Kotobuki, upright

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Yeah I mean they have changed the foliage with koto on regular old Japanese pines.
Right. That's how they make old, specimen kotobuki in Japan. They graft kotobuki branches on old tree understock, then develop them for many years.
They do have cutting grown and layered trees but typically the biggest trunked, oldest looking trees are grafts.
Kotobuki is a genetic mutant that was selected and developed. They don't seed or reproduce, so the only way to get more is through layering/grafting.
 

Wilson

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For needle pulling and branch trimming should I treat this as regular JBP? Or does it require a more restrained approach?
 

Adair M

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For needle pulling and branch trimming should I treat this as regular JBP? Or does it require a more restrained approach?
My experience is when they are decandled, they make many many new summer buds. So many (12+ maybe) that if left alone, none of them really lengthen much, and you get this mass of really short stems with really short needles.

They tend to have short needles anyway, so decandling isn't necessary to get short needles.

You could, rather than apply regular JBP decandling technique, treat it more like a JWP.
 

MichaelS

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Kotobuki is a genetic mutant that was selected and developed. They don't seed or reproduce, so the only way to get more is through layering/grafting.
Not exactly. They do seed and I have grown them from seed and the seedlings were indistinguishable from the original. Yes not genetically identical, but much the same or even better. Most people would struggle to tell them apart.
 
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MichaelS

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All these various grafts and plants were from seedlings of kotobuki which I sowed some 15 years ago. One in particular (#3) has even shorter needles and some do not have the long bare neck of kotobuki.P1100680.JPG P1100681.JPG P1100683.JPG P1100686.JPG P1100682.JPG
 
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Not exactly. They do seed and I have grown them from seed and the seedlings were indistinguishable from the original. Yes not genetically identical, but much the same or even better. Most people would struggle to tell them apart.
What you have is a hybrid and not true sport.
There was a strain like that in Oregon that I used to get regularly. Not a true kotobuki, but very similar and marketed as kotobuki.
 

MichaelS

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What you have is a hybrid and not true sport.
There was a strain like that in Oregon that I used to get regularly. Not a true kotobuki, but very similar and marketed as kotobuki.
I don't distribute them as kotobuki. By the way, it is not a hybrid and Kotobuki is not a sport.
 

Wilson

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MichaelS

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These look like nice little projects. Are you developing them differently than regular JBP?
I don't have firm plans for them at the moment Wilson. I'm just pruning for bushiness at the moment. I am totally ''over'' the traditional black pine styling though! ;)
 

Wilson

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They look like they are coming along great! The numerous beautiful trees you have posted on this site, tells me these ones have a bright future. Thanks for sharing!
 

MichaelS

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We disagree then. Carry on.
There's nothing to disagree about. You are incorrect. A hybrid is the progeny resulting from the cross pollination between 2 different species. A sport is a mutation which originates on a plants of a normal variety. Kotobuki is a seedling mutation.
 
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There's nothing to disagree about. You are incorrect. A hybrid is the progeny resulting from the cross pollination between 2 different species. A sport is a mutation which originates on a plants of a normal variety. Kotobuki is a seedling mutation.
ok, you can tell that to Yoichi next time you see him
 

Wilson

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So I shortened a bunch of branches to a small bud, some I didn't shorten because I wasn't sure how viable the second bud looked. I was hoping I could hear some opinions on what measure I should follow for chopping the sacrifice branch. A general idea as to the distance from the nearest branch to where I can safely cut and remove. One of the photos shows the top branches, and the trunk above to be chopped. 20170115_154351.jpg 20170115_154539.jpg Thanks for any input!
 

Wilson

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I would appreciate some opinions on what type of pot would best suit this tree. I am not well versed in the presentation of trees with pots, and could use some help.
 

jriddell88

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although a colander, or the ground would be of great benefit to this tree, for trunk thickening
 
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