Stumped with front and design of lodgepole pine

[aarondl]

Lodgepole Pine Gallery

I have three trees that I’m wanting to shape and wire this fall. This is an 8-10 year old lodgepole pine I was gifted. I’m trying to figure out its front and then a plan of action. Any suggestions? I am thinking of taking off the top two branches and using the third as the new leader, as well as wiring all branches down and then back up at the ends. Would anyone recommend trying to bend the trunk at all?

Also if you interested in the other two trees, here is the gallery for all three.

 

[aarondl]

Also I'd like to know if it's too late into fall to wire and prune. I'm in central Oregon, we do have freezing temps at night and day temps 40-70F. When should I not do any work on the trees?

 

[parhamr]

Also I'd like to know if it's too late into fall to wire and prune. I'm in central Oregon, we do have freezing temps at night and day temps 40-70F. When should I not do any work on the trees?

It’s too late for you to wire, unless you have winter protection (e.g. a greenhouse heated above freezing). You could still do pruning if you want.

You could just wait for late winter or early spring when your overnight lows are consistently above 40°F. That way it will have a good foliage load for the winter and you can really wrench on it with wire once it starts to wake up for the next growing season.

That trunk can still be bent with 4-gauge wire, guy wires, and/or wedge cuts. You’ll want some movement in it, as thickening will smooth out the existing bends.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Please add location to profile. No rush, no hurry. If new to Bonsai take time to study trees. Maybe several years until real inspiration strikes you. If depending on another to give you design then exists likely happening that later on you will find tree unsatisfying or disappointing as your hand and heart was not in it. Bonsai is not a race but a journey teaching as much or more about you than trees worked on.