Dale-
That is one bad-arse python of a ponderosa pine! With you history on these, might I ask what your treatment of the roots and native soil has been? Based on experience from Randy, Walter, Boon, and Andy Smith, we now bare root half of the tree after one year and the other half the next year (assuming the tree is growing well), and get them out of the native soil as soon as possible. Did/do you treat your similar, and have you noticed any correlation between your root treatment and the 3 year dying trend of the branches?
I haven't acquired any for several years now. I have enough of them!
But , yes, they do much better if natural compacted duff is removed as soon as possible. Most, I guess I would recall, probably had that done a year or two after collecting. I'd not recommend it on freshly collected trees as they have a tough time just being lifted and relocated.
I think the quality and quantity of roots is the most important factor in doing what and how quick. Far too many PP are sold too soon after collecting and the "dying off process" hasn't even started yet. As for my statement about it taking 3 years before stuff stops dying off on them, I'd hazard to say it didn't matter at what point they got root cleaned and repotted. It seemed ( to me) to be a natural thing due to collecting, relocating, soil difference, soil ph, moisture level, climate, temp changes in the NEW climate and different overwintering factor ( and probably a few things I've left out) ALL happening at the same time.
Now, for a "hobbyist" to buy a collected PP there are two opposing problems as I see it after many years of experience. First, I would
NEVER AGAIN buy a tree with less than one full complete season growing in its new "surroundings" after collection ( I don't care WHAT the root quality was/is) ...second..if you wait that long....the best ones will already be sold to someone who didn't wait!! There lies the buyers dilemma to contend with!
I suspect there have been HUNDREDS of PP sold that died within a few years of being bought ( or died off to a degraded piece of scrap never to make a good bonsai) and the buyer thought HE killed them and said , "Oh, I must have done something wrong" or "I guess I can't grow these".
Dale
