Collecting pine from sand/gravel soil.

[ShadyStump]

So, I read and gather info from a lot of sources, and so eastern white pine has a good successful rate, many Bonsai’s.

He might have been talking to the OP.

 

[ShadyStump]

Completely different experience here having done MAJOR root removal from Bristlecone, Ponderosa, JBP even somewhat too late into April and amazingly they did well. Very surprised how many trees can deal well(survive)serious root work. Once understood at all and in good substrate of pumice pines are as childs play to live with.

You're not wrong. It's very dependent on the species.
I was trying to give @Jrweb an idea of how tricky it CAN get, and sorta prepare him for the potential for failure since it seems he's not collected pines before. In my experience, being overly cautious never cost anything but time. If you're not OK with losing time, bonsai might not be the right hobby.

 

[Potawatomi13]

You're not wrong. It's very dependent on the species.
I was trying to give @Jrweb an idea of how tricky it CAN get, and sorta prepare him for the potential for failure since it seems he's not collected pines before. In my experience, being overly cautious never cost anything but time. If you're not OK with losing time, bonsai might not be the right hobby.

Mostly it seems newcomers shrug off plants that die since not the same as a pet. Also likely many just give up. Personal learning was that trees need water more regularly than friends that distract us do. From 1959 until about 2005(?) kept trees in available "dirt". Knew NOTHING of Bonsai substrate. However miraculously kept trees alive in this for many years. Including pines. In 59 uncle pulled up one larch and two Ponderosas about 1-2 years of age. These I kept for about 31 years in dirt until Spring freeze killed Larch and next year neighbor killed Ponderosas by not watering when we went on vacation. Never spoke to them again! Watering is key to so much regardless of substrate.

 

[Potawatomi13]

So pumice is the key/trick to survival of pone bonsai? What about using the native soil that the Pine was dug up front wouldn’t that be the best for all types of plants into bonsai also? I live in New York and I dug up an eastern white pine yesterday reduce the roots and put it in a small pot. It may die but if it does there’s plenty more I could do at the right time with the right method.

Native soil always just what tree seed fell into IF could hold enough moisture. This could be anything from sand, duff, clay, mine tailings, etc but often very poor substrate. Pumice increasingly used by those who have available or can get it. Ryan Neil told me to pot personal Ponderosas in it. I asked. Advice I believe was for conifers in general and works well for deciduous with perhaps 25-30% organic added(or not). Hard to do first time but results proved a wise choice. Particle size used based on tree size as well as container depth.

 

[Paradox]

Gotcha thanks for that information I was looking for so I’ll gather one in fall and then one in winter but like you said keep the entire root ball and plant in a big container for one year and if I’m correct after one year I can reduce the roots to put it into a bonsai container? Thanks

It depends on the tree. Most of the time you can not go from a large collection container straight to a bonsai pot....

It is usually best to let the tree recover and that could take a few years. You need to learn to monitor the tree and evaluate its health and when it is ready for the next step. It usually takes me 3 repottings with 2 to 3 years between each repotting to go from a large nursery container to a bonsai shaped training pot which is still larger than what the tree's eventual bonsai pot will be. It stays in that training pot until the branch development is largely finished then it goes into its "finished" bonsai pot which could also take several years.

Why to we wait 2 to 3 years between repotting on most trees? Because repotting and cutting the roots is a major insult to the health of the tree. We need to let the tree recover before doing any more major work to that tree. The general guidance is one major insult per year. The tree also needs to have the chance to regrow new roots after you cut some off. That will take a couple of years. The year or two between repotting, we work on the branches.

The only tree I repot every year is one of my trident maples because it is capable of regrowing a foot of roots every year. But that's it, one tree out of 50 that I own.

I am a little concerned that you seem to only want quick or instant bonsai. Instant bonsai are pretty much a myth. Bonsai take years to develop. I have trees that I have had in training pots for years because they are still under development. The extra room the training pot allows for that development better than confining the roots to an even smaller container.

If you want an instant bonsai, save up your money and buy a finished tree for a few thousand dollars or more.. That is how you get instant bonsai, by paying someone else for their time to develop the tree.

If you are too impatient and only want instant gratification, bonsai is not an activity you will enjoy.

 

[Shogun610]

So, I read and gather info from a lot of sources, and so eastern white pine has a good successful rate, many Bonsai’s.

Dude will you cool it? I’m tired of you asking the same question 5 million times. Then completely ruining the thread you posted a question on. Sheesh