AusBonsai

Cheers ketutg,
Definitely agree the change in angle helps to remove a bit of a “static” feeling from the tree. What happens in the future with that low right branch is still up for debate - but for now it will hang on for at least one more season I think.

Didn't post an update after I repotted ... but it was repotted late winter and has kicked into gear with a new flush ready for decandling in December.

Another pine decandled today ...

Had a go at this pine today too. Had a re-work of the top third (in addition to shoot selection and needle reduction). Probably more needles to be plucked but think it’s looking better so will leave it at that for today. Shaping up not too bad I reckon.
Also thinking about somewhere near the image below as a slight change in front, rotating anti-clockwise a bit. I think it makes the “zig-zag” soften a little and maybe increases the basal spread a tiny bit. Would need a small tweak in branching to finish it if I go that way but I’ll think about it for a bit first... dunno.

Love it. How do you find re potting in the winter that follows from decandling/shoot selection

rockkcorful wrote: ↑April 26th, 2020, 8:22 pm Love it. How do you find re potting in the winter that follows from decandling/shoot selection

Thanks, glad you like it... it’s getting there.
No dramas repotting provided there are no concerns with health. I repotted this (and others) in mid August last year, and they kicked on well enough that I was very comfortable to decandle again in December. Keep in mind I am in Melbourne so a bit different to further north, but probably still relevant. No repot required this year I think, so looking forward to further reduction in needle length and shorter internodes. Should keep improving!

R3 - excellent progress. Yet... I reckon it could do with a couple of spoonfuls of commitment. Earlier in this thread you suggested tilting the tree a little when re-potting .... but ... I don't think you did? I reckon you were onto something.
To my eye, this tree would level up (that's me trying to be young ) - what I may is it could have more intrigue and perhaps the perception of more age by having it's top off centre... and then it may be easier to commit to a more aggressive design where that bottom right branch becomes a very short jin/stubb and then perhaps the branch above it has the chance to hang a little more ...One of the branches on the left could be jinned to break the lines a little too.
That said, there's nothing wrong with the lines now... and of course..... it is sooooo much easier to comment on someone else tree than do something to my own (if I even owned something like this!)
Thanks for the update and I won't be offended when I am ignored; as usual, just floating ideas.

MJL wrote: ↑April 26th, 2020, 9:50 pm Earlier in this thread you suggested tilting the tree a little when re-potting .... but ... I don't think you did? I reckon you were onto something.

Yeah... it’s true, I did. The main reason I didn’t tilt it was I took it from a big plastic pot to a smaller bonsai pot, and the reduction in roots was not insane but significant. If I incorporated my planned change in angle it would’ve been more roots off so I held back. I will revisit the tilt next time I repot... the rotational change I suggest above was me getting lost in the tree after I spent so long looking at it that I was focussed on what was there as I turned the turntable for the hundredth time... I was tree drunk!
I have about 4 big moves for this tree planned, a few involve what you describe. Eventually I will Jin the bottom right/back branch, and when I do the one above will get dropped down. The apex will most likely exist more to the right, particularly after the tilt gets a gig... and the rest, well...

Another day ... another decandling session. Not quite as much time as I wanted to spend however, so I just managed to get this out before I ran out of time. There might be scope to further reduce the number of needles, all have to reflect on that. It really is filling in nicely though.

Banging out some lovely stuff R3 - all your pines are developing beautifully and seeing an uptick in the quality of photos too... and they were good before! New camera/phone?


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MJL wrote: ↑December 13th, 2020, 1:57 pm Banging out some lovely stuff R3 - all your pines are developing beautifully and seeing an uptick in the quality of photos too... and they were good before! New camera/phone?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey MJL,
Thanks for the props, pines are advancing! No new technology though, just finding ways to maximise what I have... a bit like my bonsai!
Hope you’re enjoying the festive season... bring on 2021.

The photo presentation is flash.
The pine is developing well, congrats.

Watto wrote: ↑December 14th, 2020, 5:33 am The photo presentation is flash.
The pine is developing well, congrats.

Yeah i have to agree your photo presentation is next level and your pines are amazing

Autumn update. Cleaned up, re-wired and styled today ... I have to say it was a bit of an epic effort. Rewiring on a little tree like this that has pretty reasonable ramification is hard work!! (at least at my skill level), still - I think it came up quite nicely.
I also decided to remove the bottom back branch/sacrifice. Having done that, I will be looking to change the planting angle next repot and incorporate the tilt I talked about somewhere earlier in this thread. Today's restyle suits the current angle but I think can easily be tweaked when I get to changing things up. Something to look forward to!