Ponderosa Initial Styling

grouper52

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The first photo shows a Ponderosa pine I collected in Wyoming on a trip with Dan Robinson last year. It spent a year stabilizing in bonsai soil, and showed good new growth and lots of new roots this year, so it was ready. The second picture shows my initial styling efforts of the last two days. About a foot tall. More later as it progresses.
 

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Nice find, this should work up to a nice little tree.

Question for knowledge, not to question your approach, but is a year enough time after collection, if yes is this due to it being a Ponderosa?
 
I was wondering the same thing. I am looking forward to learning! OOOOh if I can just get back to Colorado some day...
 
I was wondering the same thing. I am looking forward to learning! OOOOh if I can just get back to Colorado some day...

If you do, look up Jarry Jackel and go collecting sometime with him.

Ponderosa pines actually survive collection very well if done properly, and are quick to recover most times. This guy came out with a very nice root pad, and was putting out nice new growth and lots of new roots this spring. The initial styling involved perhaps at most a 20% reduction in foliage overall, and a Pondy should do fine with that. It tolerates even the most severe bending without batting an eye usually. I'll be surprised if the guy misses a beat at all.

But yes, I would not be so cavalier with many other sorts of trees.

G52
 
"But yes, I would not be so cavalier with many other sorts of trees."

Thought that would be the case, thank you.
 
If you do, look up Jarry Jackel and go collecting sometime with him.

Ponderosa pines actually survive collection very well if done properly, and are quick to recover most times. This guy came out with a very nice root pad, and was putting out nice new growth and lots of new roots this spring. The initial styling involved perhaps at most a 20% reduction in foliage overall, and a Pondy should do fine with that. It tolerates even the most severe bending without batting an eye usually. I'll be surprised if the guy misses a beat at all.

But yes, I would not be so cavalier with many other sorts of trees.

G52

PM me some contact info if you have it... As I grew up in the mountains of CO I have access to hundreds and hundreds of acres of Ponderosa, Pinion and RMJ. :-) No money & no time right now... *cry*
 
Nice work. I did a quick estimation, and put this tree between 100-150 years old. Good collecting, Will. Have you considered tilting maybe 10-15 degrees counter-clockwise? For some reason, the horizontal line gives me trouble, hard to put my finger on it. I also understand the constraints faced when working with stuff like this, so kudos to you for doing some nice work to get it started on it's way.

Dave
 
Nice work. I did a quick estimation, and put this tree between 100-150 years old. Good collecting, Will. Have you considered tilting maybe 10-15 degrees counter-clockwise? For some reason, the horizontal line gives me trouble, hard to put my finger on it. I also understand the constraints faced when working with stuff like this, so kudos to you for doing some nice work to get it started on it's way.

Dave

I agree, the flat configuration is less than ideal. I have some thoughts about it's future, but bringing the foliage in closer and wiring in some undulations need to be done no matter what else I do with it later.

G52
 
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