AusBonsai

Hi all I have just purchased a JRP (pre bonsai) and was wondering if it's to late to repot into a training pot. My intention is to open up the structure this year and pinch the candles in Dec, with some light shaping in between time. Currently live in Sydney south west, any advice appreciated.

Cheers Mick


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Japanese Red Pine?

Yes sorry it's a Japanese Red Pine, pics to follow today


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Hey Mick,

Nice stock mate, I saw Steve Tolley turn one of these into a fantastic tree on monday,

If it were mine I wouldn't be repotting now, I have had great success with potting pines in March/April as they recover well and get a chance to put down some roots before winter. This tree will have started to move already and it would be on the risky side if it was repotted now.

What I would be doing is cleaning out the old needles to give you a clearer idea of what you have to work with, it is safe to take the needles on each branch back down to 10 or so pairs at the branch tips. This will also help to balance the vigour and set you up for even growth through the spring season. You can then cut the candles as you had planned and the second flush should be more even again due to the needle reduction

As far as styling goes, I am not a huge fan of giving trees a light shaping. It is best to make all the right decisions and set up the primary structure for the tree in the first styling, that way you can address any problems and move forward with a clear idea of what you hope to achieve. Anything that isn't rectified now will only present the same, or a bigger problem later on.

If you're stuck with ideas as far as styling goes, clean the tree out and then post a few pics from different angles and we can help you with the next step.

Cheers and hope this helps,

Kerrin

Is this from bonsai south? Looks like one of the ones I regretfully passed up on. Nice stock!

Thanks for the input....yes from bonsai south. Its a great speciman and is going to make a great center piece for my re-established collection after 20yrs away (due to work) so looking forward to this......

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You can repot now. They are a little more touchy than JBP but comb out roots and remove as much soil as you can from the root ball. I use a hose on jet setting. . I have mine all from seed 1989. If you do this have a bath of seasol ready to douse the tree in. Mixed to intsructions. After potting apply seasol every 3rd day to help with transplant shock. I use a soil less mix to counter curl grub. Pumice, zeolite, diotamite, pine bark nuggets and sand. The NBC uses coconut fibre of sorts but this can cause nitrogen drawdown so i will not use it.Forget your pruning after repotting - may be next autumn. Good luck Mick

Quick question can you use Black Pine growing medium as detailed in "Pine Bonsai in the temperate climate" for a Red pine ..... if so can someone point me in the direction of reasonable priced source of expanded clay

Cheers In advance Mick

I grow all my pines in a mix of Leong's pre prepared medium available at the nursery and about 30% diatomite. The Low grow red pines are grafted onto black pine stock so anything you do for a black pine will be fine. They will also be hardier and more vigorous than a standard red pine

Thx Kerrin,

I will pick some up next time I am over there. Clean out done and a nitrosol bath as well. Will post some pics shortly


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They are usually grown from seed,but treat them the same way as a black pine.The coarser the potting mix ,the better..