JWP Help

[SoCal Bonsai Guy]

Just wanted some advice on where to begin on this white line I picked up last year. Doing very well but I want to start styling it. Any advice should be much appreciated.

 

[River's Edge]

Just wanted some advice on where to begin on this white line I picked up last year. Doing very well but I want to start styling it. Any advice should be much appreciated.

Begin by exposing the nebari and determining the best front and available potential trunk line. Where is there movement? Taper? Best planting angle with all of the above?
Then lay out a realistic plan and timeline for development tasks involved to proceed.
How to develop interior foliage?
How to deal with trunk stump?
Which branches are potential sacrifice, primary branches?
My first step is almost always to plan a staged repot first to begin the process and get the tree into a more suitable container for development.
The reason for this is to optimize the health of the tree prior to beginning decades of work.
If the root ball is in good shape and the substrate is not compacted then i would clean up the tree, wire out the branches to open the interior and think about which branches to retain and which ones are not needed!
However that is only feasible after nebari and trunk line is decided.
Others may opt for work first and foundation later, not my cup of tea.

 

[SoCal Bonsai Guy]

Thank you Frank.
I appreciate all your information. I will start by making a plan, timeline and vision of how I would like the tree to look. Is it safe to do a little clean up/pruning this time of year?

 

[Forsoothe!]

The branches are too thin to plan anything. I have never seen branches that thin and that leggy on almost anything. The tree needs to be put in the ground for a substantial number of years and pruned vigorously to drive the foliage inward. I'm very sorry to be the barer of bad news, but it had to be done. I apologize.

 

[SoCal Bonsai Guy]

No problem.
I guess that’s what I wanted, guidance and truth. Would it be better to put in a larger pot to stimulate growth or it needs to be the ground?

 

[Forsoothe!]

In the ground in good sun. What's good sun? It depends upon where you are. ?

 

[SoCal Bonsai Guy]

I’m in SoCal. Would it be best to do this in early spring?

 

[River's Edge]

Pines do not have to be grown in the ground to strengthen lower branches. The upper portions need to be thinned to balance the growth and let the sun in.

 

[River's Edge]

Thank you Frank.
I appreciate all your information. I will start by making a plan, timeline and vision of how I would like the tree to look. Is it safe to do a little clean up/pruning this time of year?

Yes it is safe to do a bit of clean up and pruning at this time of year. I would reduce some of the upper foliage to expose the lower branches to sunlight. That is also the reason to open up the top by wiring some branches and spreading the foliage out. You will note that in the picture below a lot of the developing pines have needles removed and branches clear to strengthen lower foliage before trunks are reduced.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

@Adair M is the best for white pine.
I agree. Quite leggy but that not going to be easily solved. This is a difficult piece of material

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M is the best for white pine.
I agree. Quite leggy but that not going to be easily solved. This is a difficult piece of material

Yes, very difficult!

The first thing I’d do is try to figure out where the front is, and what style it’s best suited for. I don’t think the side we see is it’s best side. I’m actually thinking a semi cascade might work!

Any upright style is going to take major bending. Using jacks and rebar. That trunk has a lot of straight sections, and, well, they’re not that pleasing to the eye. With some bends, maybe better.

Play around with different view points and different planting angles. I have seen some trees be radically improved by changing their orientation from upright to cascade, and I’ve also seen some changed from cascades to uprights!

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Yes, very difficult!

The first thing I’d do is try to figure out where the front is, and what style it’s best suited for. I don’t think the side we see is it’s best side. I’m actually thinking a semi cascade might work!

Any upright style is going to take major bending. Using jacks and rebar. That trunk has a lot of straight sections, and, well, they’re not that pleasing to the eye. With some bends, maybe better.

Play around with different view points and different planting angles. I have seen some trees be radically improved by changing their orientation from upright to cascade, and I’ve also seen some changed from cascades to uprights!

I concur. I don't see how that is going to reduce for an upright style within a single lifetime without potentially killing the tree.
Cascade seems to where its at . ..

 

[Adair M]

He doesn’t say where he lives, but his user name implies Southern California. And that’s a tough climate for JWP. He would be wise to sell it and work with JBP instead.

 

[0soyoung]

I’m in SoCal.

Unless this is someplace like Big Bear, this tree is likely to die in your hands, just because the "SoCal climate" does not provide enough bud chilling hours every winter.