Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Because I have had to learn most of my bonsai techniques in isolation I have often done it wrong. As a result I have discovered that a number of things that the bonsai experts tell us are not possible are, in fact, viable.
Pine cuttings are one of those things I have been told is impossible but I know can be done.
On another recent thread Adair M invited me to document the process so for Adair and others here it is:
Many, many years ago I took home a cutting of white pine after a club workshop. Not realizing I could not strike cuttings of white pine I put it in and it grew roots.
Pinus radiata is our main softwood forestry species here and a forester acquaintance alerted me to the fact that the industry was selecting fast growing trees of good form and propagating those 'super pines' by cuttings to increase yields in softwood forestry. If foretsers can do it then why can't I?
Some further research showed that pines can be cutting grown so I started experimenting with JBP, Mugho and JRP that I had here.
Juvenile shoots root far easier than more mature wood. That's the reasoning behind the seedling cutting method but there's far more scope than the rigid rules so often set out by some experts. I can take cuttings off pine seedlings and strike them with somewhere around 90% success. I documented that on my JBP pine contest entry.
Older wood cuttings have reduced strike rate but I can occasionally get 50% with 1 year old shoots with all the pines listed above. Pictures are worth way more than words but I can't find any on my files however I have described the process on my website More pine cuttings - Shibui Bonsai
Pine cuttings are one of those things I have been told is impossible but I know can be done.
On another recent thread Adair M invited me to document the process so for Adair and others here it is:
Many, many years ago I took home a cutting of white pine after a club workshop. Not realizing I could not strike cuttings of white pine I put it in and it grew roots.
Pinus radiata is our main softwood forestry species here and a forester acquaintance alerted me to the fact that the industry was selecting fast growing trees of good form and propagating those 'super pines' by cuttings to increase yields in softwood forestry. If foretsers can do it then why can't I?
Some further research showed that pines can be cutting grown so I started experimenting with JBP, Mugho and JRP that I had here.
Juvenile shoots root far easier than more mature wood. That's the reasoning behind the seedling cutting method but there's far more scope than the rigid rules so often set out by some experts. I can take cuttings off pine seedlings and strike them with somewhere around 90% success. I documented that on my JBP pine contest entry.
Older wood cuttings have reduced strike rate but I can occasionally get 50% with 1 year old shoots with all the pines listed above. Pictures are worth way more than words but I can't find any on my files however I have described the process on my website More pine cuttings - Shibui Bonsai