What to do? What to do?

Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston

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Ottawa, KS
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Well I'm sorry I ever deleted all these posts. It's actually fun going back and reconstructing them, though.

This is a little scots pine from seedling. It was a gift and a challenge. You can see wire scars from the past out on the low branch


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Compact the curves some more and get it to bud back? I think the curves in the trunk part are not tight enough and the branches could do with some tight turning as well.
 
meushi said:
Compact the curves some more and get it to bud back? I think the curves in the trunk part are not tight enough and the branches could do with some tight turning as well.
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I agree about tightening the curves but I think that putting it into a larger pot or the ground to stimulat the trunk to swell will do a lot to bring these curves into proportion and ad interest and dynamics to the tree. As it is now it looks like an Elephant sat on it.
 
Burn pile! In all honesty there is nothing much to do with this specimen. The trunk and branches are the same size and unless you are willing to plant it out for the next 10-15 years, don't waste your time.
 
Chris Johnston said:
Here's one that should be interesting:
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I got a nice idea for ya...I will get back to you later with it.

Rick Moquin said:
Burn pile! In all honesty there is nothing much to do with this specimen. The trunk and branches are the same size and unless you are willing to plant it out for the next 10-15 years, don't waste your time.
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You can't be serious??

Jason
 
Take the view in the first picture, lay the tree down on the ground to the left, then there is a possibility that could be very interesting.



Other than that, I agree with Rick.



Will
 
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I will have to go with Rick on this one. I wouldn't spend the time. However I'd like to see someone make something cool out of it so I can be proven wrong - I would love to learn what you'd do.
 
Hey Chris,

This is intersting material, and the type of material that turns into killer bonsai. Yes the coils need to be brought in a bit but not much at all.If anything I would take some of the roundness from the bends and make them tighter more angular. If it were mine I would plant it in the ground for a few years to thicken it a bit but to also get a big jumpstart on the bark production. I think if you let a single leader grow wild for 2 years then spent 3 years needle plucking and working on back budding you would have a kick butt tree. You can do this and still work on bark production while keeping it in check for the last 3 years.
What I noticed in your 3 pictures was a junk trunk, a nice trunk and an ok trunk. To me, I think the trunk is the most dynamic in the 2nd picture but would really like to see a picture of it inbetween the 2nd and 3rd pic for a possible front. In one of the pictures I noticed a fair amount of wire bite in that looks to have caused reverse taper near the top of the twists. I would graft a scion at the base of that swelling and create the new tree from that point.
A shohin, with good bark, good trunk movement, good nebari and something that you won't see everyday. I also attached a tree I found while searching the net that could prove to be a bit of inspiration and very certainly doable given what you are starting with. Serious, you have what could be a killer tree here if you take the right steps with it.
The picture I drew on has a blue dot that is located about where I would graft on it and then another possible idea.



Rick Moquin said:
Dead serious!
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hmmm.....allrighty then.

Will Heath said:
Take the view in the first picture, lay the tree down on the ground to the left, then there is a possibility that could be very interesting.
Will
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That would make it a corkscrew with trunks 2 trunks comin off it. hmm......
 

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i am a total photoshop loser so I'll just try to explain what I see. I vote that you straighten the curves or spread them out. You'll be left with a much longer trunk but the remanents of the curves will lead to a really nice literati once branchwork is finished.
 
BonsaiNut said:
I will have to go with Rick on this one. I wouldn't spend the time. However I'd like to see someone make something cool out of it so I can be proven wrong - I would love to learn what you'd do.
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You know thoses little gnarled pines we love so much? What do you think they look like after the first intervention with the current Japanese method of production? Exactly like this one ;)
 
JasonG said:
This is intersting material, and the type of material that turns into killer bonsai. Yes the coils need to be brought in a bit but not much at all.If anything I would take some of the roundness from the bends and make them tighter more angular. If it were mine I would plant it in the ground for a few years to thicken it a bit but to also get a big jumpstart on the bark production. I think if you let a single leader grow wild for 2 years then spent 3 years needle plucking and working on back budding you would have a kick butt tree. You can do this and still work on bark production while keeping it in check for the last 3 years.
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A little more detail than what I basically said but a long way down the road... nonetheless.

The attached picture you provided did not occur overnight either. I used to get wooed with such material (Chris' tree), I just simply don't any more. Sorry!
 

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Wow, kind of a mixed bag. Sort of makes me wonder about the $3.00 I spent for this little wonder.

Chris
 
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Rick Moquin said:
A little more detail than what I basically said but a long way down the road... nonetheless.

The attached picture you provided did not occur overnight either. I used to get wooed with such material (Chris' tree), I just simply don't any more. Sorry!
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How is what I said basically the same as what you said with a bit more detail? Burn Pile and 15 year project doesn't even come close to a plan with details.

The picture I attached is of a fairly young tree, by young I mean not many years in training, more along the time frame I put forth and 1/3 of the time you put forth. This is what you get when you apply the correct techniques to very young raw stock like Chris has shown. The Japanese know how to do this, same in Taiwan but not many in America. This will change in the next few years.

Chris's tree doesn't get me all worked up either, but at the same time with a little vision and 5 years it can be a killer tree. Definently not a burn pile tree, that would just be silly and for someone whe doesn't know what to do with this type of material.


Chris, I hope you didn't pay that much for it :)
Jason
 
Just how long do you think it will take to resemble the picture you posted? That will not be achieved within 5 years and if it is your contention then I believe you guys are growing more than bonsai in your neck of the woods. Pass the roach clip...
 
Rick Moquin said:
Just how long do you think it will take to resemble the picture you posted? That will not be achieved within 5 years and if it is your contention then I believe you guys are growing more than bonsai in your neck of the woods. Pass the roach clip...
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That is a shohin tree that was grown in the ground. We have jbp with 10" trunks that are only 9 yrs old. The trunk on the tree I posted is small and developing a small foliage pad like that isn't a very long term process with the right techniques applied.

I won't argue with you on this, I have many, many hrs discussing this with Bonsai Masters from America, Europe and Japan getting ideas, thoughts, experience passed down to me, directions, etc.... that is the knowledge I will listen to and rely on.

Ok, off to work on trees now... :)
 
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