Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » October 1st, 2009, 12:47 pm

Hi everyone,

Here is a pine I grew from seed and it is now ready for some serious wiring and needle reduction techniques.

Black Pine 2006 before trim.JPG

Pine in 2006 with plenty of growth to heal scars

Black Pine after trim.JPG

Pine in 2006 trimmed

Black Pine 2009 spring.JPG

Pine today 2009 spring ready for more work.

paddles · Post by **paddles** » October 1st, 2009, 12:56 pm

truely awesome.

bodhidharma · Post by **bodhidharma** » October 1st, 2009, 1:13 pm

Very nice. A classic black Pine.

Pup · Post by **Pup** » October 1st, 2009, 1:30 pm

Very nice Grant, I think it might be too late for me to start one though

Bretts · Post by **Bretts** » October 1st, 2009, 1:37 pm

Thats alright youy start it Pup I will look after when you are gone

Very Nice Grant Do you have any pictures showing how you got to this stage?

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » October 1st, 2009, 2:02 pm

Bretts wrote:Thats alright youy start it Pup I will look after when you are gone

Very Nice Grant Do you have any pictures showing how you got to this stage?

Not really,

It is a tree that got used as part of black pine demos so there may be photos "out there"

The trunk was grown using a technique called "root wrap"

Scott Roxburgh · Post by **Scott Roxburgh** » October 1st, 2009, 2:11 pm

Great work Grant!

Now if only my parents had have started one when I was two y.o. I would have one of these beauties to cherish also.

Could you please go into your technique for growing/developing this tree?

Did you grow many at one time and this was the best of the lot?

Was it ground grown?

What are your candle/needle techniques?

I can see possibly 5 chops is that correct?

Any info would help us younger ones out enormously to get some trees of this calibre going...

We can all see why you are the curator of the national collection! (Not that your other trees aren't also awesome!)...I would love to have seen your property where you grew some of these wonders any pics?

Jonden · Post by **Jonden** » October 1st, 2009, 2:19 pm

Hi Grant,
This looks very much like one that you used in a Demo at Nepean Club some years ago. If I find any photos I will post them, It has developed into a fantastic bonsai, as all your trees do.
Cheers,
Jonden

Deadwood · Post by **Deadwood** » October 1st, 2009, 4:13 pm

Wow Grant,

I am insanely jealous. My current proven technique to keep Pines thriving healthy and alive is to not touch them.

paddles · Post by **paddles** » October 1st, 2009, 4:25 pm

Deadwood wrote:Wow Grant,

I am insanely jealous. My current proven technique to keep Pines thriving healthy and alive is to not touch them.

I second that

Jow · Post by **Jow** » October 1st, 2009, 4:48 pm

Looking good grant.. definitely some good material there... any clues to your future plans?

Chris H · Post by **Chris H** » October 1st, 2009, 4:49 pm

Grant

Aside from being a dodgy name for a hip hop song.

What is "root wrap"?

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » October 1st, 2009, 5:11 pm

Pup wrote:Very nice Grant, I think it might be too late for me to start one though

Hi Pup,

Projects I started 30 years ago I could probably complete in 15 or even 10 years; projects from 20 years ago I could probably complete in 10 and projects I started 10 years ago I could probably complete in 10. No use getting older if you dont get smarter.

Anyhow , never too late.

Grant

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » October 1st, 2009, 5:15 pm

jonden wrote:Hi Grant,
This looks very much like one that you used in a Demo at Nepean Club some years ago. If I find any photos I will post them, It has developed into a fantastic bonsai, as all your trees do.
Cheers,
Jonden

Hi,

Yes this is the one I did at Nepean about 10 years ago.

At that demo I took it out of its large plastic pot, finished removing all the sacrifice branches, may have used a reciprocating saw to remove 90% of the roots and stuffed it into a ceramic pot.

If you or any of the longstanding Nepean members have any photos I would be grateful.

Grant

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » October 1st, 2009, 5:26 pm

Hartos wrote:Grant

Aside from being a dodgy name for a hip hop song.

What is "root wrap"?

Root Wrap is a technique invented over 3 or possibly 5 cans of beer in a factory at Homebush , Sydney, NSW, Australia about 25 or 28 years ago.

Two mates Max Candy (now deceased and very much missed) and Tom Coogan( still alive and a cross to bear) were wondering how to grow trees with fat trunks. Max made some ceramic moulds in the shape of figs in the Botanical Gardens, planted figs inside and the trees trunk would grow into that shape.

He tried it on Elms as well and it worked OK.

The ceramic mould was replaced with another technique after a few years and so about 21 years ago, with Max Candy present, I did 10 J Black Pine in this version of the original technique. After about 10 years I kept only 1, the current tree.

The tree has always been in pots, never in the ground.

It is about time I record the technique and the tree so I will do so. It will take a while so feel free to ask questions in the mean time.

AusBonsai

Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years

Re: Japanese Black Pine from seed after 21 years