JBP#1 [Ryceman3]

[Ryceman3]

I have had this tree for almost a year now and thought it was worth posting as it is my first pine and I want to track its progress. It currently stands at around 250mm high, I have no plans to grow it any taller so am now looking to increase/develop branching and ramification. It underwent decandling this summer (for the first time) and I think it has made some progress in the short time it has been with me. Like all trees, it's a work in progress but I am really enjoying the challenges that pine bonsai present - I'm pretty stoked I haven't killed it! ... any and all comments welcome as usual.


Here it is just after I bought it (June 2017)

JBP01_0617-01.jpg

And here it is a couple of months later (August) just after I had given it a repot and the roots had a decent snip.

JBP01_0817-01.jpg

Then I decandled in December ...

JBP01_1217-01.jpg

And here it is today. I have wired to compress the trunk bend and get the apex down a little as well as to get the branches doing what I want (more or less!)

JBP01_0418-01.jpg

[boom64]

Looking good Ryceman3 ,out of the two this one seems to have a little bit more of a rugged feature. Can only get better with time .Cheers John.

[Ryceman3]

Looking good Ryceman3 ,out of the two this one seems to have a little bit more of a rugged feature. Can only get better with time .Cheers John.

Thanks John... out of the two this one is probably my favourite, it has a bit more character I feel. Hopefully I can continue improving it and maintain that “ruggedness”.

[Ryceman3]

I decandled this tree again this year, and in the process tried something new after having a discussion with Tien from Bonsai Sensation. I don't think it was something he had tried before (I could be wrong) but we both thought it was worth a go just to see what would happen.

Basically it is this :

During the decandling process (in Dec) I experimented with the candles of the first flush on one of my branches.
Initially there were two terminal buds which extended into candles - and the normal process is to cut those two candles back to where the buds originated from and then the second flush of buds will form from there...
However, what I did was to cut back and leave a few needles from the first flush in the hope that I would get buds from here - with the thought being if it didn't work I supposed the buds would still form back where they were supposed to.

Clear as mud???

Maybe some pics will help my raving on :

IMG_3607B - close.jpg

IMG_3617B - close.jpg

So what happened? While other branches went along forming new buds within a week or so from decandling - not all that much appeared to be happening with this particular branch. It took maybe an extra week to 10 days before buds emerged, but they did emerge and so I feel like my gamble has paid off!
Photo below shows as they are today ...

IMG_3804B-close.jpg

So what does it mean? From my perspective I have gained an extra branch by using the extension of the first flush and then generating buds on it rather than at the base. Am I Robinson Crusoe or some genius with a "blow your mind" technique nobody has ever employed in the history of bonsai? I seriously doubt that - and it may even be a well known method but I have never seen/heard it explained before so I thought I'd chuck it out there. Sometimes having a go pays off!

[Ryceman3]

I shoot selected at the end of Autumn, and thinned the needles which gave me a little bit more room to get some wire in place and manipulate a few branches.
Pretty happy with the needle reduction and the general progression of this pine. Still a little way to go but it's on the right track I think. It's getting a pot this year ... exciting times!

JBP01-Front.jpg

[anthonyW]

Well done Ryce, your two pines are developing very nicely, may I ask are you lesson taught or self learning as you go.

cheers Anthony

[Ryceman3]

Cheers Anthony!
Yeah, no formal lessons for me as yet - most of my experience is self researched/discovered ... I'm sure a lot of the veteran bonsai mob can clearly see that ...
I do try and gather as much info as I can though so I like to think my methods are well thought out. I have also had discussions with more experienced people in relation to specific trees ... including these pines (thanks Tien especially) which has given me confidence to keep pushing on with new techniques and experiment a little. Over the next 12 months I plan to really knuckle down and get my head around pines (both multi and single flush species), and hopefully take these trees and some others to the next level!

[anthonyW]

Wow, no formal lessons that is very impressive Ryce, don t worry about that veteran mob, the mob might have to move over at this pace

A mere 4 ish yrs in Bonsai taking on black pines...sh.te, you are one very good listener and sounds like one very determined guy...very refreshing to see you get results in that time frame, all I can only say is the obvious,..keep doing what you have been doing and please keep posting your pines if you don t mind. They are one of the big two species that got me into Bonsai.

cheers Anthony

[MJL]

Impressive on a number of levels, to which AnthonyW has just pointed out. If I may add... impressive bonsai and a gentleman hobbyist - having purchased some seedlings off Ryan and subsequently shared a beer - a top bloke who clearly loves this hobby/addiction. I look forward to watching these trees progress.

Cheers,

Mark


Bonsai teaches me patience.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ryceman3]

Geez, I can feel my head expanding at an alarming rate!!
Many thanks for the kind words Anthony and Mark, I’ll keep at it for a bit longer!
Always up for a beer, and if the primary discussion topic is bonsai then all the better.

[Ryceman3]

Big day for this pine ... big day for me!
It still needs to develop further but it's amazing how wrapping the roots in a bit of clay as opposed to black plastic gives you the unmistakable feeling of progress!

IMG_1405.jpg

[TimS]

What a difference getting it into a pot makes, but the hard work was already done in getting it to the point it was ready for a pot

[MJL]

Mate, excellent. Yep, what a bit of clay does to the overall look.

I went back and read this thread and noted you didn't get a response from your 'experimentation' of the candle cut where you left a few needles and got the benefit of extra ramification. I wonder if you are Robinson Crusoe?

On AnthonyW observation - I am with him. Your knowledge and skills are excellent given you have not had lessons. I have far less confidence than you my good man or is it that I am slow to learn. Probably both! Me ... I am off to lessons next Autumn.

Again - great progress here. Well done and I look forward to watching your development of this tree.

[Ryceman3]

Just wanted to add a pic of the Micchorizal fungi going for gold when I repotted this. If zi get this kind of bloom every time I pull a pot off a pine I’ll be happy.

0796CC73-2746-4D20-A066-6BD884D52CF0.jpeg

6E49E088-6479-4A41-B507-F59AC9C533B6.jpeg

[TimS]

Sensational micchorizal growth there