THE PINE PROJECT

[melbrackstone]

Looking good there Ryceman. You're really powering ahead with them!

[Ryceman3]

Just a quick update.
I have potted up about 150 pine seedlings - still a few to go but for now I have run out of bonsai mix so need to get some more before I do the last 50 or so.
Roughly 1/4 of those I have done to date have been stem cuttings (and most of them were JBP, only about a dozen that were a mix of the others). The rest were root pruned as previously shown. I have also potted a few in multiples like "clumps" just for a giggle ... we'll see what becomes of them - it's an experiment. So far so good with most of the ones I have attacked - I have only found one that has already turned up it's toes, happy with that (but early days yet).

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[MJL]

Excellent work R3. Now sit back and enjoy a beer in the sun. [THUMBS UP SIGN]


Bonsai teaches me patience.

[Ryceman3]

Excellent work R3. Now sit back and enjoy a beer in the sun. [THUMBS UP SIGN]


Bonsai teaches me patience.

Ha!
Thanks MJL, I’ll enjoy a beer or three more when I know they’re out of the woods (or in the woods but alive and kicking)... still no reason not to have one now I suppose!

[TimS]

Very impressed with the work you're putting into these, they are looking very healthy and growing strong roots well done!

[Ryceman3]

Very impressed with the work you're putting into these, they are looking very healthy and growing strong roots well done!

Thanks mate, it's been fun so far.
I am watching your maple thread with interest also, I get the feeling you know a little bit about repotting!
Good stuff, with any luck we'll both end up with some great bonsai to show for the effort!

[TimS]

Very impressed with the work you're putting into these, they are looking very healthy and growing strong roots well done!

Thanks mate, it's been fun so far.
I am watching your maple thread with interest also, I get the feeling you know a little bit about repotting!
Good stuff, with any luck we'll both end up with some great bonsai to show for the effort!

Hopefully i can update it a bit more frequently soon; hey are starting to push off into their 3rd and 4th pairs of leaves now so as long as i can protect them through summer heat i should have some good size ones soon. I've had just a little experience repotting so i've no qualms about digging around in roots.

I'm sure you will have some excellent trees from your lot, and probably fast than i do with mine as Japanese Maples are allergic to thickening their trunks unless in the ground. I'll be keenly following what you do with yours!

[Ryceman3]

It's been almost a month to the day since I planted my last batch of JBP seeds, they were soaked but not stratified. I've had a better success rate with SOME of them. I grouped the seed according to where I got it. One group has had a very good percentage of germination (75% or more - see below), the other I have 2 seedlings popped but that is all (and these came later), and the JRP have only 4 seedlings.

Mmmm ... not sure what that tells me, but my gut feel is that sowing later probably helped with the faster germination I experienced from the succesful (75%) group, and possibly the seed from the other group wasn't as viable. When I look back at germination rates in terms of the seed source, this kind of backs up this theory to a degree. I'm not that interested in getting a pure scientific outcome at any rate, just a basic feel for germination rates and sowing times. I'll be interested to see if there is any difference in the seedlings from this batch and those from earlier batches when we get to the end of summer ... I feel like these might catch up!

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[Ryceman3]

Potted up the rest of the seedlings I had (apart from the ones that were sown in October. Most were the same as before so won't bore you with those but also did some larger pots as "forests" in the making ... you need to have vision!

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[melbrackstone]

it's a long game bonsai ...

It certainly is!

What fertilising regime will you be using with these seedlings, Ryceman?

[MJL]

You’re a patient man R3... I admire that and I reckon your long game will pay off with some great trees and group plantings.


Bonsai teaches me patience.

[Ryceman3]

It’s hard for me to believe (particularly with the group/forest plantings) that I’ll ever see them at their best, but maybe I’ve started something for some other crazy to develop and refine ... if they actually end up anything like they started in a few decades I’ll be surprised!

What fertilising regime will you be using with these seedlings, Ryceman?

Mmmm... good question Mel! Right now there is slow release fert in the mix, Osmocote “native” because it’s what I had and I figure pines are native somewhere so I’m sure it’s fine.
I’ve been waiting for signs of growth in the repotted ones before I hit them with my usual liquid fert (which at the moment is Powerfeed but that changes). I’m seeing that growth in the last few days on those I did a few weeks ago so they’ll get a spray this week.
I had considered DL, but hate the way it clogs the mix so might think outside the box a little if I feel the need to supplement along these lines ... think fert teabags. If these plans change I’ll let you know.

You’re a patient man R3... I admire that and I reckon your long game will pay off with some great trees and group plantings.

Patience is a virtue... I reckon the key to patience is ensure you have plenty of other stuff to do to distract you while you’re waiting... at the moment I have that covered!

[melbrackstone]

Ok thanks Ryceman, looking forward to seeing how they go.

[Ryceman3]

Just did a bit of an audit on my pines to see exactly where I was at ... I had lost track somewhat but I have it back under control!
I have just over 200 potted seedlings that have survived up to date - I think I have only lost about 5 or 6 after root work in total so I think that is a pretty good success rate. Below are a few pics of some JBPs that are about average in terms of size and health to give an idea of their progress. I have started liquid fertiliser on them and there is obvious growth occurring so things are going in the right direction. If you look closely enough at both of these you can see side shoots forming which I'm pretty happy about.
First up is one that was root pruned (about 75% of my seedlings went down this path) :

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And then the one below went through the stem cutting technique (the remaining 25%, of which most were JBP - but not all) :

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I would say the ones that were solely root pruned are bouncing back a bit quicker, but the stem cut seedlings aren't too far behind. It will be interesting to see if the extra effort is worth it in the long run.
I still have the last JBP seedlings (about 24) that still require root work so I haven't included them in this post, will get onto that in the coming weeks.

[Ryceman3]

Just over 3 weeks since my last update and I thought it was worth posting a few progression pics for those following. There has been some nice growth as the weather has started to heat up a bit for summer.

A couple of the Scots Pine have started to show signs of budding at the top and a few branch possibilities as well.

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Here is the JBP I posted late Nov ... it is visibly starting to get some traction and really coming along - even in the last week I have noticed the growth on these guys extending. I think this one is pushing 100mm in height, maybe just under.

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And here is a stem cut JBP seedling I noticed today. The soil had somehow come away from the base of the "trunk" but it reveled 5 nice thick looking roots coming from the cut site(albeit pointing down, but still...) and maybe even a bit of flare. If they all look like that I'll be stoked!

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I did re-cover with soil and will leave it to keep doing what it's doing. I am beginning to think about experimenting with some extra root work (maybe?) on a few of these, just to lay them out radially from the base and get them a bit more horizontal. It might happen at some time in the not too distant future.