opinion of my pinion

[Woodland Spirit]

Halloo again!
Here I have a little pine that I dug up. It is in its native granite soil for the moment. It did have a nice rootball once, but then came the wind. In september it got blown over and all the root ripped off. With b1, rooting powder and plenty of slightly enhanced water it has lived thus far.
It's been indoors all this time and the weather is mighty cold out BTW.
My question is, what should I do now?
I'll want to change it only slightly as it grows. It's already big enough, although it could get a little bigger. The form is nice for starers. Maybe suggest a few cuts and bends but it looks good for now. The soil is a little on the clayish side and nearly 100% granite. The pot is 1 gallon and temporary.

 

[aml1014]

I like it, I to have a few pinions, their native here and you see them anywhere and everywhere you go. They make nice Bonsai in time, there's a women in my club who has a few she's been training for about 40 years and are absolutely gorgeous, and she said they started out as seedlings she collected.

Aaron

 

[Eric Schrader]

As I gather you're a beginner, a few questions that may get you thinking:

1. Why not dig up a tree next time that has a bit more character already? (perhaps higher elevation, or rockier location.)
2. Is your indoor growing regimen temporary and due to wanting root growth through winter? (I don't know of anyone who grows pines indoors.)
3. Where do you live?

Don't do anything other than grow a tree after collecting until it has demonstrated that it is healthy and growing in your container.

As a beginner, if you intend to make a bonsai, you should start with something with a larger trunk, or plan to grow this tree for a long time to create a larger trunk that you want.

Good luck!

 

[Woodland Spirit]

As I gather you're a beginner, a few questions that may get you thinking:

1. Why not dig up a tree next time that has a bit more character already? (perhaps higher elevation, or rockier location.)
2. Is your indoor growing regimen temporary and due to wanting root growth through winter? (I don't know of anyone who grows pines indoors.)
3. Where do you live?

Don't do anything other than grow a tree after collecting until it has demonstrated that it is healthy and growing in your container.

As a beginner, if you intend to make a bonsai, you should start with something with a larger trunk, or plan to grow this tree for a long time to create a larger trunk that you want.

Good luck!

I am a beginner at doing it right.
1. I like the potential of this one and it was going to be bulldozed with the rest of the hillside.
2. It's inside to grow roots. It's roots were destroyed by wind knocking the pot over. Probably has new roots by now but is sad for lack of sunlight.
3. Near st George Utah USA but moving sometime to a canyon in the mountains.
The soil may not be suitable, it's what I dug up with the tree.
This one can take 10000 years if it wants

 

[aml1014]

This one can take 10000 years if it wants

That can be a good and bad approach to this hobbie, but I like it

Aaron

 

[Woodland Spirit]

That can be a good and bad approach to this hobbie, but I like it

Aaron

I'm doing fast, medium and slow bonsai!

Chili pepper (some say it ain't bonsai but it's mine, I call it a bonsai)
Elm
And pine.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I know you brought the tree in because you wanted to protect it while it made roots. So far, so good, l would keep it as cool as possible, but above freezing. In fact, if you are home daily. Keep it outdoors when you know it will be above freezing and not too windy. Let it get at least 4 hours of direct sun, preferably morning sun. Bring it in when it gets windy, especially shelter it from dry hot wind (Chinook winds). Bring it in or keep it in when frosts threaten at night. I am not familiar with St. George climate, but I know it has a milder winter than my location. I got through most of December without a freeze below 25 F. So do the "in and out" dance with this one until spring.

The reason for the in & out dance, is that you can't give this pine enough light indoors, nor is it easy to keep cool enough for normal dormancy indoors. If you had an indoor spot that hovered between 32 and 40 F, you could put it there and just leave it. But if you don't, do the in and out dance.

In spring put it out where it will be shaded during the heat of the day, until after you have seen new growth more than just a couple needles. When new growth extends and inch or so - That would be a sign new roots have formed sufficient to support the plant. This species wants all day full sun when it has a fully functioning roots system.

The soil you are using is not the worst, but not the best either. However, resist the temptation to repot it into what ever people tell you is better for the tree. Do not disturb the roots until 2017 or 2018, and only after the tree has put on some significant growth. No growth, no repot. You don't want to disturb the roots again until they have fully recovered.

Do not do any pruning, styling, wiring or any bonsai work on this tree until the growing season after a season of good growth. Likely not until 2018 or later. Work on it sooner and you will compromise the re-establishment of a healthy roots system.

While this tree is way too thin in trunk diameter to do bonsai with, its got lots of branches, many in the right places. First get it healthy. Without good roots nothing else will matter.

I like pinion, I have some seedlings that will start their second summer here in the Milwaukee-Chicago area. Glad others are using pinions too. @aml1014 has hands on experience with pinion, what I told you about recover is general for just about any pine. There are 2 or 3 members here working with pinion. Hopefully they will all weigh in over time.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I like your pinion, 90% of the members here have a number of "pet plants or trees" that we all know will never be likely to make "great" bonsai in our lifetimes, but for sentimental, or other reasons, we insist on keeping them. Its okay, especially if you recognize the fact. I have my own "pets". And with time this pinion certainly could make a good tree. But keep an eye out for a pinion with a trunk at least 3 inches in diameter, or more. If the first 4 to 6 inches of that trunk are interesting, have curves or twists, or deadwood, or other interesting features, that would be the tree to look at collection, regardless of size. Often with collected trees, its the trunk and the first or second branch that become the bonsai. Usually anything further up in the tree ends up being removed.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

3 inches?

 

[Vance Wood]

So you are saying this tree has been indoors for a year or so?? I that is true, and I have no reason to believe it is not, it surprises me that the tree is alive in the first place. Normally Pines do not do will when grown indoors for any reason. This usually puts the nail in their coffins.

 

[jomawa]

Halloo again!
I'll want to change it only slightly as it grows. It's already big enough, although it could get a little bigger. The form is nice for starers.

'Lo again, I assume you've come to bnut for advice on bonsai, yet your input sends the message that you are willing to accept as sort of a finished bonsai those specimens that are truly mere starts. "It's already big enough", for what? Yeah, for a start. Yeah, it's alive. OK, it meets the beginning criteria. "could get a little bigger"?????? Try this. Go to google images and type in the name of the tree you have or are considering, followed by the word bonsai, then really look at and compare these "finished" products with what you seem to be calling a bonsai. After you have an image of what is possible, use the same wording you used in "google images" to research what there is in the world wide web regarding making that same tree a bonsai, an award winning bonsai.

"3 inches" I've always had 6 inches as the standard, ooops, I got sidetracked, oh yeah, bonsai, 3 inches. Probably literally 10 times the size of the tree you are showing. I don't know how many lifetimes it takes to get one that size because my focus tends to be vine maples, but if you are satisfied with your tree's current size, (and I mean no disrespect here) that satisfaction is more appropriate or allowed to a five year old child's bonsai.

Again, go look at some "finished" bonsai (if you google "bonsai" most will be near completion), then compare with your trees. Hope this helps rather than hinders. I would suggest setting your sights quite a bit higher.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

So you are saying this tree has been indoors for a year or so?? I that is true, and I have no reason to believe it is not, it surprises me that the tree is alive in the first place. Normally Pines do not do will when grown indoors for any reason. This usually puts the nail in their coffins.

No, about 4 months, september 14th 2015. And by a window with 1000 lumen LED overhead.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

First of all, I am fully aware that these are small. Did you people think I went and dug up a bonsai already grown and finished?
And on the other hand there are much smaller, older yes but much smaller "finished" bonsai
I have every intention of having this tree live hundreds of years. It doesn't need to be fully grown to be big enough for the time being. If it gets as big as that it will, in fact, not be tonight.
I have another little tree that I want to grow to the size your talking about, and quickly. I do not see the need to do all my trees the same scale or the same techniques.
I am here to learn to grow bonsai so show me. If you mean no disrespect then be respectful.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

Shito bonsai
Shohin bonsai
Mame bonsai
Komono bonsai
Katade-Mochi bonsai
Omono bonsai
Hachi-Uye bonsai
Imperial bonsai

So no more about the size or the fact that it is not mature and will take years, even generations to mature.
All I want to know is how best to take care of it. Some have answered this and I thank you. If others wish to add to it you are welcome. The tree is young, plenty of time to talk about it.

 

[jomawa]

First of all, I am fully aware that these are small. Did you people think I went and dug up a bonsai already grown and finished?
I have another little tree that I want to grow to the size your talking about, and quickly.
I am here to learn to grow bonsai so show me. If you mean no disrespect then be respectful.

OK, here comes what I hope to be some basic emotionless facts.
You already said what you have is a "little pine" you saved from being bulldozed. (If I were being disrespectful I would call you a childish fool). I believe you are simply ignorant ("lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular" specifically that thing called bonsai). Part of the communication problem here is verbage. You speak in terms like "little tree". All bonsai are little trees. But just like in the case of "little people" where some or most are clearly children, others are clearly adults that have not reached the normal size. Your pine and your elm obviously have no age to them. If you want it quickly of them, you'll need to talk to THE original creator of that species. Regarding a quick bonsai, I have personally seen from less than three feet away, an old looking, small/tiny (less than 6" high), less than a year old gorgeous bonsai, (in a pot that was less than 2" diameter). So the idea of "guickly" (say?, less than a year) can be done in bonsai, but most will readily consume a decade at least, to decades, generations, and centuries. Now, in this case I am ignorant, but the "quick" bonsai I believe was actually a type of plant normally called an annual, meaning it tends to do it's thing in a year. But with manipulation some can actually be kept alive a few years. What I was trying to determine was your attitude or expectations toward your trees, are you truly saying you are satisfied to keep them "young" (different than little or small), and if that is not satisfactory, are you willing to accept the fact that it may take decades and you may not see any real age on them in your lifetime?

 

[Djtommy]

take it easy woodland, people here grow bonsai and they will judge your tree as a bonsai and how to make it better.
you did infact ask for an opinion so you can expect to get one. Leo gave you some good advice on the caring as well.

by the way, growing your bonsai doesnt mean ending up with a larger bonsai.
I suggest you read some bonsaiblogs and check some progression threads on this site.
this will give you a better idea how bonsai are grown.

grtz

 

[Nwaite]

All I want to know is how best to take care of it. Some have answered this and I thank you. If others wish to add to it you are welcome. The tree is young, plenty of time to talk about it.

This is a bonsai forum .. if you just need advice on tree care there are probably forums for that as well... (I'm not sure though. Iv never had a problem keeping them alive.)

Try not to get worked up! People on here will answer you... some times more bluntly then you will like but it's almost always good advice. And if you have a good sense of humor you will also get a good laugh.

 

[sorce]

Chili pepper (some say it ain't bonsai but it's mine, I call it a bonsai)

@aml1014 don't you keep a pepper too?
Or were you the tomato?

Either way....bonsai Salsa!
Mmmmmm...Stickroot made the dish!
Or was that Colin, no Chuck....

Sorce

 

[aml1014]

@aml1014 don't you keep a pepper too?
Or were you the tomato?

Either way....bonsai Salsa!
Mmmmmm...Stickroot made the dish!
Or was that Colin, no Chuck....

Sorce

I got me a sandia hot chili bonsai blooming it's little heart out at the moment.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

I don't have time right now to read all of the posts since my last. I will however, go back and read the entire thread later.

First I offer my apologies. I did not understand.
I knew that the tree was to thin to look old. What I did not understand is how to make it reach the desired diameter. I thought time would take care of it. Now I know it must be grown as stock as some call it, until the it is fuller. It makes far more sense now and looks far less like pure criticism now that it has been explained.
This tree has one unique problem. The root damage.
Also, I am pretty sure this tree is not going to put on much hight, all things considered.

Please note: giving up on the two trees I have made these mistakes on is not an option. As long as they survive I will keep them.