Is there any hope for this jbp...

[RichS]

Hey guys. I was at a small nursery today and found this on the clearence rack. I asked about it and the owner said he ordered 3 JBP for a customer that never picked them up. The other 2 sold at some point and apparently the owner wanted to try his hand at bonsai so kept this one. He cut off the top and then forgot about it. He decided to sell it he said because he was to busy to mess with it. So I purchased it for 5 bucks. This was about a month ago. It had no kind of new growth so i figured it was probably on its way out so i put it off to the side also. This poor neglected tree lol. Well today I happened to notice that it has some new growth. I was really surprised. But at the same time I have no real experience with pines. So my question is does anyone think there's a possible BONSAI here? Like i know that's a given question for some but what can I do to give this tree that everyone including me has given up on?

 

[CasAH]

Viking funeral.




Or hope it gains strength and the lowest buds at the base survive so you can cut back to those to re build the tree.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I think you have a chance rebuilding from the lowest buds.. maybe plant some seeds and try some root grafting to fix the base too.

 

[Dav4]

Well, I'll start by saying I'm glad that guy is leaving the hobby... he's a butcher! I'd say your tree has a will to live! Those new buds are pure gold! Get this one into full sun and don't do anything this year other then feed and water (carefully, as it doesn't have a lot of foliage)... no wire, no pruning, no root work. Let's see what this thing looks like next fall. If it is still kicking, I'd start transitioning it into better soil next winter. That lowest bud will be your next trunk segment if this one hangs one...good luck!

 

[RichS]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. And I don't mean to sound totally incompetent but when yall say the lowest bud do y'all mean literally the bud closest to the bottom?

 

[CasAH]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. And I don't mean to sound totally incompetent but when yall say the lowest bud do y'all mean literally the bud closest to the bottom?

Yes

 

[Dav4]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. And I don't mean to sound totally incompetent but when yall say the lowest bud do y'all mean literally the bud closest to the bottom?

Yup... lowest bud on the gtrunk. The only branching you have right now is too high and the foliage is all at the ends. You've got to build this tree from that low bud... this is a long term project.