did not initially. but i see it.whereas on decidous and other pines its easier to define graft line. I like the trunk line leading to apex, it has some good bends, im hoping it will turn out quite nice or future yard material Im also slowly but surely building my yard landscape as well.

 

[gallina1594]

Interesting, this guy seems to have developed a canopy and branch structure that resembles an oak or eml

 

[J. Adrian]

Interesting, this guy seems to have developed a canopy and branch structure that resembles an oak or eml

The trunk line caught my eye, theres some interesting branch structure for sure. And well...belongs to my garden now.
We'll see what develops.

 

[parhamr]

@gallina1594 from what I have seen in the wild and nurseries that is a natural growth habit of the species

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

P contorta (shore and lodgepole pines) and P banksiana (jack pine) are in the same section of the genus, meaning they are fairly closely related. I have a jack pine, and have been using the calendar that is used for mugo pine. I imagine they will respond well to the calendar used for Scott's pine, sylvestris.

The shape of wild jack pines is very similar to the pictures of shore pines in Alaska above. The shape is more rounded than what is used for classical Japanese pine designs. In some ways almost like a deciduous tree.

Your tree looks good, the graft union is well healed and looks long term stable, good enough for Bonsai. Nice

 

[ohiogrown]

P contorta (shore and lodgepole pines) and P banksiana (jack pine) are in the same section of the genus, meaning they are fairly closely related. I have a jack pine, and have been using the calendar that is used for mugo pine. I imagine they will respond well to the calendar used for Scott's pine, sylvestris.

The shape of wild jack pines is very similar to the pictures of shore pines in Alaska above. The shape is more rounded than what is used for classical Japanese pine designs. In some ways almost like a deciduous tree.

Your tree looks good, the graft union is well healed and looks long term stable, good enough for Bonsai. Nice

This might be dumb but what do you mean by calendar? Like something that tells you when to do what to the tree? If so where would I find this?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This might be dumb but what do you mean by calendar? Like something that tells you when to do what to the tree? If so where would I find this?

Yep, what to do and when to do it. Whether it is JWP, P sylvestris, P mugo, JBP, the menu of techniques is the same. The big difference is which technique to use and when to do it. Use the JBP calendar on a JWP and eventually you will kill it. Mugo will not respond to JBP candle pruning until the following year, so the timing of doing this is shifted to later in the growing season, and it is not done every year.

In the top menu, there's a tab for "Resources", that brings you to a list of discussions, tutorials, and articles, look for the tutorial titled "Collected comments by Vance Woods, on Mugo pines". There's other good stuff there also.

So for myself, living in zone 5b, my climate is very similar to Vance's. Jack pine is a pine adapted to short summers, which high mountain pines are also adapted to. So I have been following the Mugo schedule for techniques. So far, so good.

Lodgepole pines and shore pines come from different habitats, but are closely related to jack pine.vi am guessing that the schedule for mugo could work. Or possibly the schedule for Scott's pine.

 

[M. Frary]

jack pine.vi am guessing that the schedule for mugo could work. Or possibly the schedule for Scott's pine

Coming to the realization that these 3 trees schedules overlap.
Also I think late summer may be the best time to collect Jack pines and I'm betting the same for Scots. Ill be collecting both next year. And will be trying both in spring and late summer.

 

[ohiogrown]

Yep, what to do and when to do it. Whether it is JWP, P sylvestris, P mugo, JBP, the menu of techniques is the same. The big difference is which technique to use and when to do it. Use the JBP calendar on a JWP and eventually you will kill it. Mugo will not respond to JBP candle pruning until the following year, so the timing of doing this is shifted to later in the growing season, and it is not done every year.

In the top menu, there's a tab for "Resources", that brings you to a list of discussions, tutorials, and articles, look for the tutorial titled "Collected comments by Vance Woods, on Mugo pines". There's other good stuff there also.

So for myself, living in zone 5b, my climate is very similar to Vance's. Jack pine is a pine adapted to short summers, which high mountain pines are also adapted to. So I have been following the Mugo schedule for techniques. So far, so good.

Lodgepole pines and shore pines come from different habitats, but are closely related to jack pine.vi am guessing that the schedule for mugo could work. Or possibly the schedule for Scott's pine.

Thank you! I’ll check that out. Recently in Alaska I collected shore pine seeds and I was wondering if I could grow them in Ohio. My zone is about the same as yours. I’m hoping I can. I saw a lot of great shore pines in the wild.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Thank you! I’ll check that out. Recently in Alaska I collected shore pine seeds and I was wondering if I could grow them in Ohio. My zone is about the same as yours. I’m hoping I can. I saw a lot of great shore pines in the wild.

Coastal Alaska is a fairly mild climate. Anchorage, is no colder than Chicago in winter. As long as you stay between the mountains and the sea, the weather is moderated by the Pacific. Go inland, towards Fairbanks, and that is a whole different story, unbelievably cold.

So no reason to not be able to grow shore or lodgepole pines in Ohio.