Conifer division: Stella's JPB's

[Stella]

Pine trees and seeds are difficult to get here.
I finally got 2 seedlings and from a different supplier I got the bonsai starter set. Will measure the seedlings tonight.

How cute is the little pot from the kit.
So I have 5 seeds that was soaked for 24 hours. And planted last night.

 

[Stella]

Bought as a large seedling. No idea of age. Looks like 2cm trunk and 12 cm high. I did a trunk chop and stuck the top part in a pot (not sure if I'm to optimistic about it as a cutting...)

 

[Stella]

This one was labeled medium seedling. 1cm trunk- width of my finger. And 27cm high. Both repotted 2 weeks ago when received (it is spring time here)
Will do some reading up before I do more with the trees. Both of them looks good and is pushing new growth

 

[Stella]

so today I aim to read through the pine contest pages. and create a timeline on what to do with my seedlings when they sprout.
like when to cut the taproot and transplant to bigger container. and when it is ok to add slight wiring to get movement low down.

and also do some planning on the 2 bigger seedlings, so that they do not end up looking like the same tree, as the basic movement down low is the same.

basic idea so far is that I would like to make 1 a mame and 1 a shonin.
so my understanding is mame up to 15 cm and shohin up to 20cm height. so both will still fall in this contest for between 10 and 20 cm.

posting my inspiration pictures here for future reference.

 

[Stella]

Added some wiring to the larger one. 2nd pic would be the intended planting angle.

 

[rollwithak]

Great start! Keep us posted

 

[Stella]

Did some candle cutting and light pruning just to get the best branches some light.
Smaller tree

 

[Stella]

With the bigger one I'm trying an air layer as well.
Tree is exploding with candles. Also some candle selection and light pruning - just removing badly placed shoots

 

[Stella]

The bigger one of the 2 is doing great. Sorted out tipblight with this one. The airliner didn't really work so I cut is off.
There is a good new sacrificial branch developing, so when do I cut off the big sacrifice branch?

 

[Stella]

Help me with branch selection please. All of the lower branches are basically on the same level. The 2 longest branches are a fraction lower than the rest.
I'm struggling to see the potential tree here.
Back:


Front

 

[rollwithak]

Are you trying to grow a shohin style tree?? The tree is still very young

 

[Stella]

Yes. His is for the shohin contest.
I know it's very young, but from what I read I need to eliminate some of the branches to not create inverse taper. Can't leave so many branches on the whorl.

I would live to get some design ideas to help me see the potential here.

 

[eugenev2]

Help me with branch selection please. All of the lower branches are basically on the same level. The 2 longest branches are a fraction lower than the rest.
I'm struggling to see the potential tree here.
Back:
View attachment 470544View attachment 470546

Front

View attachment 470545

Depending on what style you are going for, i see a potential for a cascade, a informal upright and others if you apply some wiring. Although it will require some fingers crossed for buds in the right areas. But a very rough draft, i quickly did on my phone

 

[Stella]

The bigger one is growing so nice and I'm really enjoying where it's going
We are at the end of the growing season as winter is coming in much earlier than usual.
I removed needles on the sacrifice branches and removed all the unwanted candles - mostly on sacrifice branches. Leaving the wanted branches untouched.
Base is at 3cm

 

[Stella]

The smaller one also grew well. Not so much as the other one. Struggled a bit with tip blight this season, but that's finally delt with.
With the interesting root situation I'm considering getting it out of the ground more and do a drastic angle change.
Will repot this one in spring and see what will work

 

[Stella]

Heading into spring and starting to see some movement. So the little tree got a repot with a angle change
Before work:


Had some nice root growth. Trimmed 2 roots growing down and no other root work.



Planted and new angle. Aiming to get more roots exposed. 2 possible fronts here.

 

[Stella]

For my bigger tree:
Before the start of the season, I wired the sacrifice branch down, To give the new sacrifice branch room to take over before I cut it off.
So I did an air layer to try and get some roots on it as it's going anyway

So when in the growing season is the best time to cut off a sacrifice branch?
Keep in mind, we have a very long growing season here, and do not have freezing temperatures in winter

 

[Stella]

Plan so far is to cut at the yellow line in this growing season. The blue arrow is the new sacrifice branch, and blue line future cut

 

[Stella]

And I cut of the 1st sacrifice branch today