Strobus styling advice

I've had this guy for about 5 years now from holiday nursery material, and I could really use some advice as to how to plan for future styling. I know he is not the most suitable material but I'm keeping him anyways. I know I am asking a lot here, but any advise would be appreciated.

My 3 main questions are:

1: How should I deal with the remaining stump at the top. I always left it there figuring I would do something with it, but I don't have much of a vision for it.

2. How should I wire the new "leader." It is almost at a right angle. would think I would bring it closer to vertical, but how far?

3. General needle cutting timing and bud selection advise.





For some general background, It was re-potted in the spring of 2011 at a workshop at the National Arboretum, and I've pretty much let it run since then to gather strength. Two years prior(2009), I removed all of the buds in the spring in a semi-successful attempt to induce back budding, with buds forming on the trunk at the base of many low branches.

The new "leader" may end up being a sacrifice as there is a similar branch in the same direction right below it, but I'd like to practice with the current leader and maybe get it looking better in the meantime.

Thanks for your help!
David

I was just taking a look at this guy. Although many needles are quite long, there are also sets of mature needles at a hair over 3 inches. Maybe someday I'll be able to control the growth better, but for now the focus is on gaining energy.

Hi MrFancyPlants, this tree has got a long way to go before you could even think about styling it. If you are north of the tropic, then you should put this tree into the ground and let it grow freely for a few years. Or put it into a much larger nursery container. When you put it down into the ground, plant it at an angle in order to raise the top branch up. After a few years, hopefully, the top branch would be large and strong enough to work on. This type of pine has long needles, therefore, the final design of the tree should be a big size bonsai, and not a shohin or chuhin. Right now, you basically only have the bottom half of your final tree. You will need to grow out the top half of the tree. Don't need to think about the top dead stump now. It will rot off by the time the tree is ready for styling. With a lot of room, light, water, and fertilizers, this could be a nice pre-bonsai to work on in 4-5 years.
Good luck.
Si, in Lake Forest, CA

MrFancyPlants said:

My 3 main questions are:

1: How should I deal with the remaining stump at the top. I always left it there figuring I would do something with it, but I don't have much of a vision for it.

2. How should I wire the new "leader." It is almost at a right angle. would think I would bring it closer to vertical, but how far?

3. General needle cutting timing and bud selection advise.

David

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When I look at your tree I see the beginnings of the classic Japanese Black Pine zig zag - tilt you tree a little to the right and the long upper branch is the new leader that you will grow until it has thickened and then a low branch on it going back to the right would be the next leader. But maybe you don't want another pine that looks like every other pine bonsai. If you have it in mind that you want to wire that long top-left branch up, then do that. You can do wiring just about any time you like, but it is easy to damage the bark and/or get sap oozing all over the place this time of year. If you wait until November or later into the winter, this won't be a problem. This is also a better time to trim that stump if it is bothering you.

Meanwhile, I think you are a bit late to do anything with the candles until next spring. Moreover, the tree doesn't appear to have much foliage, so I think it would be good to just let it grow for the rest of the season. Then next spring, when the buds begin to push, break them off at their bases. This will be easy to do with a flick of your finger while holding the branch tip gently with you other hand. You should subsequently get new buds at the branch tips and some more buds back down the branches (these may take most of the growing season to appear). Next, let it grow.

Then at the end of next season you could have a fuzzy, healthy, growing eastern white pine that you can possibly begin styling in November after next. Having learned how to make it back bud you will then have learned the most basic aspect of bonsai - how you get branches where you might like (other than by grafting) and how you keep the tree a bonsai instead of just sprawling all over with each year's new growth (which MUST occur or you have a dead tree; i.e., you selectively prune back to a bud once it is a small branch).

Anyway, I think you should do something along these lines with this tree for the next year and a half. The rest of your 'bonsai time' ought to be spent learning everything you can about how trees grow, about the treatment of similar species, how other people do bonsai, and the fundamentals of bonsai art - maybe also get some other species to play with along these same lines. Ponderosa pines, for example, have long been disfavored for their long needles, but ponderosa yamidori are the hot scene right now. Frankly I love the long needled airiness of pinus strobus, but it does present real challenges for conventional bonsai styles.

Thank you for the thoughtful posts.

I think I wouldn't mind going for a traditional zig zag form. The eastern white pine provides enough untraditional elements to not have to go crazy with the design. Should I (eventually) try to make the angle less than 90 degrees? rather than bringing the leader up to realize the zig zag type design?

I do have a handful of other plants including f. benjimina, Laurus nobilis, Lagerstroemia indica, a few volunteer elms and oaks etc. Most of which I have had around for 5 (+or- 2) years. Unfortunately, this strobus is one of my more impressive trees, which I know is not saying much. I do feel as though I have arrived horticulturally at a relatively comfortable spot with the purchase of a few 50 pound bags of turface. My biggest challenge this year has been the boom in the local rabit population. Some of my elms are on their 4th set of leaves for the season despite varied success with rabit repellant.

Again thanks for the reply. I was having trouble visualizing the direction I was moving in with this challenging material even though I am pleased with it's progress so far. I will read up on my design fundmentals now and when picking through the second set of buds produced next spring.

Thanks,
David

Strobus update

This tree has spent the last year at my sister's place, with little to no attention or fertilizer,due to some issues at my old apartment. Now that I have my own yard I can start thinking about next steps again. I won't rule out planting back in the ground. It was repotted two years ago and I was hoping it would pick up a bit more steam then it has. I am considering doing some minor maintainence like removing third and outer buds.

MrFancyPlants said:

This tree has spent the last year at my sister's place, with little to no attention or fertilizer,due to some issues at my old apartment. Now that I have my own yard I can start thinking about next steps again. I won't rule out planting back in the ground. It was repotted two years ago and I was hoping it would pick up a bit more steam then it has. I am considering doing some minor maintainence like removing third and outer buds.

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As suggested last year, I would not do anything to it for another few years or longer. Any reduction of foliage or branches will further weaken this already very weak tree.

Rob

Despite all of the good advice I couldn't help pick and prune a little from late spring into summer. I tried to be real conservative, and I don't believe the health of the tree is in question at all; but I know I am likely just slowing down the process a bit. Tempting to wire sometime soon before the branches get thick.

I am in no rush to repot this one as it seems to be plugging along fine, but I couldn't help but review my options. It's been a slow journey, but has come a long way from a green trunked holiday tabletop fodder.