AusBonsai

I purchased this tree from Thomson's Garden Centre in Orange NSW in October 2009 cost $21.90
Hieght of tree from soil is 700mm diamiter of trunk is 25mm.

Since purchasing I have found it to be an interesting cultivar. Information is minimal but it is a short needle dwarf Pine.

A narrow form of the "Japanese Black Pine". The short needles are dark green. White buds in winter. The bark becomes cork textured as the plant matures. Good for bonsai. Grows to approx 4M.

One of the Japanese nurserymen that Lindsay Farr interviewed recently was growing it extensively in his nursery.

Not sure how far I will get in one year with it but with limited stock in this area I was very happy to come across this one.

The trunk will bend with some support. The biggest chalenge with using this stock will be getting age to the trunk and lack of secondary branching within the one year time frame.

Brett Bonsai Today page 10 number 16 ( sunsho ) Pinus thunbergiana.

If you have or can get access to it.

Good luck Pup

but I think one year is really pushing it to develop this tree

Aint that the truth I am not only looking at creating secondary branches but aslo chasing back budding wich in itself takes a year Especaily since chopping time is past for the pine
Not alot of stock out this way I was very happy to have found this one. It is very healthy I will give it a kick and see what happens.

As I understand hard wood pruning should be done during winter when less sap will flow on pines. I have been experimenting in the last few days about how much I can get away with pruning at this time of the year. I removed all the needles on the trunk. I found that if I twisted the candles of the top section it did not seep much.
The plan is by striping the top it will stop growing but without removing it yet I won't lose much sap. I will lose some out of the smaller side branches I removed but I hope that as this will be wrapped I will get away with it.
I am using Deborah Koreshoffs sketch as a template but mine heads the other way as I liked the bend at the base better this way. I want some more movement in the trunk so on the with the Vet Wrap then three large wires are zip tied up the trunk. I love the Vet Wrap it has made life so easy this year with root over rock and all soughts of projects. Then Vet Wrap again finished off with thick wire wrapped around trunk. I hope my wiring looks to be at 45 deg
I go by a quote that Big George said to me whatever works. This is just a steel bar that I have welded a couple of pegs on to bend the trunk and a sliding clamp to brace the tree. It is very important to feel the wood as you bend and listen very carefully. I think I could have gone further than this but I think that is enough.
Few more bends!

The planned front Back I will now let the tree rest and if it shows it is still happy I will wire the branches and start learning how to prune pines
I think I have a phew weeks that I can still get good results from candle pruning?

From Jarrod
Remember everyone, we have 12 months, no need to kill the tree by doing things out of season.

I said I was going to kick it and see what happens

Leigh has mentioned concern on removing so much foliage at once. I must say this was my main concern. He did not mention any concern with the bending though?
I almost heard the tree scream when I started plucking it "what are you doing" I probably could have left the top foliage on and removed it in a second stage.
I some times find the best way to learn is to jump in when you have something on the line you learn pretty quick These lessons would be woth the $20 I spent anyway.
It was a very healthy tree and still fairly young so that will be a big plus in it recovering.

Thanks for the advice guys

With all the wrapping you have plus the wire and you bent the wire.There should not be a problem with cambium sepration. I would be more concerned with how much foliage reduction was done. The reason for raffia wrapping is to protect if seperation or breaking occurs it will help to heal, not sure about vet wrap. When I did use it on a pine I am still finding bits in the bark.

Edit nice start Brett. Good Luck Pup

It has been just over three weeks since the above work was done and all is going great. The candles have fully extended and it seems I can go ahead with my plan to encourage some back budding on the apex branch. I need a bud to form somewhere in the vicinity of the red circled area to form an apex in the future. There are two branches as indicated by the pink that will become the side branches as in the template.

Going by Colin Lewis' Hamlyn Care Manual. If I remove the entire candle after it has fully extended then I should get back budding on wood several years old during the following winter. It is only last years growth where I need the bud so we will see how it goes.

Bailey wanted in on the pictures so here he is displaying the removed candle.
Then he wanted to make a bonsai out of it so I stripped over 3/4 of the needles, sliced the end clean, dipped it in rooting hormone and potted it up in sand. Will be a great tree for him if it takes root

If you are after back budding I suggest you look as much info as you can about the technique Boon uses.

Thanks Jarrod. I have done progressive pine workshops with Chris Johnston, one of Boons students so although I would say I am far from accomplished at it I am aware of it.
Boons technique is more of a 2 year plan and was not really appropriate at the moment. I am sure I will use the two year plan in the future but It is not really any different than what I have done here except I am not working at reducing needle length (although there will be some on any new buds I get) which is the main advantage with boons technique.
Also I won't be plucking any needles from the branches I am using. I think I have taken enough off for now Also I am only working the one branch for the same reason.


The reason I quoted Colin's instructions is because they are a much simpler explanation of what I have done and trying to accomplish in this first year.

This is Chris' unfinished explanation of this technique on ausbonsai.
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1089&p=10728#p10728

And a more complete explanation on his site Bonsai Study Group.
https://bonsaistudygroup.com/japanese-bl ... -johnston/

I have recently watched Boons pine DVD (several times) and there are two different techniques. One is for trees in development and one is for "finished" trees. Trees in development don't get plucked. Just cut the spring candles differently depending on the strenth they have. This will get tHe adventitious buds to open at it's base and also wake up some Of he back buds in older branches. It also helps to balance the trees energy. You do it earlier also as needle size, as you have said, is not important.

This is just what I got out of the video. Totally understand that there are many different methods I just see his as being one that I have understood the best and find easiest.

I was looking at buying that DVD the other day Jarrod as a group purchase with the repotting JBP. I think I understand the basics now but it will be great to see it being done. Hopefully I can get it before spring work.

The top of the pine that was stripped bare has shot back which may suprise some people. I was going to keep plucking it bare to put the energy into the branches I am keeping which was the plan but since I killed Baileys cutting from this I thought I might try an air layer of the top. If I start now I might get it off in spring

Looking good bretts. Glad it wasn't one of the fatalitys that we have seen. Give the airlayer a go, nothing to lose if your taking it off anyway.

Definately try to get the DVDs. They are fantastic. I had a friend get them, managed to before this years candle cutting season so I saw and confirmed most of what I was doing!

Hi All
I started to air layer regrowth of the top but as I had run out of sphagnum moss it kept drying out all the time. I cut te top off about a week or so later

Webos got me interested in unveiling the wraps on this tree today and start winter grooming. Then I wondered if I should put more movement in the trunk. I think there will be enough work to go so I should just take what I have!
What do you reckon?

Thanks Luke but there is a way to go yet
I decided that if I was to move on this year I better take what I got. It is the obvious choice really as this is the first time I have done anything like this I am sure the trunk movement will need refining again in the future once it settles into a style.
Also once I removed the wrapping it is obvious that I need to get onto positioning branches as they have started to thicken.

Keep up the the good work Pup