AusBonsai

Well i figured that i should make a post on this site and support Australian bonsai, but as i don't grow natives these Black pines will have to do.

I got these from a friend who ground grew them around 6-8 years ago. I had applied various techniques to them since they came to me with varying results. It wasn't until i started to apply techniques that i learned while studying in Japan that they really began to develop. I use the needle reduce in Autumn, feed like crazy in spring then cut moderate candles followed by strong candles around 10 days later technique.

I have just finished candle removal and am looking forward to seeing the new buds burst in the next month or so. Last year i was able to reduce needle size down to about 3cm from upwards of 15+ cm. This year should force a lot more back budding and hopefully see the tops of the trees start to develop. Also the needles should be a lot more uniform in length and vigor.

I Grow all my pines in pure Absorbalite and feed with liquid and solid feeds such as Dynamic lifter and seasol/ maxicrop as often as i can remember.

The photos are a little bad as it was overly sunny but you can get the general idea........

Hi guys, i'm new here, so sorry for maybe not following protocol correclty...

nice pines. how do you go with the little feed containers you have stuck in there, i see them here and there but yet to use them...

Most people that I have seen using them have osmocote or some other slow release in there, personally, seems to me it breaks down far too slowly.

I use them with Dynamic lifter pellets... i do that to try and stop it clogging my mix when they break down..... It seems to work ok, at least it prevents the soil getting that hard caked on layer that occurs without them.

Yeah, i get the same. I use some kinda of home brew pallets from a local guy, seem to work for him and so far Ok for me, but I get the layer on top too, and can be frustrating when watering, thanks.

Dynamic Lifter, any good? I presume poeple use it if they want good fast growth? I've seen a few threads of people using it...

nice jow, yep it is about time you posted. i look forward to seeing them bud up. i going to decandle all mine christmas & boxing day.

anttal63 wrote:nice jow, yep it is about time you posted. i look forward to seeing them bud up. i going to decandle all mine christmas & boxing day.

Nice trees Jow. Dont forget the before and after pics Ant!
Peter

Love the size of those trees Jow. You seem to be on the right path.

Jon

Thought you all might like to see an update... I re wired the tree on the right today. Hopefully this tree will end up in one of the pots i bought in Japan. ITs very hard to find a JBP of a quality to match the pot... and unfortunately i doubt this tree does, although its all i have that comes close for the time being. What do you guys and girls think?

I like the new version much more Jow

Best regards.

Hopefully in a few years it will end up like this....

Stunning work Jow, i hope you've got then chained down the wind must be up to 100kh today.

Very very nice Jow. You have a very good technique going there.
Now I could find space on my benches for them
Thank you for posting.
Pup

Thanks guys,

They're increasingly becoming favorites on the bench as i thin the collection.

The wind today is amazing! Luckily my garden is very sheltered and my bonsai see very little of the gales that are gusting about.

Any one have any pot ideas? I think the one i got in Japan is a little too big

Well it has been a few years now since i first posted these trees. Since then i have sold one of them but kept the other. Last weekend i did some needle work on the remaining tree and thought it about time i updated this post.

This is an all austrlalian grown shohin black pine. Its not perfect but it is starting to fill out into a nice little tree. I wish the trunk was a little thicker, but i do have a larger trunked one that hopefully will be this ramified in 5 years or so.
I went away during this last summers candle pruning period so i had to do my pruning a little early and in one go which meant the needle length is a little long and the lower branch is a little weaker in growth than the rest of the tree. Hopefully with this needle work and this coming summers candle pruning i will be able to get this tree nicely ballanced and with even small needles.
You can see from the above image that i have left more needles on the lower areas of the tree and less on the upper regions. I left 3 pairs of needles on strong areas, 5 pair in average areas and 7+ pairs in the weaker zones. I look forward to next years growth where i will be able to get this tree displayable and hopefully also into a new pot.

It is interesting looking back at the pictures from 2008 to see just how far this tree has come. I never use to photograph my trees, but since i have started doing it i have found it really rewarding as i am often surprised hwo much trees have changed over time.

Joe.