New JBP
- Thread starter Q-Bonsai
- Start date
Dirty Nails
Shohin
Nice pine! That bark is getting nice and chunky.
Q-Bonsai
Mame
Thanks! It's hard to take a picture of the bark, but it is actually 3/4" thick (deep)! Very chunky
Neli
Omono
Very nice!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Thanks for sharing the tree. I like these tall elegant JBP very much. Nice tree.
jeanluc83
Omono
That is a very nice tree indeed. I look forward to seeing this one develop over the years.
Was this tree imported or grown in the states?
Was this tree imported or grown in the states?
Great bark. The only way to get bark that good is with age.
Which leads me to...
It would look better with a softer rounded apex. JBP can have sharper apexes than JWP, but old trees will have domed apexes. A really sharp pointed apex is more appropriate for a younger tree.
It looks like there's plenty there to adjust, so wire every tip at the apex and soften it up.
Great tree! You should be proud to own it!
Which leads me to...
It would look better with a softer rounded apex. JBP can have sharper apexes than JWP, but old trees will have domed apexes. A really sharp pointed apex is more appropriate for a younger tree.
It looks like there's plenty there to adjust, so wire every tip at the apex and soften it up.
Great tree! You should be proud to own it!
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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nice tree, excellent bark. With bark that thick is this tree a named cultivar? Or is it an exceptional seedling? I don't see any signs of it being a graft. Very nice material.
I agree about the apex, but it should be easy, you have lots of branches to work with and it won't take much to do what was suggested. No radical changes needed.
Great tree. Will love to see it often in the future as it develops.
Leo
I agree about the apex, but it should be easy, you have lots of branches to work with and it won't take much to do what was suggested. No radical changes needed.
Great tree. Will love to see it often in the future as it develops.
Leo
Q-Bonsai
Mame
I am not sure, I know it came from California before it was brought to Houston...
I totally agree. That is the direction I am going in. Unfortunately the apex has very few branches to work with. I will certainly round it out once I can get more to work with up there
I'd love to hear any additional inputs!I do not know the history of the tree unfortunately. It is not grafted, I know that... It is a really old tree, and based on it's size relative to the thickness of the bark, I'd say it has spent much of its life in a bonsai container.
In about 3 years when I repot, I plan on changing the container. It is currently in a Sara Raynor, but I think something darker would be more suitable...
KennedyMarx
Omono
Great tree. I don't have any advice, just wanted to say how much I like it.
Q-Bonsai
Mame
Q-Bonsai
Mame
I didn't realize how sparse the sides looked until I looked at the pictures...
Note: I also played with the idea of using the back as the front, but decided the pad was too full and covered up much of the movement higher up on the trunk.
Attachments
Ok. Now we have a clearer picture of what we've got.
A couple of questions:
1). Was it decandled last summer?
2). When was it last repotted?
3). What is the soil like? Good bonsai soil? Or good soil sitting on top of old bad soil?
4). What's the fertilizer program?
5). Any obvious health issues?
Once we get these questions answered, we can start!
From my initial observation, it would appear to have been somewhat neglected in the past. There's little foliage close to the trunk. And the needles look long. The branches look "leggy".
It happens. Hopefully, you got it soon enough that you can get some backbuding going!
A couple of questions:
1). Was it decandled last summer?
2). When was it last repotted?
3). What is the soil like? Good bonsai soil? Or good soil sitting on top of old bad soil?
4). What's the fertilizer program?
5). Any obvious health issues?
Once we get these questions answered, we can start!
From my initial observation, it would appear to have been somewhat neglected in the past. There's little foliage close to the trunk. And the needles look long. The branches look "leggy".
It happens. Hopefully, you got it soon enough that you can get some backbuding going!
Q-Bonsai
Mame
1). Was it decandled last summer?
It appears so
2). When was it last repotted?
Last year I believe
3). What is the soil like? Good bonsai soil? Or good soil sitting on top of old bad soil?
I haven't checked
4). What's the fertilizer program?
I am currently doing fish emulsion with milorganite
5). Any obvious health issues?
Candles are slow to push
It appears so
2). When was it last repotted?
Last year I believe
3). What is the soil like? Good bonsai soil? Or good soil sitting on top of old bad soil?
I haven't checked
4). What's the fertilizer program?
I am currently doing fish emulsion with milorganite
5). Any obvious health issues?
Candles are slow to push
Hmm....
Curious about the soil/roots...
Slow to emerge from decandling? May be a root/soil issue.
I hate to ask for more pictures, but it would be helpful to have some close ups of the branch tips.
Seriously, my guess is it hasn't been repotted "properly" into something like Boon Mix. If the rootball is compacted, even if some new soil is placed around it, roots won't move from the compacted soil into the fresh, unless they're teased out a little.
I've often found that old JBP will still have the original nursery soil under the trunk, and not good bonsai soil. And they slowly decline, and stop being vigorous.
My suggestion is to not do anything else to this tree until late winter when it's time to repot. Then, do what is called a "half bare root" repot.
That should start the tree back to the road to recovery, so it gains vigor, and will start to backbuding for you.
Curious about the soil/roots...
Slow to emerge from decandling? May be a root/soil issue.
I hate to ask for more pictures, but it would be helpful to have some close ups of the branch tips.
Seriously, my guess is it hasn't been repotted "properly" into something like Boon Mix. If the rootball is compacted, even if some new soil is placed around it, roots won't move from the compacted soil into the fresh, unless they're teased out a little.
I've often found that old JBP will still have the original nursery soil under the trunk, and not good bonsai soil. And they slowly decline, and stop being vigorous.
My suggestion is to not do anything else to this tree until late winter when it's time to repot. Then, do what is called a "half bare root" repot.
That should start the tree back to the road to recovery, so it gains vigor, and will start to backbuding for you.
Q-Bonsai
Mame
I poked it with a chopstick. Not compact at all. Knowing the frequency he (the individual I bought it from) repots I am hesitant to touch it for awhile. I wasn't planning on touching it again until next spring actually. The buds are strong in random areas, no real pattern to it.
I sent you a pm btw...
(They're just pictures of the buds so I didn't rotate them)
Attachments
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Not to jump out in front of Adair, because you're in good hands with him, but a few thoughts:
1. The tree is weak, not enough to cause concern. Some good sun, a heavy feeding regimen, and the daily attention one can provide when it's in a personal collection vs. a larger nursery, and you'll be surprised what it can do over the next year.
2. It appears to have been candle-pruned this summer, but the disparity in buds produced at the various sites shown indicates unbalanced energy. This is corrected by fall bud selection, and needle-pulling. Adair is good with discussing this.
3. Based on how you describe the soil, I'd be hesitant to repot unless it's organic & mushy, or simply not taking water. I think we tend to pot too often. Once you get the roots "right", pines like this should be on a 10-year repotting schedule.
4. Nice trunk line, fantastic bark. The branches highlight it nicely, and with time, it will be vigorous and balanced enough to make a really dynamic bonsai with it.
1. The tree is weak, not enough to cause concern. Some good sun, a heavy feeding regimen, and the daily attention one can provide when it's in a personal collection vs. a larger nursery, and you'll be surprised what it can do over the next year.
2. It appears to have been candle-pruned this summer, but the disparity in buds produced at the various sites shown indicates unbalanced energy. This is corrected by fall bud selection, and needle-pulling. Adair is good with discussing this.
3. Based on how you describe the soil, I'd be hesitant to repot unless it's organic & mushy, or simply not taking water. I think we tend to pot too often. Once you get the roots "right", pines like this should be on a 10-year repotting schedule.
4. Nice trunk line, fantastic bark. The branches highlight it nicely, and with time, it will be vigorous and balanced enough to make a really dynamic bonsai with it.
You had me worried there for a minute. It looks like it will be ok. You're in Houston, right? You have a long growing season, they'll extend. Do give plenty of fertilizer. 10-10-10 is good. So is Osmocote. I use cakes and fish emulsion.
This fall, November maybe, if your needles are hardened off, you might want to pull the old ones. Anything grown prior to 2014. (Except for the weakest twigs, leave those. And if there is a needle bud popping, leave those.)
Why pull the old needles? It exposes the woody twigs to the sun, which stimulates backbudding, especially on old dormant adventitious buds. It will look thin, but the sun will get in.
Fertilize strongly this fall so it will have good strength for next spring, and you should get some backbudding.
Another "trick" my friends who have been to Japan swear works: After pulling needles, brush the top of the branches with a stiff brush. I guess this knocks off some loose bark, and exposes the cells to the sun. Again, assisting with the backbudding.
This fall, November maybe, if your needles are hardened off, you might want to pull the old ones. Anything grown prior to 2014. (Except for the weakest twigs, leave those. And if there is a needle bud popping, leave those.)
Why pull the old needles? It exposes the woody twigs to the sun, which stimulates backbudding, especially on old dormant adventitious buds. It will look thin, but the sun will get in.
Fertilize strongly this fall so it will have good strength for next spring, and you should get some backbudding.
Another "trick" my friends who have been to Japan swear works: After pulling needles, brush the top of the branches with a stiff brush. I guess this knocks off some loose bark, and exposes the cells to the sun. Again, assisting with the backbudding.
Q-Bonsai
Mame
Thanks for the input Brian. I certainly agree with you on all aspects. The tree is very imbalanced. From what it seems, the soil is draining well which makes me very hesitant to repot or even do anything to disturb the roots.
I wouldn't mind opening up the door for the fall bud selection and needle-pulling discussion though. There are tons of resources for this, I have read a lot of it, watched Boon's dvd, etc. but I don't feel like that is enough....
