Scots Pine - Pinus Sylvestris - whats your thoughts?

[eryk2kartman]

Hello,

I have a (i believe its) Scots Pine, i picked it up probably around 10 or more years ago, it was super skinny when i got it, maybe 1 set of branches, so it was growing in many containers through the years, last year it got it first candle cuttings and reacted quite well, it looks quite healthy, i was thinking to repot it to smaller container, whats your thoughts? maybe better to leave it as it is? its not in the greatest soil but seems to like it, only during the winter with heavy rain needles sometimes goes yellow but usually its gone in spring....
Here is a photo i believe from 2018 - the pot its on its a really big tarracota pot - maybe 25L



And here are from last week





And here is a pot i was thinking about



Spring is here

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I have three scots pines like this. Well, not anymore actually. I chopped them down to the first couple of branches. One is no taller than my hand now. I'm reducing the rest to the smallest believable/convincing tree in stages.
I think the best question you can ask yourself is whether or not you're ready to start designing and what kind of design you'll be going for. Because that kind of lays out the 'rules' for what pot size you'd want or need.
You could chop this down to the first two branches, leave a huge stub and it'll probably bud all over (I'm saying with some confidence this because it happened to me more than four times in a row, a 100% score).
Or you could fatten the tree up more, try to make some bends in it and try to size it down that way. Or go with a literari/bunjin vibe that matches the skinny.
Fattening it up would mean leaving it in this pot or something bigger, maybe shallower. Literati/bunjin can be done in the pot you show us, but eventually it would become a bit smaller I assume. When cutting back hard like I did, I leave them for a couple of years.

 

[River's Edge]

The question regarding repot and pot size has several components!
Root if you wish to improve the soil and growing conditions!
Choose container size based on the objectives for the tree! Are you happy with the trunk size? if so then a smaller container may be a good choice. However one also needs to consider the condition of the root ball and how much recovery will be needed to prepare for proper Bonsai training. This is connected because recovery will be much faster if foliage is retained and the tree is not cut back.
When developing Bonsai from nursery stock or collected trees I prefer the following progression.
Repot into proper bonsai soil and focus on root ball formation first. Create a very healthy robust plant to work with first.
Reduce to maintenance container after trunk size and primary branching has been established for design purposes!
Only reduce further to suitable Bonsai pot after refinement is well under way with secondary, tertiary branching, wiring and pad development is under way!
Just my approach, based on what I feel will keep the tree healthiest at each stage of the development process.

 

[eryk2kartman]

I don't really have any design plan in my mind yet, the only thing im sure, i don't want to end us with S design.
The reason i would move it into the new container will be purely to reduce root mass and have it in shallower pot, i wasnt planning any chops.

 

[River's Edge]

I don't really have any design plan in my mind yet, the only thing im sure, i don't want to end us with S design.
The reason i would move it into the new container will be purely to reduce root mass and have it in shallower pot, i wasnt planning any chops.

Are you satisfied with the trunk size? That is a key factor in determining container size. The trunk will not grow much after the tree is placed in smaller pots with reduced root ball. What is the current diameter just above the basal flare?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Are you satisfied with the trunk size? That is a key factor in determining container size. The trunk will not grow much after the tree is placed in smaller pots with reduced root ball. What is the current diameter just above the basal flare?

Seconded! Wise consideration. Also wasting money on pot before tree actually ready for refinement or showing is needless exercise.

 

[August44]

If that were my tree I would prune the top to push growth to the bottom for several years and then chop above bottom branches.

 

[eryk2kartman]

I think i will leave it for now, do the candle plucking and see what happens.
I defo dont want to chop it, i rather stick it into the ground and make a nice niwaki, that is always the option.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I think i will leave it for now, do the candle plucking and see what happens.
I defo dont want to chop it, i rather stick it into the ground and make a nice niwaki, that is always the option.

Niwaki.... Yippee!!!
New word for me.

NOW, I'm gonna go out in the back yard and decide if I want to keep fidgeting with the bonsai or hang a tire for the kids from my niwaki.