Japanese White pine #2

[JudyB]

Well, since I was unable to snag that larch that G52 decided was too risky to ship, I went in an entirely different direction with another tree.

This is a wonderfully barked JWP (grafted of course). When I got it, I asked Rob (october) if he'd be kind enough to give me his thoughts and ideas on working this tree. I've admired the progress he has made on his JWP's, so was pleased when he agreed. I've been selecting branches and doing a large scale pruning and wiring of the entire tree. I probably discarded as much or more foliage as my smaller JWP has in its entirety! The tree was super healthy, but pretty overgrown, so there was plenty to choose from.

Keep in mind that there was a lot of thinning to do, so it will need to fill in.... But the movement is outstanding. It is so much better in person, it really doesn't read just from the 2D, but here it is.

Thanks again Rob!

First pic is as I received it.

 

[JudyB]

Some other angles, could be a better front in here, even the back is interesting.

 

[edprocoat]

Judy, great looking tree with aged looking bark! I know you say its grafted, is the graft beneath the soil, I certainly can not see any definitive looking graft union. I assume the fissured bark is the white pine bark, or maybe the very top is the white pine and the bark is something else?

ed

 

[JudyB]

Thanks Ed. This is a well done graft, but the JBP part is the trunk up to the branching. The graft is hard to see, as it's a fairly old one, and it was done very well.

 

[bonsai barry]

As Ed said great looking bark as well as taper and movement. Where did you get this sweet little tree?

 

[Nybonsai12]

Nice looking tree. Following this thread for sure. Where did u get it? Looks like a New England bonsai garden tree.

Also where will you keep this during the winter? Outside completely or in a shed/enclosure?

 

[NewWorldBonsai]

Awesome movement and bark...

If only white pine would grow here in FL

 

[JudyB]

It is indeed a NEBG tree. They have some great material, I have a number of trees from them. John and Jun were very helpful comparing this tree with another I was looking at. It's great when you can count on that kind of eyes on judgement.

I keep this in my cold greenhouse that I keep between 30 and 40 degrees.
Thanks guys.

 

[davetree]

Really nice tree Judy. Really good movement all the way to the top. Nice work.

 

[Adair M]

Very nice, Judy!

One thing to be careful with on JWP: The very tip ends of every branch needs to point up a little. The bud needs to point up rather than out, and especially none should point down. They have a tendency to die off if you don't.

 

[Dan W.]

Great tree Judy

 

[ghues]

.....what he said.......
I Look forward to seeing it's development.
Cheers G

 

[JudyB]

Very nice, Judy!

One thing to be careful with on JWP: The very tip ends of every branch needs to point up a little. The bud needs to point up rather than out, and especially none should point down. They have a tendency to die off if you don't.

I have seen two schools of thought here, that wiring the tips flat, the buds will grow up, and orient themselves in the correct position. I know I've seen this, but can't remember where, I know it was a trusted source, or I wouldn't have remembered it.

If anyone has more info on this, I'd be glad to know. I can tip them up if needed easily, as I wired out to the tips.

Thanks dave, Adair, Dan and graham!

 

[Beng]

Thought it was on Peter Teas or Michael Hagedorns blogs but I can't find it on either.

The technique is you wire about a quarter to half an inch longer then the end of the branch depending on the size of the pad at the end of the branch. Loop the extra back towards the branch underneath the pad creating a hoop. The hoop supports the bottom of the candle making it flat and the pads appear cleaner.

Ben

 

[Adair M]

That is a reasonable explanation of the technique. When I took the Intensive from Boon, he was insistant that we leave the very tip end of the wire face up in a "fish hook" to control the bud tip.

JBP you can point straight out. It's much more vigorous than JWP. JWP needs to have the needle clusters more vertical than JBP.

Also, since JWP doesn't backbud as readily, be careful not to thin it out too much. Try to use all the foliage if possible. There should be no needles facing "down". In other words, no "hanging needles".

JBP, on the other hand, will back bud nicely given sunlight and fertilizer.

I'm not trying to be critical here, Judy, you have a very nice tree. I'm just passing along what I believe to be "best practices" of technique based upon what I've learned from Boon.

Happy New Year, and all the best for you and your trees!

 

[Adair M]

Not to beat a dead horse...

Another explanation or visual...

When we get pine stock, the branches are often untrained, and are growing vertically. Think of it like this: Hold your hand out, palm up, in such a way that you could hold a teaspoon of water in the palm of your hand. See how your fingers and thumb are pointin up? That's how the secondary branches on your JWP were when you got it, right?

Now, straighten out your fingers, stretching them out straight and wide. That's how looks now, right? That's fine for a JBP. But for a JWP, you need to turn the the very tip joint up. I don't know about you, I can't turn my finger tip up without also bending the first joint, too. But hold the first joint flat, and then turn your finger tip up. THAT's how you should style a JWP.

I hope this visual helps.

 

[John Romano]

That is a reasonable explanation of the technique. When I took the Intensive from Boon, he was insistant that we leave the very tip end of the wire face up in a "fish hook" to control the bud tip.

JBP you can point straight out. It's much more vigorous than JWP. JWP needs to have the needle clusters more vertical than JBP.

Also, since JWP doesn't backbud as readily, be careful not to thin it out too much. Try to use all the foliage if possible. There should be no needles facing "down". In other words, no "hanging needles".

JBP, on the other hand, will back bud nicely given sunlight and fertilizer.

I'm not trying to be critical here, Judy, you have a very nice tree. I'm just passing along what I believe to be "best practices" of technique based upon what I've learned from Boon.

Happy New Year, and all the best for you and your trees!

I'll second Adair on this. On vigorous black pines, you can wire out the ends with the strong buds horizontal. The sunlight will bring them to a vertical position. It's also another little technique to slow down the vigor on strong black pine buds. White pines, you point the end buds in a vertical position.
Good luck with your nice tree Judy!
John

 

[fore]

What a great score Judy! Love it!

 

[JudyB]

Adair, Thank you for the "tip"tip! And thanks for seconding it John! I'll bend em up when I get home, we're in TX , starting a backpacking trip in a couple days!

 

[cmeg1]

Stone Lanterns 'Pines' gave a couple few easy approaches on white pine.I applied them to a small graft and found it was very easy and straight forward.
Very cool tree ,Judy