Large Radiata Pine

[kcpoole]

Beautiful Rudy
Wish it were mine.

I agree, if you can get to a workshop with a master craftman then do so. Otherwise hook up with a Good club and let the local experts offer their advice and expertise.

Before you do anything remotely like working on the tree, develop a plan and Some drawings / sketches / Virts and then stick to that.

Anything else will not do this magic stock Justice.

PS. for the newbies, your method of growing it is spot on, Do some work every few years, then just let it grow wild to develop, then work some more. After a good many years we can all have material like this

Ken

[Chris Sirre]

Beautiful Rudy
Wish it were mine.

I agree, if you can get to a workshop with a master craftman then do so. Otherwise hook up with a Good club and let the local experts offer their advice and expertise.

Before you do anything remotely like working on the tree, develop a plan and Some drawings / sketches / Virts and then stick to that.

Anything else will not do this magic stock Justice.

PS. for the newbies, your method of growing it is spot on, Do some work every few years, then just let it grow wild to develop, then work some more. After a good many years we can all have material like this

Ken

Hi Rudy,

Very nice trees with lots of potential. I'm sure you will get a few virts from members on here. Anttal63this is a good one for you!

Good luck with your trees. Keep us updated with the progress.

Cheers,

Chris

[rudy]

Thanks for your response Chris, much appreciated. Can you tell me what virts are.

Regards
Rudy

[anttal63]

Rudy welcome to Aus bonsai!!! Personally i think you should bring them over here and i will pay you handsomely for them!, take them off your hands so you dont worry about them anymore! and i will turn them into Rippa's!!!

Ps you grew them from seed 25 yrs but your bonsai age is only 5 yrs???

[Chris]

mate you have inspired us they are fantastic trees thanks for showing us all

[rudy]

Antalle63,

Thanks for your offer very tempted but not quite tempted enough:-) I had first started bonsai about 25 years ago. With a break due to work commitments and shifting towns where others have had to take care of the trees, lost a few great trees during that period. I kind of just left them.
The five was a typo, should have been 25. Had many life changes in that time and only now trying to get a place in life and mind where I can again start to appreciate this hobby. I don't know about others interested in this hobby but many times when I am stressed I sit with my trees and find it peacefull and therapeatic.

Regards
Rudy

[Chris]

I don't know about others interested in this hobby but many times when I am stressed I sit with my trees and find it peacefull and therapeatic.

now that's what i like glad to see you here Rudy

[Dumper]

Rudy.

Wan some money from it? hahahaha. i love the trunk.

can you take photo of the 8 sides please and i can help you to guide you. front, back, left, right, front right, front left, back right, back left.

it's a very nice radiata man!

John

[craigw60]

Hi Rudy, Its impossible to give you good styling advice on the basis of a couple of photos posted on line. A tree of the quality of yours deserves to have some first hand advice from a really experienced artist.
With regards to the needle size we are in a bit of a do nothing season at the moment. One thing you could do is go over the tree with scissors and cut off all the needles hanging down under the branches, this process will give your tree a cleaner look and allow light to get into the lower branches, it will also make it easier to see design options.
In mid to late spring you can go over the whole tree and cut every twig back to the first cluster of green needles. Given the obvious vigor or your tree it will bud back all over the place. Each shoot will develop a little cluster of shoots, when that happens you then go over the tree with tweezers and reduce each cluster to 2 shoots, you then allow the shoots to develop until they are about 2-3cm long then pinch them in half. This is the basic process for maintaining needle size on radiata. These trees make great bonsai and are ideal for australian conditions I have had a couple of them for almost as long as you have had yours and I really like growing them. Your tree has obviously been grown with a lot of care but is crying out to be wired from top to bottom.
Craig

[rudy]

Thansk for the advise Craig. Yes it does need heaps of wiring. I'm thinking of going ahead with that as soon as I get more...and more thick wire. I"d love an experienced person who knows about pines to have a look at it and get some advice. This is a large tree and I would need to hire a van....and some muscle to help me transport it. I'm very interested in taking to Hiro to look at but that may to short notice at the moment. Does anyone know of pine experts in the geelong area.

Regards
Rudy

[Webos]

Hi Rudy,
I'm in Geelong. I wouldnt call myself an expert but I have some good ideas on styling. I'm free today and tomorrow if you want to have a look together.

Adam

[krittas]

ORSM tree....not sure if this helps but i have some JBP (no where as good as yours) that went a little yellow on a few...
after doing some research and talking to people they suggested i get some type of fert with a good supply of magnesium in it....i went to the big 'B' and found some trace elements....
long story short tried this and the trees effected came back dark green after a short time....just a idea...
oh yeah did i tell you ORSM tree.....

[rudy]

Thanks for the advise Krittas. What did you use and when do you applly it.

Regards
Rudy

[Mick B]

Hi Rudy,
I saw the pictures of your 2 p. radiata [Monterey] and looked closely at the large one especially. It is with doubt a very good tree. I do not know the particular climate it is growing in but I do see it is a little on the"off green colour" side. No great worry and possibly it is first a nitrogen deficiency, followed by second a magnesium one. Correction is reasonably simple but before one starts the question is "how long has it been in the container?" Failure to repot on a regular basis [5 years intervals for this tree] can result in "yellowing". I have some Monterey pines which are of reasonable age but they have not achieved the trunk calliper as those of yours. Notwithstanding you face a challenge to now put the tree in "bonsai form", which will over time with proper attention be achieved.
Remember, p Radiata is a 3 needle pine where Japanese black and red are two needled and Japanese white - 5 needled.
There is a considerable amount of knowledge in Australia on the care, training and development of these trees as bonsai, and it probably developed in Melbourne.
Two needled pines and Three needled are similar in their treatment. I would be especially careful in entrusting the tree's development to anyone who is not familiar with this species of tree.

[anttal63]

Antalle63,

Thanks for your offer very tempted but not quite tempted enough:-) I had first started bonsai about 25 years ago. With a break due to work commitments and shifting towns where others have had to take care of the trees, lost a few great trees during that period. I kind of just left them.
The five was a typo, should have been 25. Had many life changes in that time and only now trying to get a place in life and mind where I can again start to appreciate this hobby. I don't know about others interested in this hobby but many times when I am stressed I sit with my trees and find it peacefull and therapeatic.

Regards
Rudy

Good to hear Rudy you enjoy it mate!