White pine train wreck!

[Bonsai Nut]

Ok, here's a white pine that will make everyone cringe. Deep down in there somewhere is a nice trunkline, but something went wrong somewhere Have fun with it - I have my ideas of what my priorities would be to clean it up and get it back on the right path but would love to hear from others

Oh I forgot to add - it's selling on Yahoo! Auction Japan for 78K Yen (about $700). Would you buy it for that?

 

[Greg Brenden]

We call her "Jinny"

 

[Tachigi]

Poor thing had the ugly stick taken to her.

 

[Mark]

I turned away in horror!

Mark

 

[Bonsaiforlife]

Poor thing had the ugly stick taken to her.

No all the ungly sticks have come from her.

 

[JasonG]

I think this is a diamond in the ruff......

There is a good trunk line in there, if you were to rotate it to the left 30 degrees or so. The trunk has a few too many jins for my taste BUT I wouldn't not buy just because of that. With some work and a lot of time you could redo the jin work and create some hollows in the trunk where the branches were cut close.
From there the top of the tree looks to be ok. Lots of branching and foliage to create a nice compact tree.

Would I pay $700 for it..... I would offer $500 and go from there. I would always do some trading to get it as well.

All in all, I think it is a unique tree that would create a challenge and have high rewards. I would love to work on it.

Thanks for posting Greg.....

Jason

 

[Graydon]

Thanks for that post Jason. I don't know white pines for nothing... but I thought I saw a nice tree in this one. I thought it was my inability to judge material that I was not familiar with that was the hang up. It reminded me of a JWP that was detailed in a recent bonsai publication. Seems like a serviceable trunk and there might be some nebari somewhere down there.

I'll say this, it looks much nicer than these JWP for sale here in the States... at would be a deal at $500 to $700... no?

I'll go back to my tropical trees now.

 

[ianb]

Yep definitely a diamond in there somewhere, that trunk has so much character and the jins can be worked/removed with very little effort, shame there are no lower branches but you would be able to create the semblance of a branch/foliage pad structure from the foliage there is.

Boy that was a long sentence

Ian

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

It isn't ugly.... it's unusual. A whole lot of carving, some crown work, and a little bit of vision and you'd have an investment on your hands.

I'll say I've never seen anything like it... but it's certinally workable.


Kindest regards,


Victrinia

 

[Chris Johnston]

The problem I see with the first tree displayed, besides all the jins showing someone neglected to choose branches at the right time, is that there are no low branches. All of them spring from the crown. So one has been brought down to hide behind the trunk. I guess this is okay, but I would rather graft branches where they belong than submit to that.

Graydon, your tree has some possibilities. My reservations are personal preference on these trees. The graft union hidden behind the low branch will always show a huge difference in bark between the white pine bark and the JBP bark below it. I recommend a more full canopy which exposed the trunk only at the crown.

 

[Graydon]

The problem I see with the first tree displayed, besides all the jins showing someone neglected to choose branches at the right time, is that there are no low branches. All of them spring from the crown. So one has been brought down to hide behind the trunk. I guess this is okay, but I would rather graft branches where they belong than submit to that.

Graydon, your tree has some possibilities. My reservations are personal preference on these trees. The graft union hidden behind the low branch will always show a huge difference in bark between the white pine bark and the JBP bark below it. I recommend a more full canopy which exposed the trunk only at the crown.

Chris - those are not my trees. They are photos lifted from a sellers site and I posted them to show what common material looks like (to me) as an illustration in this discussion. I would not consider either of the trees I posted because a) I can't grow JWP and b) they are bad examples of trees.

I agree with your grafting idea. I had thought the same but neglected to post it. I still think it is a nice trunk.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I agree with your grafting idea. I had thought the same but neglected to post it. I still think it is a nice trunk.

What I found most remarkable about this tree was that there WERE suitable low branches on the trunk. However they were all cut off and jinned. Then the designer had to start bending branches to try to cover up the places he had just defoliated Finally I think they just decided to sell the tree. First you would want to eliminate 90% of the jins and heal the trunk. This could be accelerated if you were able to get some grafts to take lower down, especially in close proximity to the larger scars. Lot of work, but there is a nice profile buried in there...

 

[Taylor Brown]

With respect to everyone that thought this tree was ugly I think you are not using your imagination. I see a tree in in this pine. Just because someone didn't know what they were doing doesn't mean that its hopeless.

 

[rlist]

With respect to everyone that thought this tree was ugly I think you are not using your imagination. I see a tree in in this pine. Just because someone didn't know what they were doing doesn't mean that its hopeless.

Niiiice!

 

[Rick Moquin]

With respect to everyone that thought this tree was ugly I think you are not using your imagination. I see a tree in in this pine. Just because someone didn't know what they were doing doesn't mean that its hopeless.

No one ever said it was hopeless, just that someone butchered it in the past and now many years will be required to repair. Those scars will take a long time to heal.

 

[Tachigi]

I think you are not using your imagination

I think I've just been served <sigh>

 

[Jan Olav]

Hi there,
My first post here. GREAT forum. I might be hijacking the thread a bit, but I hope you don`t mind.
I like the pine by the way, it has got some personality to it.
I have been reading some of Taylor Browns posts and have to say that it makes me very happy to see someone that young so engaged in something good. I live on the westcoast of Norway and we have thousands of scots. It is not allowed to send trees from Norway to the US, otherwise there would be a scots on its way to you. I am posting some pictures I took a couple of days ago from the area where I do my collecting.
I am also a bonsai potter, and the pot in the picture is yours for free if you want it.(Taylor that is) All I ask in return is that you post a picture here with a tree in it. It is a round pot 20cm X 6cm external. Bad picture. I just took a snapshot to get it in my post. I will send it to you free of charge as a gift. If you or your father send me a mail or a PM with you address, it will be in the mail just after christmas.
My dayjob is teaching, so I know that your engagement is something special. Keep up the good work!

 

[Hans van Meer]

Wow Jan Olav,
that is a nice gesture! And me I say that it is a nice pot and those pics are beautiful! It makes my mouth water, you are so lucky to live in a aria with such beautiful scenery's and trees! I am from Holland and here everything is flat or water! A live is not fare! LOL!!
Happy Holidays,
Hans.

 

[Taylor Brown]

I am also a bonsai potter, and the pot in the picture is yours for free if you want it.(Taylor that is) All I ask in return is that you post a picture here with a tree in it. It is a round pot 20cm X 6cm external. Bad picture. I just took a snapshot to get it in my post. I will send it to you free of charge as a gift.

That pot is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be a great bonsai potter. I would really like it but I can't take such a nice pot. I did not do anything to deserve it. I told my Dad about your offer and he agreed with me. He did say that I could trade you something of mine for it. I have a couple of nice erin pots I bought with money I make from chores. I could trade one of those Dad said. Its ok if you don't want to since your a potter you must have a ton of nice pots.

Thank you very much for yor offer it was very kind.

 

[Jan Olav]

Hi Taylor,
Glad you like it. The trade is that you get the pot and post pictures with one of your trees in it on this forum. Yesterday i gave away a tree to one of my students(he is 15), he did not have to do anything to deserve it. A gift is a gift. My feeling is that if you "youngsters" do something creative and artistic with your hands you deserve a helping hand. I am sure you get all the helping hands you need, but it made me happy to read about you so in my book you deserve the pot.