Yamadori Radiata Pine

[terryb]

I saw this tree at the last SABS meeting and the movement in the lower trunk is really nice. For a multi-sensory experience the recently worked jins had the display smelling like pines too!

[Luke308]

Thank you. Yes it has certainly taught me patience, but I was brand new to bonsai when I got this.

There has certainly been a lot of design options, and I wasn't in a hurry to make any drastic changes. The first suggestion to remove the lower right branch was 4 years ago. I personally think this has really made the "bonsai within" stand out and accentuate the trunk line. As mentioned there is still a long way to go but I am loving this tree more and more each year. Whilst it may not be to everyone's preferred taste bonsai is an art afterall.

[anthonyW]

Hi Luke, good potential there, and just another set of eyes, nothing more and only looking at a flat screen of course.

Your tree to me is made up of two very distinct halves, especially with the elbow at half way accentuating it, then your branching starting straight above making it even more obvious, with the heavy four branches competing to me unbalances the tree...as you do have a very nice slim tapering trunk.

To balance I have removed in the virt to show you another option, you could have look at keeping the guy in blue maybe?

As you have asked for other views, hopeful I have put that in a nice way..maybe something there and thank you for sharing.

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[Luke308]

Hi Luke, good potential there, and just another set of eyes, nothing more and only looking at a flat screen of course.

Your tree to me is made up of two very distinct halves, especially with the elbow at half way accentuating it, then your branching starting straight above making it even more obvious, with the heavy four branches competing to me unbalances the tree...as you do have a very nice slim tapering trunk.

To balance I have removed in the virt to show you another option, you could have look at keeping the guy in blue maybe?

As you have asked for other views, hopeful I have put that in a nice way..maybe something there and thank you for sharing.

php9aLkSWAM.jpg

phpd3fQCSAM.jpg

phpoWKN3fAM.jpg

Thanks, I do plan on removing one of the branches on the right when I get a bit more growth...... just waiting to see what back buds best.

It is still very much a work in progress

[Luke308]

It has been a long time since an update on this Radiata.

I took it to a workshop with Sam Thompson in 2022 and we removed a lot of the branches on the right hand side.

Whilst I loved the direction the tree was heading it, I still felt it was lacking something.

I repotted it in late winter 2022 as the roots had pushed it up out of the pot. I literally had to saw the root-ball in half it was so dense.

We were having Scott Martin over for workshops with my local club, so I flicked him an email asking his thoughts. Straight away he suggested a slight angle change to the right hand side. Upon chocking up the tree a little to try this I was inspired.

The other thing that has been an issue the past couple of years is the bark has been flaking off in some spots.

I took this tree along to a workshop with Scott Martin, and we got stuck in to it. We chocked up the tree to loo at the angle change, and I made the scary decision to remove the bark that was peeling/flaking off which revealed a beautiful natural shari.

Once I got home I got the die grinder/dremmel out with a bunch of wire brush wheels and cleaned up the shari. I also removed a bit more bark to bring the shari around on the front right hand side of tree to invite the viewer in a little more.

It still has a long journey to go, but it has come so far from when it was dug up back in 2011.

I plan on re-potting it again this year, but it will be solely for an angle change and I might change the pot to a slightly wider and shallower pot.

As always, I am happy hear thoughts, suggestions and critiques.

radiata Sam Thompson 2022.jpeg

radiata Sam Thompson after 2022.jpg

Radiata before Scott Martin 2023 1.jpg

Radiata 2023 1.jpg

[Luke308]

Just a quick update as its been a while.

The shari is aging nicely although the man-made shari around the front still needs to age more.

Here are a couple of before and after photos during November 2024 when it was candle cut - not decandled... there is a different technique for Radiata.

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And here is a quick photo taken last week on the benches (March 2025)

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[Ryceman3]

Here are a couple of before and after photos during November 2024 when it was candle cut - not decandled... there is a different technique for Radiata.

That’s interesting. I decandle my Radiata, the same as JBP.
It works very well up to this point, I have done it every year for the last 4 years and happy enough with the response from the tree.
Absolutely not saying you are doing it wrong/should change your approach … I don’t think you should if you are comfortable with the response and development of your tree. Just saying maybe there is more than one way forward with Radiata! You have a nice tree.

[Luke308]

Here are a couple of before and after photos during November 2024 when it was candle cut - not decandled... there is a different technique for Radiata.

That’s interesting. I decandle my Radiata, the same as JBP.
It works very well up to this point, I have done it every year for the last 4 years and happy enough with the response from the tree.
Absolutely not saying you are doing it wrong/should change your approach … I don’t think you should if you are comfortable with the response and development of your tree. Just saying maybe there is more than one way forward with Radiata! You have a nice tree.

I haven't really worried about pine maintenance on this Radiata until summer of 2023. It was Scott Martin who taught me about candle cutting as opposed to decandling. I haven't actually tried decandling a radiata to be honest. Scott has some cracking radiata and what he is doing works so I thought I'd give it a go.

I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat.

[Matt S]

Great tree Luke, it really shows what can be done with Radiata in a short period of time. I've enjoyed seeing the tree in person over years too.

I've tried numerous techniques in refining Radiate too, including decandling. I've now settled on pinching out the really strong candles during late Winter when they are growing strongly, plus Scott Martin's method of cutting the new shoots in Summer. In Autumn I aggressively clean out the needles and unwated buds, and see to any pruning/wiring.

In my backyard the times of strong growth are quite different to the JBP, being mostly in late Winter.

Matt.