Black Pine Recruit
Posted: October 23rd, 2009, 7:08 am
I'm not a black pine enthusiast but I have lightly dabbled over the years, always unsatisfactorily. I would buy a young stock plant, work on it and then get cheesed and get rid of it. I was at a bonsai nursery last month and saw a pine I quite liked, fairly well established with a lot of work to be done but a price higher than I really wanted. Two days ago I drove back 'just' to see if it was there. I made the nurseryman an offer and the response was moving the tree to the cash register. I gathered that was a yes. Tried to find a pot but I have to admit, there was a sharp intake of breath when I said what I was planning for the tree.
Jamie111... this is for you. When you cut, be serious about it... I could see a Me-Sized semi cascade in this tree. Nice nebari, movement in the trunk, hideously wire damaged upper structure yet healthy. So I cut. I actually cut higher than I had originally planned. It was to be only the lower branch but second thoughts had me cut higher and possibly get an apical branch. The problem is at the red arrow in photo 3. There is a horrible kink with wire still embedded and while I can wire the leader upright it will have a bulb in the middle which will more than likely keep increasing. To try to unkink it will be to break it but I thought I would take the chance and wire upright as best I can- there is a remote chance that it could develop still with the kink but as the branch thickens, hopefully to thicken to the kink width. I don't believe this will happen but I can push the fantasy at the moment and I lose nothing by working with it. If I have to cut it off next year because I am only encouraging reverse taper the lower branch will still have rejuvenated and I will have the tree I want. With the young plants I got I could never see the future tree in them. With this pine I can and there's still enough development to do that I can consider it 'my tree' and not a purchased bonsai.
I still find it hard to fathom that the seller was surprised that I was going to remove the top section. I honestly can't say it added anything to the tree other than the assistance to increase the trunk. Whatever... I'm happy. I have my Black Pine Toy [said in only the very nicest way] and I'm looking forward to working on this tree and learning about black pines.
Jamie111... this is for you. When you cut, be serious about it... I could see a Me-Sized semi cascade in this tree. Nice nebari, movement in the trunk, hideously wire damaged upper structure yet healthy. So I cut. I actually cut higher than I had originally planned. It was to be only the lower branch but second thoughts had me cut higher and possibly get an apical branch. The problem is at the red arrow in photo 3. There is a horrible kink with wire still embedded and while I can wire the leader upright it will have a bulb in the middle which will more than likely keep increasing. To try to unkink it will be to break it but I thought I would take the chance and wire upright as best I can- there is a remote chance that it could develop still with the kink but as the branch thickens, hopefully to thicken to the kink width. I don't believe this will happen but I can push the fantasy at the moment and I lose nothing by working with it. If I have to cut it off next year because I am only encouraging reverse taper the lower branch will still have rejuvenated and I will have the tree I want. With the young plants I got I could never see the future tree in them. With this pine I can and there's still enough development to do that I can consider it 'my tree' and not a purchased bonsai.
I still find it hard to fathom that the seller was surprised that I was going to remove the top section. I honestly can't say it added anything to the tree other than the assistance to increase the trunk. Whatever... I'm happy. I have my Black Pine Toy [said in only the very nicest way] and I'm looking forward to working on this tree and learning about black pines.
