Japanese White Pine

[JudyB]

Seeing October's nice white pine spurred me into taking a photo of my white pine. This one is also a graft, something I'm still not sure I like, but it does seem to make them more amenable to living in the hot summers, a tradeoff for being able to have one I suppose. Like October's tree, this one also has a large lean forward, it is an import, and that seems to be how they are mostly. I've brought the branching down quite a bit on this tree, to give it a more sweeping feel.

I've been a bit worried about this one, as I had to do a repot this spring (broken down akadama issues) and I had done a bit of work on it this winter along with wiring and such. But it is relishing it's new soil... and looks healthy again.
I've learned never to let a tree languish in poor soil, they're always so much better off as long as you can do proper aftercare if repotting conditions are not perfect, like timing, or the tree is weak.

 

[JudyB]

Oh, and here is a bit of progression shots. The first one is as I received it, you can see why I brought the branching down, to disguise the graft, and make it look overall not so awkward. The other shot is after it's first wire and repot. I thinned it quite a bit this winter, I'm hoping to get a good deal of backbudding this year.

 

[tanlu]

I'm no fan of grafted JWP either, but you've managed to make it look much more natural. Good eye!

 

[october]

Beautiful tree Judy...Really nice movement and taper all the way up.. I see that yours also has that lean forward, but you have taken care of that. Mine leaned forward so much, it looked like a trunk with one side branch than a mushroom cap..lol..Maybe your tree and my tree were field buddies.. That is, if your is from Japan.

In correcting the lean forward, it has raised the front, bottom of the base of the tree out of the soil a bit. I will always need to put it in a deep pot to make up for this. I suppose I could have bent and pulled the whole upper half of the tree up. However, If something were to break, I would kick myself for a very long time.

I think that when the pads start to form on your tree, it will be really be a beutiful specimen. You will be able to hide any flaws, but at the same time it will look neat. I actually shortened some of the branches on my tree recently. I did notice that you already have nice taper in the branches.

Rob

 

[rockm]

Beautiful little tree Judy. You've done very well with it. I didn't even see the graft in the first photos

 

[tmmason10]

Looking good, nice job Judy.

 

[Adair M]

About that "lean forward".

A lot of Japanese styled trees do that. When you see a picture of the tree straight on, you don't see it. It just looks like a remarkably well styled tree. But, by bringing the apex forward, it "foreshortens" the tree. A trick of the eye... it makes the tree shorter (or appear to be shorter) but the trunk is actually still the same total length. We just don't see the "length" because it's coming at us. It also explains how they get those wonderful apexes, they have a lot more branches up there, because the trunk is actually longer than it looks!

And when I say they "lean forward", they LEAN FORWARD! The apex can be six inches in front of the pot!

I've only just realized this "trick". It was one of Peter Tea's blogs that gave me the insight... Peter's master was working on a pine, and said the apex should be shortened. Did he cut it? No! He bent it forward. Voila! It appeared to be shorter! (When viewed from the front.)

So I tried it on my little grafted white pine, and yep, it made my apex shorter, and more rounded!



Before apex adjustment, and After apex adjustment

 

[JudyB]

I'll be working a bit to lean it back, but that is what the Japanese really work toward it seems. (October, this is from Japan ) I got it from Lotus a few years ago....

Rock, that's the idea! But I still don't know why there aren't natural JWP out there, I've seen very few, but wo

Thanks tom. I'm still so new at pines, they make me nervous about everything I do to them.

Adair, you posted while I was writing this post, indeed they are really into it over there, but for me it's a bit much. I think a tree should look good from all sides, even the back, and when you make it so forward, it's not possible.

 

[october]

I think that there are 2 different concepts here that are being confused as one. Although apexs are supposed to lean forward a bit for aesthetic purposes, the entire upper 50% of the tree's trunk really should not (well, not drastically anyway). Both Judy's and my white pine had the same issue. That being the tree is upright, then in the middle, it tilts all the way forward. When this happens, it detracts from not only the aethetics, but may affect the health of the tree. By having this big mushroom cap for the second half of the tree...this may prevent sun from reaching certain areas lower on the tree.. Also, the branches will be too close together and over lapping each other. This can contribute to dieback. Also, not seeing the ladder branching on a tree that has beautiful branching is not using the trees full potential.

 

[Adair M]

Here is a link to the Peter Tea blog I was referring to:

http://peterteabonsai.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/tanaka-junichiro-田中-淳一郎-2/

Read it and let me know what you think. The pine he styles leans forward mid-trunk, and after he restyles it, it leans ever farther forward mid-trunk AND the apex is pulled forward.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Adair, that is true and fascinating. Especially noticeable when you see some of the exhibition photos from the side. Maybe Bill V. posted some here from kokufu this spring...?Both Bjorn and Peter talked about pulling apices forward, and it produces a powerful feeling, more than just visually shortening the trunk it also adds the feeling that the tree is bigger because it creates a bit of a forced perspective.

 

[tanlu]

But I still don't know why there aren't natural JWP out there, I've seen very few, but wo

I understand your frustration. Natural JWP are hard to come by because people tend to believe that they're weak on their own roots. This is true in warmer parts of the country. However, all my JWP are non-grafted and they do just fine here in our cool NY climate. There is a vendor in VA named Julian Adams that specializes in non-grafted JWP (particularly Zuisho JWP), and the only one at that. You can check out his website: www.adamsbonsai.com, but he's a great guy and it's better to just call him.

 

[october]

Hello Adair, thanks for the article...That is a magnificent tree. I did not read the whole article, but it is very good. 2 things to mention. Although the tree does lean forward, you will notice that it is still in balance. It forms a graceful curve when looing at it from the side. More importantly however, is how all the branches are visible. You can see all the branches as they ladder their way up the trunk. If this tree had just been one anchor branch and then 1 big mushroom cap apex. That would need to be addressed, but since the tree looks great aesthetically and the branches are visible and can receive light and air flow, this tree is a great specimen.

Rob

 

[cquinn]

I always thought that was just bonsai 101.

 

[Shimpaku]

Lovely tree Judy. I really like it. It looks powerful, even with the softness of a JWP. I think that you did a good job. As far as styling, I like the idea of shaping a tree similar to a spiral stair case. This way, sunlight hits all branches and you get a balance at all viewing angles. I see some trees look great from the front, but when viewed from the side, the perspective is distorted, un-natural and obviously wired for a one dimensional perspective. Yours is very nice and I like the direction.

 

[Smoke]

I think there is a better view for this tree in the rotations. I am not fond of the present view with the branch obscuring the trunk. I do not find the intersection of white with black as displeasing as having a branch hide a trunk. I think the view of when you got it was better for showing a trunk line , but I agree with the awkward feel due to the white trunk being so much smaller than the large black pine base.

Keep turning it and study, you will find the right one.

 

[JudyB]

Smoke, -I will take a look at this, maybe there is something else hidden in there. I've mostly been concerned with keeping it healthy, as I'm really just a beginner with pines. And of course keeping it looking decent along the way. But I think I'm ready to really start working it now. The other aspect of the tree I don't love, are the long straight parts of the main branches. Particularly the lower left one. Don't know if they can bend, I've seen some really amazing stuff people do to pines, perhaps in the future a cut back if I get back buds, or some big bending.

thanks everyone for checking this out!

 

[Adair M]

Judy,

JWP is more sensitive than JBP. When doing the bends, if you separate the bark from the woody part of the branch, there's a good chance the branch will die. Be very careful, and if in doubt, wrap in raffia. They don't back bud much either.

 

[JudyB]

Adair, do you know of anything that can spur backbudding, other than getting light into the tree, and selective pruning and plucking?
Thanks for the heads up about the bending. I'm pretty timid still about pines, so a big bend for me, may be a weenie bend for the pine folks!

I just knocked all the pollen cones off this tree, and I wonder if I should thin the buds this year? What do you think?

 

[Adair M]

They're different than JBP. NO decandling. You can pinch back long candles.
In the fall, do not pluck the old needles, cut them off about 3 mm long.
They will turn brOwn and fall off. If you pluck them, you may destroy the bud.
When you wire, make sure the buds are facing up.