Styling a Sylvester

[bonsai-max]

Hi there, I have this plant in my garden since a lot of years, never find a good idea to find a nice style. Every time I look her I can't find a solution and put away.
I need your help to give this plant a nice design.
thank you

 

[bonsai-max]

Hi, too ugly or too complicate ?

 

[Paradox]

Hi, too ugly or too complicate ?

Sorry, saw this early in the day yesterday and couldn't post any ideas at the time. Forgot until now but now is the middle of the night here. I have to go to work in a couple of hours. I'll try to give you some ideas after work.

 

[bonsai-max]

Sorry, saw this early in the day yesterday and couldn't post any ideas at the time. Forgot until now but now is the middle of the night here. I have to go to work in a couple of hours. I'll try to give you some ideas after work.

Thank you

 

[Shibui]

Hard to suggest style for a tree I cannot pick up and check whether options could work so please take these ideas with some spoon fulls of salt and always check the full validity of suggestions against what is really there before jumping in and following online advice.

I start by looking at aspects of the tree separately to avoid too much info:

Roots: Large roots visible but all on one side of the trunk - possibility to tilt the trunk toward those strong roots.

Trunk: Curves down low, some mature bark low. Straight, bare section toward the top. Very little taper.

Branches: First branch very low, almost brushing the pot already but it does have some foliage and good bends and fork.
Second branch also has good secondary growth and reasonably compact.
Upper branches from a whorl ( already swollen - inverse taper). Main upper branch long, bare and thick. 4? smaller branches not so bad.

Features: none visible
Faults: Lack of taper. Cluster of branches. Inverse taper

Given the analysis - upper trunk very plain, bare, no taper and cluster of branches producing inverse taper I'm looking for options with the 2 lower branches and probably remove the upper section.

Without being able to turn the tree and examine shapes and directions from all angles I can't work out whether that 2nd branch could be used as a trunk replacement. Look at direction and secondary branching to see if that's an option.

I usually don't recommend cascade style as an option because cascade appears easy but is generally difficult to pull off well. However, in this case I'm going to suggest it as a possibility.
The large roots showing higher on one side may allow a trunk tilt enough to look for a long term plan for developing cascade or semi-cascade. Please check that actual roots will allow this tilt before trying.
2nd branch appears quite high but might be used as main trunk on a strongly leaning tree. Check viability of this option.

I keep coming back to the lowest branch as an option for the main trunk. Check if that would be viable. Check if the trunk can be tilted enough to make that 1st branch the main trunk either strongly leaning, windswept, semi-cascade or cascade.

 

[penumbra]

It is a hard tree to evaluate and being a pine, you need to make decisions you are forced to live with. I would take it slow with one modification at a time starting with removal of long wired branch on top left and probably lower branch on left near bottom. This is based on first picture. Leave a couple stubs for a season. Top one could be a dead wood feature so consider this before cutting. Don't worry too much about the little bit of inverse taper at the bottom, and don't stress over the uneven roots because Scots beef and and get very gnarly fast.
It is a hard plant to read and that's why people have been reluctant to comment. I think there is a lot of potential here and I would love to work on it.

 

[bonsai-max]

It is a hard plant to read and that's why people have been reluctant to comment. I think there is a lot of potential here and I would love to work on it.

I agree that is why I take her and put away dozen of time....

 

[bonsai-max]

I usually don't recommend cascade style as an option because cascade appears easy but is generally difficult to pull off well. However, in this case I'm going to suggest it as a possibility.

I like the cascade and plus I have no cascade trees on my garde, but yes can be really hard to achieve a good result

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I keep coming back to the lowest branch as an option for the main trunk. Check if that would be viable. Check if the trunk can be tilted enough to make that 1st branch the main trunk either strongly leaning, windswept, semi-cascade or cascade

I agree, this is what I see. However, it would take a few years to reduce the tree to that lower branch.

 

[Paradox]

I agree with what the others posted.
This is a difficult tree to evaluate and decide the best course of action.

The cascade is one possibility.

Another possibility is growing it into a literati.
Not sure how easily that would be done and it will take some time. Remove lower branches. Keep the middle one on the outside of the curve. Over time, reduce the top to two or three maybe that would lend to a literati style. Not sure what I would keep and what I would cut as it is difficult to determine from the pictures

The first picture turned a little more clockwise would be about where I'd call the front for that.

 

[bonsai-max]

A lot of ideas, thank you so much.
This year i will focus to grow more green so I will have a stronger plant for further works, probably I will go for a cascade, I love the style and I have no plants like this. My concern is that this will be a pretty invasive work, I don't' think that I can cut the part after the first branch all in one. But the Silvester are pretty tough

 

[Arie Botanie]

I agree, this is what I see. However, it would take a few years to reduce the tree to that lower branch.
View attachment 538836

You can't chop Pinus?

 

[bonsai-max]

You can't chop Pinus?

Yes of course, but maybe it's a big cut and need to be done in several steps....

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Yes of course, but maybe it's a big cut and need to be done in several steps....

Ya, I'd take my time on that amount of reduction. Maybe you could reduce it quicker, someone with more experience may have a better idea.

 

[bonsai-max]

Yes I think that will need some time....

 

[Gabler]

You can't chop Pinus?

Depends on the health and species of the tree.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Like the cascade style thought a lot. Tree begs to be chopped was my first impression

A bit too much taper for a literati imho in one view, but this could be pulled off too.

Just my two bits

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[clem]

i like trunk curves (red line) on the front.. If it is possible to wire and straighten upwards this branch (new trunk line), maybe you can create a moyogi-shakan ? the first big branch could be kept if you manage to compact it with back budding, maybe..

 

[bonsai-max]

i like trunk curves (red line) on the front.. If it is possible to wire and straighten upwards this branch (new trunk line), maybe you can create a moyogi-shakan ? the first big branch could be kept if you manage to compact it with back budding, maybe..

Very nice idea, thank you. In any case the first branch needs to backbudding and this will be the work for this year. The Cascade and your moyogi-shakan can walk together for a certain time until I will find the right solution....

 

[bonsai-max]

Like the cascade style thought a lot. Tree begs to be chopped was my first impression

In order to do the cascade i need backbudding on the first branch.
To do this I am thinking to decandle all the branches except the first one. Theoretically all the energy will go to the lower branch and during the summer I can cut back the new grows leaving 10 couple of needles on this branch and should backbudding... Or not ?