[360°] Green Five needle pine at the NBPCA

[NBPCA]

Hi everyone,

With Steves cooperation we are showing a tree in 360 that is far from ready for display. The tree has been donated to the NBPCA but it will take 3 to 5 years of steady work to bring it to or back to a level where it will be ready for display.

Here are some photos of the bonsai when we first saw it. It had outgrown its pot, it had become elongated but otherwise was in good health and has lots of redeeming features; enough to consider investing the time necessary to restore the bonsai to good condition.

5 Needle Pine pre-workshop1.JPG

5 Needle Pine pre-workshop2.JPG

5 Needle Pine pre-workshop3.JPG

In consultation with the donor we at the NBPCA will be slowly compacting, thinning, redesigning, repotting, bending, wiring, shaping, grooming this Bonsai over the coming years and you will be able to watch the process here.

You can see the original tree here in 360 as of 14th April 2010. http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/360/Pinus_parviflora_nbpca/

We also encourage you to participate over the years with some virtual designs or even sketches of how the bonsai may look in 5 or 10 years time.

It is a green Five needle pine that would have been grafted onto Japanese black pine understock. We estimate it to be about 35 years old.

Once the soil and surface covering was removed from around the trunk we found a lovely thick, tapering base.

Looking forward to the challenge and to your comments and suggestions.

Grant Bowie
NBPCA

[NBPCA]

Hi all!

There is gold in this tree somewhere! It will be good to have people involved, to get ideas and thoughts. Of course, we will post progressions as we work the tree to keep you all up to date.

When I first saw this tree, it was hidden way back on the owners benches, kind of in a corner! I didnt take a lot of notice of the tree as it was pretty over grown and wasnt facing me in a favourable angle.

It wasnt until the tree was pulled out of its corner for the initial photographs that we took (above) that the tree showed me some of its potential. The great low branching, the plentiful foliage, and the interesting movement in the trunk. One of the better features of the tree is, in my belief, yet to be unveiled, as there is still some cleaning up around the base of the tree to be done yet. I reckon there will be a brilliant root system that tapers well into the trunk of the tree.

So, with plenty of branches to work with, lets see some virts and sketches! Personally, I wouldnt be too hasty with removing the low branches, but lets see some options without them!

Cheers,
Leigh Taafe.
NBPCA

[dayne]

nice tree in my opinion not that its worth much but the bottom left branch should go way to low and dosnt show the nice movement of the trunk and even if potted higher in the pot it will apear to come from the inside bend of the trunk.

[Mitchell]

WoW! What a great oppotunity for us all!! Thanks for taking the time to do the 360! Are you editing it atm, as it does not seem to be working, can't wait to see though.

[Leigh Taafe]

Hi Mitchell,

Should be ok mate - works at my place!

Regards,
Leigh.

[Jamie]

this is a choice pine, i have a few ideas but would like to get more shots especially with the base cleared up.

its interesting that the chosen front, or what i presume is the chosen front is to the short side of the oval pot. makes it look circle at the right angle.

jamie

[Grant Bowie]

Jim M and I will be working on a different tree tomorrow but if we get the time we will start the clean up around the base of the tree. Otherwise it will be leigh and I on Friday. We shall show photos as we go. It should create an interesting archive for the future.

We will start with recutting some of the previous cuts and seal them so that they will heal over flawlessly over the next two or three years. I have been double sealing lately, first with the green tube Kiyonal and letting it dry, then sealing over that with the sealing putty. Scars and cuts have been healing quickly this year. A combination of good cuts, sealing, fertilizing and adequate growth, plus a good growing season after the cold wet start of spring.

Grant

[dayne]

just checked the 360 nice that bottom could stay as theres a possibillity of a few other fronts as wel

[Bretts]

It will be great to see it take shape thanks for taking the time to include us guys

I guess the first question would be how many if any of the lowest branches wil be removed. My thought is it would be a pity to lose them all but the trunk above them may not suit very low branches?

[jamo]

Great material. I spun the tree anticlockwise and was viewing the tree from a slight angle at the left and found an interesting trunk line. Thought I'd sketch out a design. Hardest job would be the branch on the right about 2/3rds up. The top would also be reduced by about 50 - 100mm. The bottom branches both side are gone. The sketch shows jins but they're optional.

5 needle pine sketch.jpg

[NBPCA]

Great material. I spun the tree anticlockwise and was viewing the tree from a slight angle at the left and found an interesting trunk line. Thought I'd sketch out a design. Hardest job would be the branch on the right about 2/3rds up. The top would also be reduced by about 50 - 100mm. The bottom branches both side are gone. The sketch shows jins but they're optional.

5 needle pine sketch.jpg

Thanks,

You will be able to see more of the tree as we go along and change, refine or add to your sketch as you go.

There are one or two heavy branches up around the middle of the tree.

Grant

[NBPCA]

Hi all,

Friday morning and we are excavating the buried trunk of the Five needle pine. It is amazing!

Pictures soon.

Grant

[Mitchell]

Hi all,

Friday morning and we are excavating the buried trunk of the Five needle pine. It is amazing!

Pictures soon.

Grant

Well go on.... don't keep us in suspence! Where are the pics??

[NBPCA]

Hi all,

Friday morning and we are excavating the buried trunk of the Five needle pine. It is amazing!

Pictures soon.

Grant

Well go on.... don't keep us in suspence! Where are the pics??

Waaiitt for it.

[NBPCA]

Start.JPG

Sizing it up.JPG

more sizing up.JPG

By lunchtime.JPG

starting to find real trunk.JPG

So far so good. We are finding a lovely flairing base.

More photos when finished for the day.

Grant