AusBonsai

Hi all,

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went to a wholesale nursery today which specialises in conifers. I was surprised to see some JBP for sale for starters, but even more surprised when I seen they were from seed NOT grafted!! Anyway the two smaller ones were in 12cm pots which were $5 each and I have just slip potted them as they were quite pot bound but they had quite a lot of mycorrhiza. I also bought a larger JBP which also was from seed which cost $14 which was in a 25cm pot (I think). I am unsure whether to just let this grow and collect cones/seed from it over the years, or trunk chop it once it settles into its new pot and starts looking that healthy dark green. I plan on wiring the smaller ones and compressing their height with some twists and turns. These will be a learning experiment for me, as I have not done anything with pines before (yes I already own a JBP and have a heap of seeds sprouting atm, plus a collected radiata and a collected maritime but I have not actually done anything to them training wise)

I will probably be back to get some more of these JBPs as they seem like a bargain for practicing with.

Any advice is always welcome, but please try and be constructive

Luke, i would have cut these back before now to force more lower shoots. The danger with letting them grow freely is that the lower buds will wither and die if the top is allowed to grow too tall. When the older needles fall there is less chance of getting buds on the bare wood which can really limit the options. Getting plenty of branches to grow from low on the trunk will help to swell the base and give better taper to the finished tree. We see so many pines without taper because they are grown fast withhout regard to the future of the tree.

I'd try cutting at least one of then just above the lowest needles to force new buds and shoots.
One looks a bit yellow. If it is get some nitrogen into it and it should green up pretty quick.

Good find by the way. That's about what I'm selling pines for over here.

shibui wrote:Luke, i would have cut these back before now to force more lower shoots. The danger with letting them grow freely is that the lower buds will wither and die if the top is allowed to grow too tall. When the older needles fall there is less chance of getting buds on the bare wood which can really limit the options. Getting plenty of branches to grow from low on the trunk will help to swell the base and give better taper to the finished tree. We see so many pines without taper because they are grown fast withhout regard to the future of the tree.

I'd try cutting at least one of then just above the lowest needles to force new buds and shoots.
One looks a bit yellow. If it is get some nitrogen into it and it should green up pretty quick.

Good find by the way. That's about what I'm selling pines for over here.

Thanks, I will certainly take that into account. Yes one is a bit yellow, and I have given them both some go-go juice and some fish emulsion tonight so hopefully that helps. I will post any updates so stay tuned