My first Black Pine

Craig

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I have been given a black pine and would like to know which book you would recommend i buy that will give the best advice and information for a newbie like me.

regards Craig
 

bonsai barry

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"Pines: Growing and Styling pine bonsai". This is a paperback book with reprints from Bonsai Today articles. The first half is white pines and the second half deals with JBP. It is published by Stone Lantern and can be purchased at their website.
 
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Craig, a lot is going to depend on the development of your tree. Can you post a photo of it? The book mentioned by barry is pretty good (speaking from the perspective of having all the articles separately but not the book as such) but can be confusing.
 

Craig

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Thanks for the info guys.I'll order the book from stone lantern.Chris thanks for the links.
regards Craig
 

mcpesq817

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The Stone Lantern book is ok. As Chris mentions, the book is a compilation of various articles from Bonsai Today (which I believe were translated from Japanese articles), so it can be a bit confusing since different terminology is used, etc. The disappointing thing for me was that Stone Lantern took the easy way out by just reprinting articles, rather than writing something from scratch that would outline everything someone using pine for bonsai would find important.

In any event, the book is a good start. I would also look at an article from Hans van Meer which you can find on the web, which to me is the clearest articulation of what you should do season to season (and this is written by a guy whose first language I believe is not in english, yet it's the most clear writing on pines I've come across). Also, Brian van Fleet has a very good pictorial of a 3-year progression of what he has done with one of his JBPs, which I highly recommend. I think it's available at: www.nebaribonsai.com. I also have Steve Pilacik's (sp?) book, which you can find on eBay. It's pretty good, but I think like most other works on pines, it could be written a little clearer. It made more sense to me after reading the Stone Lantern book and Hans' article.

Another resource is Boon's videos on JBPs - one on repotting, one on candling. I haven't viewed them yet, but I've heard that they are very highly rated. I think Santa is going to be making a second trip to my house this year...

As you can tell, I've spent a lot of time trying to find articles, etc. to help me figure out the whole JBP thing. Once you understand the growth principles, the techniques make a lot more sense.

Hope that helps!
 
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Craig, I'll say again, it makes a big difference what state of development your tree is in. I hesitated to recommend Boon's video on pine candling because that may not be appropriate if your tree is very young. The only time I'd start practicing candling is on a tree that has the trunk already developed properly. The Stone Lantern book, as mentioned has a collection of articles without an overarching framework, and those Japanese articles are usually pretty specific as to what the goal is for that particular technique. Without some basic knowledge, they can seem quite contradictory.

I do recommend International Bonsai as a superior source of information on developing pines, but once again you need some basic framework of how it all fits together. Can you show us a pic of your tree and let us know where you are in your understanding of pines?

Chris
 

Craig

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Here's a photo of my black pine,I'd like it to grow bigger with some idea on a future style.Chris I'm a absolute beginner on pines,this is why I need advice from guys like yourself.Thanks again.

regards Craig
ps I know it's not the greatest tree you'll ever see,but it's growing on me.
 

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As long as it's growing.... thanks for the pics. I recommend everything Brent Walston has to say, and here is something he has posted about Pines. Growing trunks for bonsai is what he does, and that's what you need if you want your tree to grow bigger, which is a very good goal. Candling etc. and most of what you read in the Stone Lantern book will be inappropriate for this tree at this time. Good luck and hang in there!

Chris
 

bonsai barry

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I would concur with both of the excellent suggestions of visiting Hans van Meer website and Brent Walstons site. Both of these sites will probably meet your needs better than the book I mentioned... plus they're free!

Jeff

PS Chris' website has some great advice for grafting pines which might be useful after further development.
 
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I would concur with both of the excellent suggestions of visiting Hans van Meer website and Brent Walstons site. Both of these sites will probably meet your needs better than the book I mentioned... plus they're free!

Jeff

PS Chris' website has some great advice for grafting pines which might be useful after further development.

Thanks, Jeff. Grafting pines is an excellent tool for getting foliage and branches where you want them once the trunk is developed.

Chris
 
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