dpeter2101
Seed
I am rather new to bonsai as I bought my first Elm just over a year ago. From this one bonsai I have gotten hooked. I wake and go to sleep thinking of bonsais. As I drive down the road I can’t help but check out the shape of full size trees for shapes I like. Since my first tree, I have purchased several other trees and collected maybe a dozen or two more. Most of what I have collected are what I would call “want to be bonsais”. These are trees that I have been practicing/playing with in an effort to learn more and to sooth this desire to have, make and collect bonsais.
With that said it brings me to my point. I live in Florida. Orlando to be exact and have had a large desire to have a pine bonsai. I did a little research on the Florida Sash Pine and was a little disappointed to read that most collectors felt it did not make a very good bonsai specimen. I could not find a nursery that had any pines and could not afford to buy a (real bonsai pine) off the internet. After a little more surfing I stumbled on a site that talked about a Sand Pine that is found in parts of Florida. I looked around a sure enough I found a large parcel of land that was being prepared for clearing. (More homes in Florida, Just what we need).
I’ll have to admit, I was a little excided when I found several small trees. There was one a little larger that caught my eye. It looks like it had been run over when they were bringing the clearing equipment in.
Anyways, I guess I still have not gotten to the point of this post.
I am attaching links to some photos of these pines in hopes someone will be able to tell me if they have the possibility of being shaped into something worth keeping as a bonsai. Some of these have long branches that I would like to cut back in hope it would force some back budding, but was not sure how to go about this on a pine. Most of what I read is needle plucking and pinching. What do you do when your branches are to long? I have topped some of the larger pines and taken a chance and pruned back some of the branches but before I do any more I would like so advice.
Also, I read that pines need to keep some of their original soil when collected. In Florida this can be a challenge as our soil is made up mostly of sugar sand. However, I was “in most cases” able to keep the soil around the roots. On the ones were the soil would not stay around the roots, I made sure to add some to the potting soil.
Any suggestions to help me with my efforts on keeping these pines alive?
One more item, I also found a nice Oak. I have not had a lot of success keeping Oaks alive after collection. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Dale
With that said it brings me to my point. I live in Florida. Orlando to be exact and have had a large desire to have a pine bonsai. I did a little research on the Florida Sash Pine and was a little disappointed to read that most collectors felt it did not make a very good bonsai specimen. I could not find a nursery that had any pines and could not afford to buy a (real bonsai pine) off the internet. After a little more surfing I stumbled on a site that talked about a Sand Pine that is found in parts of Florida. I looked around a sure enough I found a large parcel of land that was being prepared for clearing. (More homes in Florida, Just what we need).
I’ll have to admit, I was a little excided when I found several small trees. There was one a little larger that caught my eye. It looks like it had been run over when they were bringing the clearing equipment in.
Anyways, I guess I still have not gotten to the point of this post.
I am attaching links to some photos of these pines in hopes someone will be able to tell me if they have the possibility of being shaped into something worth keeping as a bonsai. Some of these have long branches that I would like to cut back in hope it would force some back budding, but was not sure how to go about this on a pine. Most of what I read is needle plucking and pinching. What do you do when your branches are to long? I have topped some of the larger pines and taken a chance and pruned back some of the branches but before I do any more I would like so advice.
Also, I read that pines need to keep some of their original soil when collected. In Florida this can be a challenge as our soil is made up mostly of sugar sand. However, I was “in most cases” able to keep the soil around the roots. On the ones were the soil would not stay around the roots, I made sure to add some to the potting soil.
Any suggestions to help me with my efforts on keeping these pines alive?
One more item, I also found a nice Oak. I have not had a lot of success keeping Oaks alive after collection. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Dale
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