Thunderhead

[M. Frary]

Besides the cool name is thunderhead Japanese black pine a good tree for bonsai? I've checked previous posts and found some conflicting information. One says they are good subjects and another says that they are too congested. I ask because I found a couple larger ones at a nursery near me.
Thank You.

 

[0soyoung]

Besides the cool name is thunderhead Japanese black pine a good tree for bonsai? I've checked previous posts and found some conflicting information. One says they are good subjects and another says that they are too congested. I ask because I found a couple larger ones at a nursery near me.
Thank You.

I bought one a few years ago at a local garden nursery and air-layered it - now I have two. In the process I experimented to verify needle size reduction with standard JBP candle pruning and am just getting started with development as bonsai. Thunderheads do have short(er) internodes, though, which seems like a good thing at this point.

I've attached pics of what the two pieces looked like back in mid-Sep before any pruning and needle plucking. "Too congested" seems an odd criticism - ever look at a shohin JBP? I suppose problems might appear further down the road, but I'm not seeing anything discouraging and don't understand why 'thunderhead' isn't a highly desired cultivar for bonsai.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

From Brent's site:
Pinus thunbergii 'Thunderhead' A dwarf form making a broad dense mound. Dark green needles contrasted with white buds. This cultivar has been given short shrift in the bonsai community, mainly because of its medium to long needles (three to four inches). However, I have found that the needles can be reduced to acceptable lengths, and that its excellent ability to back bud makes it a decent candidate for smaller pine bonsai, perhaps not quite shohin though. It looks very much like a slightly larger version of 'Yatsubusa'.

From the look of the photo above, you'd need to manage the buds in the fall to get the terminals back to 2 buds per. That will help with the congestion and the knobby whorls at forks.

 

[Vance Wood]

I bought one a few years ago at a local garden nursery and air-layered it - now I have two. In the process I experimented to verify needle size reduction with standard JBP candle pruning and am just getting started with development as bonsai. Thunderheads do have short(er) internodes, though, which seems like a good thing at this point.

I've attached pics of what the two pieces looked like back in mid-Sep before any pruning and needle plucking. "Too congested" seems an odd criticism - ever look at a shohin JBP? I suppose problems might appear further down the road, but I'm not seeing anything discouraging and don't understand why 'thunderhead' isn't a highly desired cultivar for bonsai.

That is the kind of condemnation I used to get about the Mugo Pine, basically negative generalities from people who do not grow it. My advise to you, and of course who am I to talk about Black Pines, is if you think you see something in the tree and you believe you can make something of it, go for it. You don't need our approval.

Brian is right however, you need to watch which buds you allow to develop. Todays bunch o' buds turns into tomorrow's spokes on wheels, which in turn make ugly knuckles to be dealt with.

 

[Klytus]

Ah,i see another has enjoyed the brutish good looks of Thunderhead,will ye go for classic anvil styling?

It could be brootal!

 

[Vance Wood]

Ah,i see another has enjoyed the brutish good looks of Thunderhead,will ye go for classic anvil styling?

It could be brootal!

Hark!-----What sweet music from beneath yonder rock emerges to blesseth ears and bringeth eyes to tears.

 

[Dav4]

Hark!-----What sweet music from beneath yonder rock emerges to blesseth ears and bringeth eyes to tears.

Vance, that was truly inspired and timely! Thanks for a chuckle on a dreary day.

 

[M. Frary]

Thanks all you guys.
Vance. I do see something in these trees. And probably do something with them.
Brian. I saw that info at Brents site. Gives me hope if he endorses this tree. On a side note I looked at the elm pre-bonsai to see if the one I was going to buy with my year end bonus was still there. No dice. Oh well you snooze you lose.
Thanks again for the replies and Merry Christmas.