Dav4's 6 year JBP contest thread.

[Dav4]

A decent year of growth.... still wish my yard had more sun, though. My only real take away from this season is that the seedlings in the pond baskets did put on a bit more growth then those in the 4 inch pots. Next spring will bring more culling and those that make the cuts will likely get moved into pond baskets.

 

[Dav4]

Judgement day 2020. Hundreds of seedlings two years ago have been whittled down to less then 20. The deciding factor to keep or cull was mainly based on root development, closely followed by trunk movement and low budding. Survivors were almost all up potted to pond baskets. I tossed several that had great trunks but crappy nebari... oh well, I'm running out of bench space again and need to make room.

 

[Dav4]

While I wish my seedlings here had some of the vigor/trunk thickness I've seen from other contestant's trees, I'm still fairly happy with my results so far. All were needle plucked this spring and some branches down low were decandled last week to begin building ramification on a few... some could almost sorta kinda be confused with pre-bonsai now

 

[Dav4]

Almost halfway there, so time for an update. These are most but not all of the group I have in the contest. For many, bones are set and it's time to flesh the design out, while others are still developing into something only time will show... and all still need thickening.

 

[Dav4]

The candles have been extending for a few weeks, and it looks like this is going to be a good year so I thought I’d document how the remaining seedlings look at the beginning of the growing season and follow up at the end... some are looking better than others .

 

[Dav4]

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 10 months since I updated this thread... time flies when you're having fun I guess . Anyway, I usually post an end of the year review on the survivors in this 6 year contest, so I guess this post will have to do.

So, the move to MI helped me with the decision making for culling this year. I don't have exact numbers but I pretty sure I left three or four in GA, and the rest made it up here in one piece. Several are outside in my makeshift cold frame, maybe three or four again, but I suspect they diddn't have enough upside to garner a spot on the benches in the cold room.


Here are the few that aren't frozen outside...

 

[Dav4]

These last few are turning into something worth working on for a few more years...

 

[Underdog]

You got mine covered Dave. Good work.

 

[Shogun610]

These last few are turning into something worth working on for a few more years...

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That last one is a baddie

 

[rollwithak]

These last few are turning into something worth working on for a few more years...

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What method was used to achieve this? Is this using the cylinder looking pot on top of another pot of soil? I have some Jeffery Pine cuttings that i am getting ready to repot and I want to try some funky projects.

 

[Dav4]

What method was used to achieve this? Is this using the cylinder looking pot on top of another pot of soil? I have some Jeffery Pine cuttings that i am getting ready to repot and I want to try some funky projects.

The JBP with the exposed nebari above can be seen here in 3/19, sitting on top of a 2 liter soda bottle, wrapped in orange nylon twine, which is sitting in a pond basket. I've use milk jugs, soda bottles of various sizes, upturned nursery cans with their bottom cut out... that's part of it, along with using a much more coarse aggregate soil (in the soda bottle) with different sized components.

 

[Dav4]

Mid summer update... 70 F dewpoint and temps in the upper 80's by noon is reminding these guys of their childhood down south ... and for good or for bad, the oxalis is loving it, too!


... and then we have this one... dark horse, perhaps? I had high hopes for this negeari styled seedling but, unlike the others, this one got uglier and more ungainly the more it matured to the point where it didn't have enough upside to warrant bench space in the cold room was left outside to live or die this past winter. It survived just fine and made it back onto the bench to be ignored until today. I was weeding this am and decided this one, due to the rampant oxalis, could stand being taken out of the basket to get as much as possible. Anyway, it was put back in the basket at a different planting angle and has jumped back into the race! It's hard to see but there's lots of twisty tight curves in the trunk that's currently hidden. It'll get it's first real styling this fall and we'll see what it's really offering.

 

[Dav4]

End of the year update… Many of my pond basket grown Japanese black pine have developed what I suspect is a root issue, as the needles progressively yellowed as summer turned early fall. I’ll be repotting Some of these, the spring to figure out what’s up.

 

[River's Edge]

Just some thoughts associated with your post.
I have found that as the pines progress, larger pond baskets or containers become necessary for continued development beyond the 3-4 year stage. In my instance the baskets dry out too fast for the developed root ball as the trees mature. I think this is what led to some developers using a larger colander on the outside of a smaller one in some developmental strategies. Not sure of the size you are using on these trees. I was using 11 inch square pond baskets and found them limited beyond the 3 to 4 year mark. Just some info from my experience. To extend their use I often used tape on the exterior to reduce the rate of dehydration. The metal foil tape for duct work with an adhesive side. The same type I use for assistance with healing larger wounds.

Observation from pictures posted. The healthiest one seems to be in the most soil, container filled the most.
best regards

 

[Dav4]

Just some thoughts associated with your post.
I have found that as the pines progress, larger pond baskets or containers become necessary for continued development beyond the 3-4 year stage. In my instance the baskets dry out too fast for the developed root ball as the trees mature. I think this is what led to some developers using a larger colander on the outside of a smaller one in some developmental strategies. Not sure of the size you are using on these trees. I was using 11 inch square pond baskets and found them limited beyond the 3 to 4 year mark. Just some info from my experience. To extend their use I often used tape on the exterior to reduce the rate of dehydration. The metal foil tape for duct work with an adhesive side. The same type I use for assistance with healing larger wounds.

Observation from pictures posted. The healthiest one seems to be in the most soil, container filled the most.
best regards

Thanks Frank. Finger's crossed you're right. Some of these are due to be moved into ceramic pots now so hopefully not a big deal... .

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Great update! I had a difficult year this year because we moved (again) while we build a new house. I took 22 pines with me to the rental house... and the rest I just randomly buried in the back yard of my other property... assuming all would die with no watering and no care.

You know the conclusion... the trees that I put in the ground are doing great, while the trees that I am caring for had a very difficult year.

 

[Dav4]

OK!!! The last end of the year update is here! The same 3 trees from my last post are still in the running... but which one will be my final entry... to be ripped from its pond basket and stuffed into a show pot in the middle of a Michigan winter, all for fame and glory... stay tuned!

 

[Paradox]

Ooohh.
Tough choice.
Pick the best one to win or second one to risk the winter repot and save the best for sure survival.

 

[Dav4]

Ooohh.
Tough choice.
Pick the best one to win or second one to risk the winter repot and save the best for sure survival.

No guts, no glory!! I'm in it to win it!!!




Seriously, I want to make a presentable entry and have the tree survive so that I can continue to develop it. I'm 99% sure of my entry choice now, but need to evaluate the roots to be 100% sure as I don't want to do my typical "spring" root work four months early on New Year's Eve .

 

[Paradox]

No guts, no glory!! I'm in it to win it!!!




Seriously, I want to make a presentable entry and have the tree survive so that I can continue to develop it. I'm 99% sure of my entry choice now, but need to evaluate the roots to be 100% sure as I don't want to do my typical "spring" root work four months early on New Year's Eve .

Its your decision but I think I know which one I would pick (or be my first choice barring the root conditions as you said )from the pictures.