AusBonsai

I have had this stone pine for a few years.
They are regarded as difficult subjects for bonsai. Originally it was very leggy but I have managed to shorten most of the branches and get them to bud enough to form pads.
Upper branches still need to be shortened a bit but I decided that it was time to put it into a pot.

Gerard, that bark looks a lot like a Radiata to me. Are you sure it's a Stone Pine? Just asking, not arguing.

Either way, good job. The tree has a bright future!

Cheers,

Andrew

I have many radiat pine, this one behaves very differently and has taken a while but I feel that I am beginning to understand how it likes to be treated

Andrew Legg wrote:Gerard, that bark looks a lot like a Radiata to me. Are you sure it's a Stone Pine? Just asking, not arguing.

Either way, good job. The tree has a bright future!

Cheers,

Andrew

I also think it is not Stone pine

I tend to agree with Craig and Andrew it is too green for stone pine and the tree is covered in adult foliage, and the bark does not look right.
This is what I mean about the foliage colour. I hope this helps.

Cheers Pup

Interesting!
It has been a stone pine for a few years without any suggestion otherwise, foliage is greener than normal due to the cold wet winter we have had. Summertime colour is very similar to the other examples. Bark is completely different mine is pale colored and smooth, needles are in sheaths of two although lots of them are single. Many of the needles are short 15mm while there are also longer needles 60mm. Medium lengths do not exist at the moment. At certain times of year the longer needles shed very easily.
If not pinus pinea I am keen to hear suggestions

Smooth bark, maybe an Aleppo pine ?

A friend has an Aleppo. It is very different but I appreciate the suggestion

Gerard wrote:Interesting!
It has been a stone pine for a few years without any suggestion otherwise, foliage is greener than normal due to the cold wet winter we have had. Summertime colour is very similar to the other examples. Bark is completely different mine is pale colored and smooth, needles are in sheaths of two although lots of them are single. Many of the needles are short 15mm while there are also longer needles 60mm. Medium lengths do not exist at the moment. At certain times of year the longer needles shed very easily.
If not pinus pinea I am keen to hear suggestions

Not Radiata Gerard? Here's a close-up of a Radiata I'm going to dig in the next week or two. When I last went to look at it, I grabbed the tree and felt a sharp prick. Pulled my hand back and found a small dead needle stuck into my finger. Thinking back, it could be the same juvenile foliage you are keeping on your tree, particularly if you say you've created back-budding and new foliage clouds. Here's a picture of the dead pain inducing needles and the short and long needles as well as the smooth bark. I'm no expert, but I'd go with Radiata!

If memory serves, the juvenile needles were about 2cms in length.

I have half a dozen radiatas, definitely not the species radiatas have 3 needles per sheath. Radiata has a distictive smell.
Thanks Andrew, the more we eliminate the closer we get

Gerard wrote:I have half a dozen radiatas, definitely not the species radiatas have 3 needles per sheath. Radiata has a distictive smell.
Thanks Andrew, the more we eliminate the closer we get

At least I now know who to come to for questions on my radiata dig!

Gerard, i'm going back on what I earlier said mate, I think you have been right all along.The bark may be just too young to show any signs of age yet I am very interested in the reason you are growing/developing your stone pines with only needles and no juvenile foliage.

cheers mate