Thunderhead JBP

Hey everybody, a couple weeks ago we got thunderhead JBP in at my work. I've been inspecting them here and there everyday and decided yesterday to get the one I found myself looking at most.
It has nice movement and a nice smooth graft.
Here's the tree before any work (still at my work lol)
Considering I've had 2 weeks to stare at this thing I knew exactly where I was going to take it. So last night right after getting home from work I tore into it.
This morning I needle plucked and wired the keeper branches.
Here's the result.
Front.
Back
Our left
And our right.
I left the leader intact to continue as a sacrifice and thicken the trunk more (currently about 1.5"), I'd like for it to be between 2-3". There's also a sacrifice at the first bend to help thicken the lower trunk and heal the wounds made there.
Well that was a fun couple hours of work, now what to do?
Thanks for looking, let me know what you think.

Aaron

aml1014 said:

Well that was a fun couple hours of work, now what to do?
Thanks for looking, let me know what you think.

Aaron

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lol wait, that's a pine and nice one and good first work done.

I don't think you want three branches coming from that top node for the final tree design. It make create some reverse taper. Would like to hear what the pine experts think.

I'm not a fan of the "Thunderhead" cultivar for bonsai. It tends to grow very thick candles and stems. Not good for Refinement. You need to plan on making a large tree so that the twigs will be in scale.

Adair M said:

I'm not a fan of the "Thunderhead" cultivar for bonsai. It tends to grow very thick candles and stems. Not good for Refinement. You need to plan on making a large tree so that the twigs will be in scale.

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I noticed that. I plan to let that sacrifice go for a few years and I'll aim for a 3-4" trunk. I like the dark green of the needles and how dense the needles are on the branch, yet when placed next to a 5yo jbp sapling I've been growing, they are just as vigorous with 16-18" apical candle growth. Over all I want this tree to be in the 20-24" range, maybe bigger I dont know lol.

Aaron

Adair M said:

I'm not a fan of the "Thunderhead" cultivar for bonsai. It tends to grow very thick candles and stems. Not good for Refinement. You need to plan on making a large tree so that the twigs will be in scale.

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This - need to be really big tree as refinements going to be an issue down the road.

Definitely do not want 3 branches in one whorl. Have no fear of 3-4' trees. In trees case big=beautiful. Likely had been better off to keep Pinon as already had big trunk and just needed some refining.

Potawatomi13 said:

Definitely do not want 3 branches in one whorl. Have no fear of 3-4' trees. In trees case big=beautiful. Likely had been better off to keep Pinon as already had big trunk and just needed some refining.

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I can't see tree branches in one whorl. I see a sacrifice branch, a future leader and one branch. It's how it is usually done.

petegreg said:

I can't see tree branches in one whorl. I see a sacrifice branch, a future leader and one branch. It's how it is usually done.

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BOOM! Exactly correct lol

Aaron

I didn't know that. I would have thought it would create reverse taper. I'm a noob to pines myself