3rd jbp from

[Just Duane]

Hey all, this is the 3rd pine from the same japanese old man. Is this the final tree from him??? We'll see

The tree was not in this plastic pot. My friend wanted the pot that the tree was planted in so we just plucked the tree out of the pot & I used this plastic pot to bring it home. I'm using the pot in this pic to hold the tree up.

You can see what was above & below when the tree was in its original pot.

I did very little root work (washed half the soil out) & opted to plant the tree in a larger, deeper pot. Its going to take a couple years, but I would like to get more fine roots just below the base so I can get this tree into a smaller shallower pot. Heres the tree potted up.

Comments or suggestions always welcomed.

 

[Tachigi]

Morn'n Duane,

Hope your ready emotionally when the well runs dry .... you been on quite a run.

I like this tree, the roots are by far the worst of all the trees you've shown and are slightly intimating when you think about sorting the lower end.

How do plan to attack this pines feet?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Need to start wiring that baby before it gets away from you...

The nebari doesn't bother me as much; I think some ground layering would help with the two or three big ones, or you could always approach graft a few small trees.

 

[greerhw]

Need to start wiring that baby before it gets away from you...

Ditto !!!!!!!

keep it green,
Harry

 

[Just Duane]

Tom, I totally agree with you on the roots. I was going to do root work before repotting, in fact, I started to scrape with my root rake & said, oh boy! this is definitely a long termer. So, honestly, other than what Greg has suggested, I really could use some advice on tackling the roots. I know you're a grower, so any suggestions would be appreciated. As for being on a roll, I owe it to my friend for getting these trees & passing them on to me. I love jbps & when the opportunity comes along to grab some at a very good price, I just can't say no

Greg & Harry, I agree its time to wire, thank you.

 

[RyanFrye]

What potential! I'd love to see how this progresses.

 

[Tachigi]

Duane, Being a grower doesn't help this situation since were trying to avoid this when growing. However, I also collect a lot of trees and the treatment of yamadori roots seems more applicable here.

If it were mine...and I wish it was Understanding that you and only you know what was in that ball. I would start at the top of the root-ball and see what I could do to help with aesthetics. What strikes me immediately (your last pic) is the surface root that runs against the grain right to left. Would trace that out and and see where it goes and how many fine feeders are at the terminal end. I would remove it "IF" there where not a lot of feeders. If there was I would tourniquet that root to slowly make the tree seek an alternative route for nutrients with out killing that vein. In fact I might to that with all those upper roots over time.

With the removal of one top root I would look below (bottom) and remove small bits of root. Trying to balance root pruning top and bottom. As you said..this will be a long term project to get the lower end right. Boy will it be worth it though...cause the upper end is just so nice.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Amazing what JBPs can tolerate...for all the root and soil challenges was tree is faced with, the foliage looks incredibly healthy. No doubt it will thrive in it's new home.

A great lesson is in those photos...for our new bonsai friends out there: trees can survive far better under neglected conditions than under constantly "loved" conditions...and I've loved plenty of them to death.

Great find Duane! Looking forward to seeing it wired out soon. How's the koto buki?

 

[DaveV]

Duane, How did the tree do so well in this type of soil for so long? I'm sure your friend used this soil (dirt) for many, many years.


I personally like the pot it's currently in.

 

[Just Duane]

Tom, thank you very much. I will give it a shot

Brian, thank you. My buki is doing fine. I will probably exhibit it for the first time at our club sale in dec.

Dave, I never met the old japanese man who grew this tree & the other 2 pines I got recently. My friend has established a rapport with the guy & he gets the trees for me. As for the soil, I wonder myself how they survive in that same soil. I got 2 others last year from an old japanese lady & her soil was pretty much the same, weird huh? The one thing the old man & old womans soil had in common was huge rocks or cinder( quarter size or bigger ) as drainage layer in both bonsai & ceramic pots. I have to think that helped the trees survive.

 

[bonhe]

? The one thing the old man & old womans soil had in common was huge rocks or cinder( quarter size or bigger ) as drainage layer in both bonsai & ceramic pots. I have to think that helped the trees survive.

Hi Just Duane, you got a nice specimen, however, still needs lot of work in the future esp. rootage. I would try to do root grafting on it.
It looks like a common pratice in growing prebonsai stocks in Japanese people in the US to put big lava rock in the soil. I got one large JBP which was still in plastic pot from one old of Japanese man last year. It had not been transplanted for years. I repotted it this Spring and found almost 1/3 of soil in the middle part of pot was big lava rock chunks (about 1"). Bonhe

 

[Klytus]

Hmm,the ancient and venerable secrets of Nippon root training are revealed.

I am tring the same with a dish of pine seedlings,big chunks of lava and very little soil.

It can be noted that the long lost Easter Islanders had no Bonsai and thus believed Scoria was put to best use as a hat.

 

[Just Duane]

Hi bonhe & klytus. Yup, something about them old schoolers & putting chunks of cinder below their regular mud dirt