Japanese White Pine #'s 3-6 :)

[JudyB]

Very Nice. Definitely a keeper. I wonder how many decades this tree has been worked on?

Wish I knew, seller didn’t give up much provenance info, but I’m pretty sure it came from Doug Paul

 

[Adair M]

Wish I knew, seller didn’t give up much provenance info, but I’m pretty sure it came from Doug Paul

That’s what I was going to say. See that weed in the pot? My Ezo Spruce had one of those, too, and it came from Doug Paul. The roots are unbelievable! So, next repot, try to get every bit of it out. I’m still battling it in my Ezo, but I think I’m getting the better of it now.

 

[JudyB]

That’s what I was going to say. See that weed in the pot? My Ezo Spruce had one of those, too, and it came from Doug Paul. The roots are unbelievable! So, next repot, try to get every bit of it out. I’m still battling it in my Ezo, but I think I’m getting the better of it now.

I got a fern in my big Kurume from Doug… it is actually pretty cool looking with the kurume. Actually the guy who sold it to me, you know him I’m sure, told me he’d have to kill me if I took out that plant lol…

 

[JudyB]

That’s what I was going to say. See that weed in the pot? My Ezo Spruce had one of those, too, and it came from Doug Paul. The roots are unbelievable! So, next repot, try to get every bit of it out. I’m still battling it in my Ezo, but I think I’m getting the better of it now.

Couldn’t you just paint the leaves with roundup? Dan Robinson uses it on weeds in his trees…

 

[Adair M]

Couldn’t you just paint the leaves with roundup? Dan Robinson uses it on weeds in his trees…

That’s a good way to damage your tree! Seriously, don’t do it.

Paul, Boon’s apprentice, did that to a lot of trees at Boon’s. Boon didn’t know he was doing it. A lot of trees developed malformed foliage. JBP needles would curl and twist, olives would have bent and twisted leaves, tridents and Japanese maples would have deformed leaves, etc. Boon didn’t know what was causing it. He sent some samples out for testing. It was suggested it was some kind of mite causing the damage. My big olive was on of the trees with damaged leaves. So, the trees all got sprayed with mitacide. The next year, it started happening again! Couldn’t possibly be mites! Then, one day, Boon came home early and caught Paul applying RoundUp on the weeds with a paintbrush. Ah, ha!

So, once that stopped, no more damaged foliage.

Do not, under any circumstances, take horticultural advice from Dan Robinson. You know he never repots his trees, right? Oh, his trees are gnarly, all right. They’re also half dead.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Awesome tree, Judy. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JudyB]

That’s a good way to damage your tree! Seriously, don’t do it.

Paul, Boon’s apprentice, did that to a lot of trees at Boon’s. Boon didn’t know he was doing it. A lot of trees developed malformed foliage. JBP needles would curl and twist, olives would have bent and twisted leaves, tridents and Japanese maples would have deformed leaves, etc. Boon didn’t know what was causing it. He sent some samples out for testing. It was suggested it was some kind of mite causing the damage. My big olive was on of the trees with damaged leaves. So, the trees all got sprayed with mitacide. The next year, it started happening again! Couldn’t possibly be mites! Then, one day, Boon came home early and caught Paul applying RoundUp on the weeds with a paintbrush. Ah, ha!

So, once that stopped, no more damaged foliage.

Do not, under any circumstances, take horticultural advice from Dan Robinson. You know he never repots his trees, right? Oh, his trees are gnarly, all right. They’re also half dead.

Well I've never tried, it and now I never will! Thanks for that, I actually couldn't imagine doing something like that on something so precious to me. But great information and cautionary tale. Yes, I do know that he doesn't repot regularly, thinks its the harshest thing. I of course don't subscribe to that either, mine get repots whenever they need it. Even the huge ones!
Thanks A.

 

[River's Edge]

Wish I knew, seller didn’t give up much provenance info, but I’m pretty sure it came from Doug Paul

Wouldn't it be neat to obtain the " rest of the story". A tree of that age and quality must have a lot of stories to tell. Who did what and when without asking? The trials and tribulations of a captive tree.

 

[namnhi]

That’s a good way to damage your tree! Seriously, don’t do it.

Paul, Boon’s apprentice, did that to a lot of trees at Boon’s. Boon didn’t know he was doing it. A lot of trees developed malformed foliage. JBP needles would curl and twist, olives would have bent and twisted leaves, tridents and Japanese maples would have deformed leaves, etc. Boon didn’t know what was causing it. He sent some samples out for testing. It was suggested it was some kind of mite causing the damage. My big olive was on of the trees with damaged leaves. So, the trees all got sprayed with mitacide. The next year, it started happening again! Couldn’t possibly be mites! Then, one day, Boon came home early and caught Paul applying RoundUp on the weeds with a paintbrush. Ah, ha!

So, once that stopped, no more damaged foliage.

Do not, under any circumstances, take horticultural advice from Dan Robinson. You know he never repots his trees, right? Oh, his trees are gnarly, all right. They’re also half dead.

Boo!

 

[Adair M]

Boo!

If you like Dan’s styling, that’s a matter of taste.

But his horticulture? Really, really poor.

 

[caffeinated]

If you like Dan’s styling, that’s a matter of taste.

But his horticulture? Really, really poor.

I can understand why you believe that, especially given some of his historical musings, but he does repot his trees, and you know he has a fairly expansive and gorgeous bonsai garden open to the public where his trees are thriving. In fact many of his trees were showcased in a retrospective about him at the Pacific Bonsai Museum a year ago. Point being, his horticultural game is up to snuff, at least these days.

 

[Adair M]

I can understand why you believe that, especially given some of his historical musings, but he does repot his trees, and you know he has a fairly expansive and gorgeous bonsai garden open to the public where his trees are thriving. In fact many of his trees were showcased in a retrospective about him at the Pacific Bonsai Museum a year or two ago.

I had heard that his trees were getting repotted by others because they were in poor condition.

The JBP he had at the National show last month in Rochester had been completely mismanaged. Decandled at the wrong time, and needles cut very short. I’m sorry, but it supports my view that his horticulture skills are lacking.

 

[caffeinated]

I had heard that his trees were getting repotted by others because they were in poor condition.

The JBP he had at the National show last month in Rochester had been completely mismanaged. Decandled at the wrong time, and needles cut very short. I’m sorry, but it supports my view that his horticulture skills are lacking.

I can dig where you're coming from and I know he's had that rep but he's also come a long way from starting in the late 1950s. He has an ongoing crew of volunteers at his garden that help him out, along with local bonsai club members that come out to learn. (No renegade rescue potters I don't know anything about his JBP but I know that it seems to be the tree that got Ryan Neil to come around to saying he was wrong initially about how he judged Dan. Not that any of this matters much either way. I'm not working trees his way and he's not changing his course.

-Edit- I should probably add that I don't know the guy. I've volunteered in his garden once through the Puget Sound Bonsai Association

 

[Potawatomi13]

Much elated to see taking tree in more natural direction. Look is sadly man made at present. Seeing many many bare branches interior future work definitely cut out for you but branch thinning/opening up will help . Tree to become immeasurably better in present hands.

 

[JudyB]

I can understand why you believe that, especially given some of his historical musings, but he does repot his trees, and you know he has a fairly expansive and gorgeous bonsai garden open to the public where his trees are thriving. In fact many of his trees were showcased in a retrospective about him at the Pacific Bonsai Museum a year ago. Point being, his horticultural game is up to snuff, at least these days.

I can dig where you're coming from and I know he's had that rep but he's also come a long way from starting in the late 1950s. He has an ongoing crew of volunteers at his garden that help him out, along with local bonsai club members that come out to learn. (No renegade rescue potters I don't know anything about his JBP but I know that it seems to be the tree that got Ryan Neil to come around to saying he was wrong initially about how he judged Dan. Not that any of this matters much either way. I'm not working trees his way and he's not changing his course.

-Edit- I should probably add that I don't know the guy. I've volunteered in his garden once through the Puget Sound Bonsai Association

I personally love the man and his work, and Vic and Eric are friends for life! I was there like 10 years(?) ago, and the scope of the collection is so wonderful. There are sorts of things that you would not expect to see, but there they are! The old gnarly azaleas were some of my faves. At that point, I don't think he was doing much repotting, but I do know that they were all healthy, and thriving! The fact that he has brought most of these pines to life from seed is astonishing. He is his own genre one of a kind. And he loves trees, and is the most generous artist with his time to share his work with the people. He walked us thru the gardens for well over an hour. I will never forget those trees or that day.

 

[MACH5]

Congrats again on the tree Judy! Not many good JWPs around. As I mentioned to you before it holds great potential. At the moment way too balanced, dense and lacks any sense of directionality. We've discussed and agreed. I'll be happy to see this old pine again next year. It was once brought to my place for a quick look so have seen it first hand. Will be interesting to see where Owen takes it.

 

[JudyB]

Congrats again on the tree Judy! Not many good JWPs around. As I mentioned to you before it holds great potential. At the moment way too balanced, dense and lacks any sense of directionality. We've discussed and agreed. I'll be happy to see this old pine again next year. It was once brought to my place for a quick look so have seen it first hand. Will be interesting to see where Owen takes it.

Thanks! I am very much looking forward to that workshop, and discussing the options this tree has. Also looking forward to seeing what Owens plans for it.

 

[MACH5]

Thanks! I am very much looking forward to that workshop, and discussing the options this tree has. Also looking forward to seeing what Owens plans for it.

Me too Judy! Always fun spending time with you and Bill!

 

[pandacular]

Any updates on this tree?