Pinus Thunbergii 'Kyokko Yatsabusa'

pmalelis · Aug 3, 2014

Ok so I have always been jealous of all of these lucky nursery finds but how about this one. There are no bonsai nurseries around me,let alone anywhere that commonly has JBP, but I have been nursery hunting and happened on a nursery in Manlius , NY that had a small JBP Kyokko Yatsabusa grafted that was labeled good for "banzai". I found this to be odd none the less, but I was going to buy it as this was a great find. Well as I strolled the field I saw what looked like a large corked up JBP mixed in with some apple and ornamental trees planted in an old flower pot???? I inquired and the woman replied this was "one of those Banzai trees that no one ever bought" and they threw it in a pot and its been in the field for 8 yrs! She said "what will you take if for, because no one wants it" I said 25 bucks and I will take it off of your hands. Here is what I got. Pinus Thunbergii 'Kyokko Yatsabusa'

My plan is to just feed and water for this year, then spring repot into a 5 gal and detangle the roots and prune the one ugly root. What do you guys think?

QuintinBonsai · Aug 3, 2014

Very nice find! That's one of the corkbark varieties. And I don't believe I see any visible graft scar.

Jason_mazzy · Aug 3, 2014

$25 best score I've seen

sorce · Aug 4, 2014

Nice tree!

Adair M · Aug 4, 2014

I'm not sure that's a "cork bark", but it does appear to have a nice flakey bark. Good find!

William N. Valavanis · Aug 4, 2014

Great find, and looks like a good graft. I can easily see it, but as the bark ages, it should roll over to cover the graft.

Kyokko Yatsubusa is an excellent cultivar. I introduced it into the US over 30 years ago because it ROOTS and grows well on its roots. In fact, if you look in past issues of International BONSAI, you will see I was selling rooted cuttings. I bet some of those trees are now beauties.

Bill

QuintinBonsai · Aug 4, 2014

I got my research from Brent Walston on it being a corker, but maybe with age that flakiness will eventually turn corky. Either way, it's a beautiful tree. Give us a spring update after you've repotted.

Dav4 · Aug 4, 2014

Yup, that looks like a great score! It needs some root work, but it also has descent movement and taper down low on the trunk, as well as that awesome bark. Nice!

Brian Van Fleet · Aug 4, 2014

Good find. Here is my Kyokko Yatsabusa...from Don Blackmond, via Dave DeWire in WA.
the bark is difficult to photograph, but fissures do develop nicely, although slowly.

pmalelis · Aug 4, 2014

Intriguedbybonsai said:
I got my research from Brent Walston on it being a corker, but maybe with age that flakiness will eventually turn corky. Either way, it's a beautiful tree. Give us a spring update after you've repotted.

Yes it is a cork cultivar, as listed on Brent's site, the picture doesn't seem to do the bark as much justice as its fissures are pretty deep.

pmalelis · Aug 4, 2014

William N. Valavanis said:
Great find, and looks like a good graft. I can easily see it, but as the bark ages, it should roll over to cover the graft.

Kyokko Yatsubusa is an excellent cultivar. I introduced it into the US over 30 years ago because it ROOTS and grows well on its roots. In fact, if you look in past issues of International BONSAI, you will see I was selling rooted cuttings. I bet some of those trees are now beauties.

Bill

Bill can you elaborate on ways to take cuttings on this pine, timing and technique. I was planning on air layering in the future as George Muranaka discusses in his blog. Either way after I let this trunk up for a while longer, I do not want to waste the top growth.

pmalelis · Aug 9, 2014

So here is my plan, I found a JBP that was displayed in a 2012 International Bonsai issue on elegant bonsai. I saw this tree in my tree, just backward, so I took a picture with my phone and inverted it so here is what I am working toward and where I plan to chop in 2-3 years and pull the new leader around as the second trunk section.

Brian Van Fleet · Aug 10, 2014

If you're going for a taller tree, your chosen point to chop is good, becuse it creates movement, and leaves a branch on the outside of that bend. You'll likely not use the two left branches below the chop.

You should wire what will become the first right branch in the fall. Scrape some of the bark off the bottom of the branch so you can get a sharp bend right from the trunk, rather than a bow. Look at Jonas' corker, and note the severe angles from which the branches emerge. This imparts a great sense of age.

When you do make that trunk chop, reduce it slowly over time if it has mature bark. If the bark is still immature, cut it flush, and preserve some bark to press into the cut paste so it won't be too obvious for the next 10 years while it closes.

pmalelis · Jul 18, 2015

Just a quick update, have not been on in a while, we had a harsh Syracuse winter, and I left this out..... really stressed this, plus she was really root bound in that flower pot. Needless to say it turned all brown, thought I killed it. I went for the repot anyways, cut off the large ugly root, combed out the rest and lightly pruned dead roots. Much to my amazement it pushed candles but rather late. I will let it get healthy before I attempt anything else. Perhaps a chop next year, to reduce. What time of year do you folks think its best, early spring or after the first flush hardens off?

pmalelis · Jul 18, 2015

Also, Bill when is it best to try to take cuttings or airlayer, because you did say the variety would root correct??

pmalelis · Jul 18, 2015

Eric Group · Jul 18, 2015

Woahh.. That is a lot of brown needles! Needle cast, or...?

The best time to take layers and cuttings is when a tree is healthy... Not sure this one is super happy right now!

pmalelis · Jun 1, 2017

I plan on making a chop on my black pine in 8-9 months around February. Here is basically what I have. The Green arrow is going to be my new leader (smaller Green arrow is a branch I plan for trunk section # 3 in years to come. )

Question Do I chop at:
1 right above my new leader
2 higher up and reduce later ( if so when)
or
3 at an angle that goes through the whorl

I already have back buds all over this thing and plan to feed it right through the growing season.
The lowest branch is guy wired out of the way of my new leader which was wired 2 years ago, it is a sacrifice that will eventually go.

MichaelS · Jun 1, 2017

If you were to cut it I would do it at ''2'' but I don't know if you should cut it in that condition!

pmalelis · Jun 1, 2017

MichaelS said:
If you were to cut it I would do it at ''2'' but I don't know if you should cut it in that condition!

It's an old photo

Pinus Thunbergii 'Kyokko Yatsabusa'

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