Nest of the Tengu

[Klytus]

I may have a witches broom forming on a Thunderhead Pine i bought earlier in the year.

It arrived in August as a grafted plant marked 5/3/07 with a shoot about three inches long covered in 1/4 inch needles and at that time i thought it was running out of time to elongate those needles,it did not do so.

It's other branches are much shorter and came with long stiff needles and juicy grey buds,they also grow less erect.
The abnormal shoot looks more like a Witches broomstick at the moment but will it fasciate or become monstrose properly next year?

Should i postpone Bonsai developments on this Pine with the hope of encouraging this single weird shoot?

Is it known to have Bonsai sporting baby brooms?

A Japanese black Pine with 1/4 inch needles,are these things valuable?
Should i cross my fingers or prepare for dissapointment?

Another thing i noted is a bunch of mystery black filth lurking about the buds,a fungus of some sort?

 

[rockm]

"Witches brooms" are a very common source for new mutations in pines. Scots Pine "Beauvronensis" was a witches broom originally and was cloned (air layered) to propagate it.

The Thunderhead cultivar of Japanese Black pine isn't really a good choice for bonsai, as it tends to be too congested.

 

[Klytus]

Hmmm,so congested some buds from lasy year died and were infested by a fungus causing late shoot development.

Has anyone ever grafted a nest of brooms onto these larger Imperial Bonsai,i wonder?

 

[rockm]

"Hmmm,so congested some buds from lasy year died and were infested by a fungus causing late shoot development."

There are many causes of this mutation--
http://library.thinkquest.org/C003325F/witches'_broom.htm

"Has anyone ever grafted a nest of brooms onto these larger Imperial Bonsai,i wonder?"

Possibly, but it wouldn't really be all that easy to accomplish.

"A Japanese black Pine with 1/4 inch needles,are these things valuable?
Should i cross my fingers or prepare for dissapointment? Another thing i noted is a bunch of mystery black filth lurking about the buds,a fungus of some sort?"

These are indications your pine came from somewhere it wasn't very well cared for. The "filth" is most likely either a fungal growth, or excretia from aphids.
You may not have a witches broom, so much as you have damaged growth. Black pine of any cultivar can respond to damage or trauma with shortened growth--which is basically what we do to them with controlled pruning practices...

 

[Klytus]

Seems like a bromeliad the needles capture the rain and funnel it around a vertical bud ,this bud died and it took awhile to sprout a new one.

There is another retarded shoot with small needles and it's own tiny bud waiting for the warm weather.