Pinus Nigra Maratima starter

[alpineart]

This trunk was collected for the bend at the base and the aged bark

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.I have had this trunk and several others for a couple of years .They back bud after a season or two potted up , now the time has come to work a few of these into trainers for the future . I needed to continue the movement from the base to the apex so a block

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and steel rod was used to ensure it remains in place for at least 2 seasons

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I then wired all the branches using the upper branch in place for the new apex ,

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I have cut the branches back to a new shoot not too harsh , then basically shaped the remaining foliage .

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A trim of the needles and its all done for another trunk .

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A ring count tonight put this at 25 plus years old

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.In a few years time there should be quite a lot of back budding and foliage giving this a good start to an aged trainer .

Cheers Alpineart

[magpie]

Love your work.

Amazing how you bend that straight trunk and give lots of movements. It will be a great tree in the future.

[Dario]

Lovely bark texture and colour Alpine!
Cheers, Dario.

[alpineart]

Hi Magpie , anything go to achieve a result . Not one for making pretty boy trainers , at the end of the day the results are there . I don't mind sharing some not so normal methods , there would be a few horrified individuals around the world shaking their heads with things i get up too but i'm not here to to play by the rules . . Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Lovely bark texture and colour Alpine!
Cheers, Dario.

Hi Dario , The Pinus Nigra's have fantastic bark , from about 10 years on it begins to thicken and flake . I have some trainers done a couple of years ago , but the Maratima's are slower than the Austriaca to back bud and fill out needles are longer and wider in the spacing but the bark is a treat on all of them .

Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

Looking around the benches i noticed the damp trunk on this pine so i decided to remove the sash and block to allow some air flow around the trunk .

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It a tad bit early to remove for the sake of the bend but it can always be replaced with a smaller area of bark concealed

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. I have removed the old apex stub opting not to have a jinned top rather to keep the movement flowing

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. Now the old bark can get some sun and fresh air around the base

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. It needs a little trim and rewire but that will happen over the next few days .

Cheers Alpine .

[matty-j]

as always mr alpine very impressive ill be looking forward to how this develops!!

a question tho, when you removed the block did the trunk spring back? and do you think it will straighten over time?

cheers
matt

[alpineart]

Hi Matty-j, mate is didn't spring back at all, if it did it was marginal and i didn't pick it , i slipped the wire off the top , had a coffee came back and it slid back on . It has been well over 18 months since it was set so it has basically had 2 seasons of growth in the trunk , If it begins to straighten i will put a smaller thinner less bulky brace in place so i can keep trimming and shaping the branches .

Cheers Alpine

[jadecuphey87]

Hi alpine.
Love the bends mate it really catches your eye. Love your style of creating those too my just might give it a go . Very resourceful way of creating great movement in thicker trunks. :

[alpineart]

Hi jc87 , mate i use a lot of different methods to bend things , this is very simple and easy to apply . Its an old trunk and wiring would only damage the large plates of bark and i would need big wire and plenty of it to do the same job and then the bark would be damaged .

Cheers . Alpine

[Brian]

excellent tutorial and photo's, Alpine. Great work.

[alpineart]

excellent tutorial and photo's, Alpine. Great work.

Hi Brian , mate the pics are getting better , my methods , well their still a little rough , but effective .I have some bigger trunks power pole to set bends in and this method will definitely test the trunks out .I have cut a few 20mm rods just for the purpose .

Cheers Alpine