from Conifer Gardens Nursery. I paid $125.00 for it.
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It is a grafted stock. The graft is excellent, it was done by the then not-yet-30,
third-generation nurseryman. I was told it had been in the pot for about 6 years.
Follows is the original info attached to it from the nursery:
Pinus parviflora 'Glauca'
A slow growing cultivar of the "Japanese White Pine", with an annual growth
of about 12cm. An excellent garden plant, not likely to outgrow its situation
for many years and easily pruned to an attractive shape while keeping the
plant to size. Beautiful blue coloured foliage. Excellent for rockeries, pots
or Japanese Gardens.
I was attrached to the trunk. My original intention was to cut it right down, just
above the lowest branches; those are the smallest and shortest branches as well,
and regrow from there.
The tree was about 72 cm tall (measured from the pot surface), and the trunk is about
5 cm.
Trunk
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After getting it home, I had second thoughts. I did not want to cut it right down as
was the intention when I bought it. I tried to salvage its features, rather than looking
for the smallest possible tree.
And so, from the 15/June/2008 to the 21/June/2008 I started on it. And this was the
final result, the height was 58 cm:
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A typical garden stock, long internodes, long branches etc.
It looked shocking -- to say the least. I knew that I was not happy with this result;
but I was not disappointed, because my original option is still available!
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On the 27/August/2008 I repotted it. The root ball was 26 cm in length (the height of
the plastic pot), and it was root-bound!
The potting mix was good, so I was able to loosened up the root-ball fairly easily, and
without loosing too much feeder roots. I was able to almost flatten the root ball. It
was planned nicely into a fruit-box (please see later pictures).
I must say I am very happly with what I found below the soil. Over the months I have
been cut off some roots on the surface. I still have to continue this process in the
future.
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After nearly six months looking at it, on the 25/March/2009, I cut off the main trunk.
Cut Off Main Trunk
Everything above the blue line was gone. The longest branch that remains is the future
leader. I guess I went with my original intention after all. However, I had other thoughts
again -- given that I have already wire this future leader down horizontally, I was tempted
with a semi-cascade one; but semi-cascade requires much skill to keep it going; and I am
not convinced that I am up to the task, at least on white pines. So I just left it there.
On the 14/August/2009, I finally decided that it will go up to be a vertical tree. So put
on some grafting tapes to protect the bark, and two 4.5 mm wires and wired it up. I was
too lazy to take pictures of this stage.
On the 05/December/2009, seeing how deep the wire had cut into the new leader, I took all
wires off. By this time, the leader has grown about another 10 cm, and some new heavy
branches on top. So on the 07/December/2009 I wired the leader again with the same two
4.5 mm to protect from the wind.
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Eleven days later, on the 18/December/2009, I wired the leader again. The following pictures
were taken on the 02/January/2010:
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View 3 - 4
It certainly looks much better than ever before. However, there is still a problem that
makes me very annoyed, from view View 3 - 3, it can be seen that the third node
is long, I feel that it is out of proportion.
My plan presently is to cut everything above the blue line off (again). And the back branch
will be wired up to become a new leader. Closer look of the third node:
Third Node Problem
I am not going ahead with this for the time being. Might be something new ideas will
come -- hopefully.
Would you be able to suggest anthing?
Also the joint between old trunk and current new leader is a problem:
An Ugly Scar
It will leave a big scar and it will look unnatural as well. Might be I could hide it somehow.
Another View of the Trunk
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Overall, at this stage, I am happy with how it progresses. I hope that I will be able
to manage its problems and turn it into a nice white pine bonsai.
