Squashed Pines

[Smoke]

Well today was pine day. The pines came later in the evening yesterday and when I got home today I started right in on making the future trees. They came in individual capsules of potting medium out of what I can imagine was a test tube. Very neatly packed and came very quickly. They came from the Jonsteen Company thru Amazon.

Each tree was wired and prepared for "the bend"



All the trees were bent into the windy trunks just like I did on the hornbeams.

 

[Smoke]

An area in the back of the property was prepared to grow them out and prepared bonsai soil was mixed in 50/50 with the sandy loam. Each tree was planted and then I added some bamboo hoops so I don't trip over them and I know where they are when I come thru with the weed sprayer. Tomorrow I will install the water system.

 

[ponderingsage]

Nice!
I just did a similar thing. I’m trying it with grow bags and a tile below or in colander’s…we’ll check back in in 10 years

 

[Smoke]

Nice!
I just did a similar thing. I’m trying it with grow bags and a tile below or in colander’s…we’ll check back in in 10 years

I been reading a lot at Bonsaify, Eric Schrader, great guy and very good at bonsai. I have met him before and he is as nice in person as in his video's. What I wanted to tell is that he did the same things with small plants in the beginning by placing them on tiles, pots, and wood in order to get flat nebaris and root spreads. What he found out, and it makes sense, is that as the tree begins to grow and the roots flatten and grow larger, they out size the plant fast. Meaning, that he was not able to get them into the right size pot later. Pruning the large pad only meant that he had a large portion of large roots close to the trunk to deal with. By allowing the plant to grow straight down, he was able to just cut the root mass off close to the trunk and not having to deal with large lateral roots.

 

[bwaynef]

In his JBP course, he takes a different than normal tack with the roots, likely as a result of what you mention above. Essentially, building taper by gathering the roots together, rather than splaying them out as is normally taught.

 

[ponderingsage]

Huh.
That’s good info all do that with the next batch