Scots Pines
- Thread starter Vik
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Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
No.
Long straight trunks with no taper and no low branches and the branches that are there have no foliage near the trunk.
And before you ask, no you cant chop or air layer a scots pine
If you want them as a lawn tree, go for but they have no potential as bonsai.
Pass them by, save your money and buy something better
Long straight trunks with no taper and no low branches and the branches that are there have no foliage near the trunk.
And before you ask, no you cant chop or air layer a scots pine
If you want them as a lawn tree, go for but they have no potential as bonsai.
Pass them by, save your money and buy something better
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Not reliably and not worth the effort you would have to put into them.
My suggestion is to put the money you would spend on these into a bonsai tree fund and buy something better that has been grown for bonsai and already has the basic things you need to get a nice tree and actually learn from.
I suppose you will have to trust me on this but I speak from experience.
You will understand within a year or two of your bonsai journey why these are not good candidates for bonsai.
coachspinks
Chumono
Everything paradox said is true and I would add that when you first start there is the desire to "bonsai" everything you find. I think many, if not most people, start out that way. Along the way you learn what Paradox mentioned, being selective and investing in better material makes for a much better experience. Better to save money and buy one decent pre bonsai than buy 2 or 3 that may never make anything worthwhile
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
My opinion hasnt changed. You are still left with a foot or more of ram rod straight trunk with no taper that suddenly decides to curve off for some reason.
If you insist in buying crap with the hope of making it into a good tree, have at it.
In a couple of years when you will realize that its not good for bonsai and you wasted time and money on it and wish you had saved for something better instead of wishing a bad tree into something it wont ever be.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
No: Scots Pines will back bud if they are healthy and pruned back properly. The only problem I have with these two trees is the photos are nearly useless. You need to realize the camera has no imagination and it will respond to the dominant light source making everything else look like a black cat in a coal mine.
Alain BERTRAND
Mame
I really second Paradox advice. Or course, you can graft to get branches on the straight lower part of the trunk or above but the lack of taper and the straightness will definitely stay and it would take a lot of time. For the same amount of time, you can have a really nice little tree if you choose good material.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Choosing good material always falls under the perview of availabiity.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
They're not healthy either.
Likely in Clay,, so they'll never "Repot" safely.
I'm more than a No.
I'm a match dropper.
Welcome to Crazy!
Sorce
Likely in Clay,, so they'll never "Repot" safely.
I'm more than a No.
I'm a match dropper.
Welcome to Crazy!
Sorce
Boscology
Mame
Its what paradox said.......
Your time would be better spent growing from seed than trying to grow all new branches or doing a redic air-layer (we're talking several years here
Your time would be better spent growing from seed than trying to grow all new branches or doing a redic air-layer (we're talking several years here
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Having said that after reviewing some of the remarks made by some of the members since my above comment I am of the opinion that another option could be considered. understand that Scots back bud readily if cut hard at the very begining of Summer as long as the chop is down to a point where there is active growth below the chop. If you cut to bare wood you lose the tree. The advantage of doing it as mentioned is that you are taking an uninteresting trunk and reducing it down to a point where new growth will make it look huge. There are no guarantees but it can work as long as the tree is healthy. You can always graft but there are no guarantees unless you are very experienced and profcient at the technique.
I'm glad you see the potential too!
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
As I see it bonsai today is plagued by a lack of imagination. People are reluctant to consider something that demands making a move and waiting to see what nature will counter with the results of your move. It's kind of like nature chess. Usually in today's world we opt for spending money to purchase material that some individual with imagination did, as in the previous description, with the original material.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
With the internet and the ability to ship trees, we are not relegated to only buying from local landscape nurseries
Vance Wood said:
Its not lack of imagination here Vance. Its being honest about a lack of potential as bonsai.
There is no potential for bonsai, none at all and I know you know that. Just a newbies feverish dream of something he cant see.
These trees are 4 -5 foot tall ram rod straight trunks with little to no taper whatsoever. They would make very nice lawn trees but bonsai not so much.
Look at the proposed cut in the tree in the forground. One and a half feet of straight trunk with no taper, suddenly becoming a cascade???!!!
The other also has one and a half feet of straight trunk with no taper suddenly becoming and informal upright?
Really? That is a realistic and convincing bonsai to you? Would you buy either of these trees and make a cascade out of them?
You know Scots pines are my favorite trees for bonsai, and I would love to see more people work with them too.
Im guessing these trees are both at least $100-$150 or more? For that money, you could probably purchase a much better tree
I just cant advocate someone buy at tree that isnt going to make a decent bonsai tree ever, no matter what you do to it and waste their money and time when they could do so much better and have a much better tree in the long run. However I sense my advice is falling on deaf ears,. Its his time and money and bench space to waste so he will just have to make this expensive mistake and learn it for himself.
