This is the pine that was collected 14 months ago .

It had been growing in the usual upright fashion however it was located on a Deer or wallaby run and over time it washed  away and become a cascade .This also had been sprayed with weed killer 12 months prior to collecting .

I was in the process of collecting several in the area however the spray gangs  beat me to the punch .A year on it was still alive so i collected it 2 months later ,

after being trimmed and potted into a large training box it was due for a work over .

This is the first style apart from a trim just after collection . After careful consideration of all the features including the 200mm base with its aged bark and  the natural shari made by the wildlife in the area the apex for the jins was not in keeping with the trunk  movement so they too will get some serious movement or should i say a complete transition

turning them almost 90 to 180 degree’s over the next few days .It took around 8 hours to basically wire the main branches

I then spent another 2 days wiring and shaping , needle plucking and removing unwanted candles in and around the canopy in preparation for the jin and shari work . With the basic wiring done the tree begins its new life as a Bonsai trainer .Considering this tree was growing in a cascade fashion most of the new shoots and branchlets were now on the underside of the main branches .This was an issue as all the branches required rotating ,some up to 180 degree’s in order to have the new needles and candles in the correct position . I expect to spend another day on the tree in order to reset the branch stubs  and apex so it is in balance with the rest of the trunk line and canopy, with 20-30mm jins on the apex some serious wiring and clamping will be required .It won’t be pretty but no doubt it will do the job required .Fortunately the upper part of the trunk is not dead so it will be able to be manipulated easier than if it was dead wood

After another day its its still in the process of being transformed into a quality trainer .Personally i don’t particularly care what trainers look like in reguards to wire and tubing , blocks or any other items used to manipulate the branches or dead wood as the are simply trainers .Well after 4 days working with a Broken right leg and a broken toe on the other foot it been a challenge ,but a good all round result . This is the new front for the trainer, the natural shari at the base will get a tidy up over the next day or two and then a good clean to show off the reddish colour bark of the Monterey Pine . A little fine tuning of the branch plaement , then its off to the bench for the rest of the season , come Winter a new pot will be required as it will need to be re-potted .

 

Cheers and Happy Bonsai . Alpineart

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