Pitch Pine Literati Progression

Tidal Bonsai · Jun 19, 2018

About a week ago, I did some pruning work on the ol' Pitch Pine. I have been fertilizing it heavily, and got it to backbud low on the trunk (great for sacrifice branches!!!) and bud on the tips of the middle branches.

In an effort to get it to bud on the lowest branch, in lieu of needle plucking (something I am unsure of with this species) I opted to thin the top and wire the lowest branch tips facing up. I will continue to fertilize heavily this season in preparation for some heavy bending I have planned for the fall...

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 6, 2018

Updating the progression

jeanluc83 · Nov 7, 2018

I like it.

I would try to get some movement into the lower trunk. Right now it seems too straight for a literati.

I would recommend repotting in the spring to start getting the roots in order. Pitch pine tend to grow long roots. In nature they are often found in poor Sandy soils where the long roots keep them anchored.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 7, 2018

jeanluc83 said:
I like it.

I would try to get some movement into the lower trunk. Right now it seems too straight for a literati.

I would recommend repotting in the spring to start getting the roots in order. Pitch pine tend to grow long roots. In nature they are often found in poor Sandy soils where the long roots keep them anchored.

Teasing out the roots and repotting into a more confining container is in the plans for the spring. The bends however...I am not sure if I should do them in the early spring, or wait for the fall. Too much at once?!?!

jeanluc83 · Nov 8, 2018

I have had good luck with growing my pitch pines in colanders. My mix consists of pumice (dry stall) and about 10% pine bark.

Pitch pine can take really dry conditions but also don't seem to mind daily waterings when in a well draining mix.

Mine have responded well when repotted in the spring as the candles are extending. I have considered trying summer repotting but I haven't had the chance.

If it were my tree I would make the bends in early spring / late winter. I would try for just before the candles start moving. I might even repot at the same time.

Tidal Bonsai · Feb 22, 2019

Since the tree didn’t show any signs of stress after the work done in the fall, I decided to repot. More of the field soil was removed, roots were pruned and it was repotted to a shallower container before being moved to a heated greenhouse.

After a week in the greenhouse, the candles are starting to extend, and it is backbudding all over the trunk. Even after all of this work, this tree didn’t seem to skip a beat!!!

It’s time to fertilize/water and leave it alone until candle cutting season.

jeanluc83 · Feb 24, 2019

Looks good!

All of mine are still sleeping. It's looking like I'll have about 10 to report the spring. I don't have anywhere protected to put them after so I'll need to wait another month or two for it to warm up.

Tidal Bonsai · Feb 24, 2019

jeanluc83 said:
Looks good!

All of mine are still sleeping. It's looking like I'll have about 10 to report the spring. I don't have anywhere protected to put them after so I'll need to wait another month or two for it to warm up.

Totally reasonable, and understandable. The only reason I can get away with this is because I have access to a temperature controlled space.

Besides this Pitch Pine, I have one shohin that I attached to a rock, one group planting, and two single trees. I love this NJ native species!!!

Mike Hennigan · Feb 24, 2019

That’s amazing to see it bud out all over old barked up wood like that, wow. The tree has very little foliage and looks unhealthy... but at the same time has all those buds popping. You may want to just let it grow a bit and put on more foliage mass before you do too much pruning, especially after a repot.

Tidal Bonsai · Feb 24, 2019

Mike Hennigan said:
That’s amazing to see it bud out all over old barked up wood like that, wow. The tree has very little foliage and looks unhealthy... but at the same time has all those buds popping. You may want to just let it grow a bit and put on more foliage mass before you do too much pruning, especially after a repot.

The tree looked like this before work in the fall, it was very healthy. Pitch Pine has a more minty green color than JBP.

I needle plucked the tree and selected branches as you would with a JBP. This is why the foliage is so sparse. If it is healthy enough for candle cutting around June, I will, if not, it will be left alone to grow.

Mike Hennigan · Feb 24, 2019

Brewing and Bonsai said:
The tree looked like this before work in the fall, it was very healthy. Pitch Pine has a more minty green color than JBP.
View attachment 228800
I needle plucked the tree and selected branches as you would with a JBP. This is why the foliage is so sparse. If it is healthy enough for candle cutting around June, I will, if not, it will be left alone to grow.

Yea i’m sure you know what you’re doing, no experience with pith pine here. Just my knee jerk reaction. Nice!

Tidal Bonsai · Feb 24, 2019

Mike Hennigan said:
Yea i’m sure you know what you’re doing, no experience with pith pine here. Just my knee jerk reaction. Nice!

Nothing wrong with asking! No problem at all, Pitch Pine arent a common species.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 3, 2019

Long time since I updated this one, everyone probably assumed this tree was gonzo

.

It grew well since it had a couple months head start in the greenhouse, so it was decandled in mid-June and left to grow for the rest of the season. Around a month ago, I removed the raffia and heavy wire.

Yesterday my club got together for a pine refinement study group where I co-hosted. After helping others, I shoot selected, needle plucked, and gave this Jersey Girl another round of wire.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 3, 2019

I am still finishing up with her for 2019, finished pictures to follow later.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 3, 2019

Finished for now! Since I know someone else will say it...yes, I ducked up the six gauge copper wire on the left

That wire isn’t cheap, and it is serving its purpose, so it stays the way it is for now.

The top left branch ended up hanging down much lower than I thought, so it doesn’t have as much asymmetry as I planned on in the sketch. This issue will be corrected in future seasons, but for now it stays the way it is. I am very happy with how this tree is ramifying, and how much it has changed in only a year!

BonjourBonsai · Nov 3, 2019

Looking good! I'm wondering if you've noticed any reduction in needle size since you connected it?

Potawatomi13 · Nov 3, 2019

Brewing and Bonsai said:
six gauge copper wire on the left That wire isn’t cheap, and it is serving its purpose, so it stays the way it is for now.

Wiring looks good otherwise

. Still be good to see some trunk bends added.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 4, 2019

BonjourBonsai said:
Looking good! I'm wondering if you've noticed any reduction in needle size since you connected it?

Absolutely! By changing my fertilizer regimen and decandling, got the needles and internodes to reduce to 1.5 inches this round. Not every branch was decandled since I wanted some areas to thicken and get stronger, so those needles were plucked and cut to balance the energy for the spring. Now that the tree is getting more refined, the whole tree will get decandled so it’s strength is balanced.

The needle size is pretty proportional to the size of the tree, but internodes could be a bit smaller. A smaller pot will reduce things further which is definitely in this trees future.

Tidal Bonsai · Nov 4, 2019

Potawatomi13 said:
Wiring looks good otherwise. Still be good to see some trunk bends added.

Honestly I don’t think it’s needed now that I am transitioning from a slanted literati to a more upright form. Upright, you pick up much more movement base to apex, and I don’t think trunk bends are nessisary IMO. Pines move slow, and there are no wild and crazy stylings in this trees future. Little by little I will increase the ramification and make the branches work more harmoniously with the bends of the trunk.
November 2018

November 2019

kingsville grower · Nov 6, 2019

Thousands of them growing in the sand dunes in RI like this one. Growing in pure sand. They collect really easily. I collected this one spring ‘18

Pitch Pine Literati Progression

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