My Telperion Farms Japanese White Pine

[Dav4]

I was surprised I hadn't started a progression thread on this one but apparently hadn't so here goes! I acquired this tree back in the fall of 2019. Even though the condition of the tree upon receiving... upside down inside a trash bag the shipping box with half the soil spilling out of the pot... the tree was really no worse for wear.

It was very raw stock but offered a great base with taper and movement down low and the beginnings of nice, mature bark moving from the base up into the main trunk.

 

[Dav4]

Challenges with it included the need to be re-potted out of the grow bag and into bonsai soil as well is how to deal with the straight and relatively taperless portion of trunk as well as the lanky branching with much of the foliage way out on the tips.

 

[Dav4]

The tree was re-potted that winter... farm grown trees and grow bags are great but sometimes synthetic material from landscape fabric and grow bag remnants get left behind in the root ball and make for a lot more work. Anyway, I've got no pictures to show from that day but can say it took 2 people and about 3 hours from beginning to end. The tree also received its first cutback/styling in my care. As much wiggle as possible was placed in the branching to provide interest and foreshortening to get the foliage closer to the trunk, and the plan going forward would be to pump the tree up and get back budding to rebuild the canopy. Also, the tree needed a dropped branch... of course!!!... so I gave it one (kinda hidden in the middle right canopy).

 

[Dav4]

This is the tree last January after Tyler S. had his way with it...

 

[Dav4]

I did some dead wood work about a month ago, working the chop sites to make them appear more natural...

 

[Dav4]

... and here's the tree today. It's really beginning to fill out. I'll be cutting it back a bit later this summer. At the next rewiring, I'm hoping to begin to build smaller and more deined pads.

 

[Cajunrider]

Excellent work as always. The things I like most about your posts are:
1. Always a trove of information for newbies like me to learn.
2. Often the threads start with: "I obtain this tree from so and so..." This remind newbies like me that we don't always have to start a bonsai from scratch. If we can afford it, buying a tree to work it further save so much time. We can get to do the finer things right away.

 

[Dav4]

Excellent work as always. The things I like most about your posts are:
1. Always a trove of information for newbies like me to learn.
2. Often the threads start with: "I obtain this tree from so and so..." This remind newbies like me that we don't always have to start a bonsai from scratch. If we can afford it, buying a tree to work it further save so much time. We can get to do the finer things right away.

Thanks Cajun… I’m very glad that you enjoy my posts and my progression threads. Truthfully, I’ve often wondered if many people are really getting anything out of it… But now I know! I’ve always enjoyed the journey of taking a tree… Seedling, nursery sourced, or pre-bonsai import… As far as I can stylistically and aesthetically. Still, being able to provide others with knowledge/insight/hard earned experience is icing on the cake .

 

[Dav4]

Funny… I spent more time today looking at this tree and I have an a long time. With that being said, I decided that pulling the Apex down a little bit more toward the rest of the foliage, essentially compacting it while leaving some decent negative space, was the way to go.

 

[badatusernames]

Nice work.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Great change so quick.

 

[LanceMac10]

Thanks Cajun… I’m very glad that you enjoy my posts and my progression threads. Truthfully, I’ve often wondered if many people are really getting anything out of it… But now I know! I’ve always enjoyed the journey of taking a tree… Seedling, nursery sourced, or pre-bonsai import… As far as I can stylistically and aesthetically. Still, being able to provide others with knowledge/insight/hard earned experience is icing on the cake .

Your posts about your early times led to me to JBP's, along with van Fleet and Adair. Plenty of info here from all of you about care/maintenance. Now, I'm not sure how ya'll feel about my results from "instruction", but I'm happy with the results. The "teachers" may scoff, but hey, sounds like my school years! No sweat, been there, done that......

Where you are, what you did, when you did it and then the results....that's A+ stuff right there..... couldn't have got "here" without your posts!

Congratulate yourself with a tall-frosty beverage and feel good about it!! rock on Dr. Murph!

 

[vancehanna]

looking excellent well done and on your way!

 

[Dav4]

Fluffy!

 

[Dav4]

Beast mode! The first pic is from about 3 weeks ago after some candle pinching. The next 2 pics are from a week ago. No feed yet this year but growing strongly. Once the needles harden off, I'll start to feed and cut back or reduce buds to 2... the really long candles in the picture have already been designated to be removed. It'll get de-wired then re-wired this fall/winter.

 

[Dav4]

Started wiring this one out last week… Almost done

 

[Forrestford]

Very nice tree. I’m kicking myself that I never pulled the trigger on one of their field grown pines when I had the chance. Is there anywhere that sells trees like telperion used to?

 

[Shogun610]

You’re quite fortunate to get ahold of their field grown materials, such a legacy. I’ve seen yours and a few others that have bright futures.

 

[Dav4]

Very nice tree. I’m kicking myself that I never pulled the trigger on one of their field grown pines when I had the chance. Is there anywhere that sells trees like telperion used to?

If there are, I haven't heard of them. Unfortunately, it takes several decades of ground growing with intermittent pruning of the canopy and roots just to get a trunk like this.

 

[Dav4]

You’re quite fortunate to get ahold of their field grown materials, such a legacy. I’ve seen yours and a few others that have bright futures.

No kidding! I feel quite fortunate to have both a JBP and JWP sourced from Telperion Farms before they had to shut down.