AusBonsai

This is a miracle in itself . It was collected a few years ago and potted into red scoria .This was collected with NO roots . The tap root was 60mm in diameter and a 50mm single stay root was the only other root the tree had . They were both severed at the base however the stay was cut past the first fork no feeder roots were present , the tree was immediately returned home after collecting some of the soil from the dig site .It was placed into a training box and red scoria with a couple of hand fulls of the collected soil was added and the tree left .Last winter it was removed from the box , yes it was still alive . As i removed the tree from the box i found 1 single root which was about 600mm long with hundreds of tiny threads/feeder roots along the length growing from the end of the offshoot from the stay root .. With nothing to loose i wrapped the root around the stubs very very gently from the tap root and stay ..The tree was placed into this Bonsai pot with a mix of 80% red scoria and aged pine bark and grown on for another season .This afternoon , "plenty of time on my hands" i removed it from the pot to check on the progress of the roots and this is the result . Roots galore , however it hasn't fused to the base of the trunk were it was wrapped . Each fine feeder root that was on the the original 600mm root has turned into a very powerful feeder root mass . I trimmed them "only just" and re potted it again in a mix of 70% red scoria and aged composted pine bark . The wire was removed and a quick needle trim was on the list .All finished for another season .Ten years down the track it should make for a nice large Bonsai .The height is 850mm with a base of 75mm and the trunk is around 60mm .I have potted it deeper this time around to see if the new roots stimulate the base to produce some nice roots for a good Naribri If not next repot it will be root wrapped again with the roots produced this season .If anybody had have asked me the day i collected this if it would survive i would have definately said NO WAY .Even i can be proved wrong

Cheers Alpineart

Hi alpineart,

Thank you for the post. And congratulations on its survival . It will make a nice informal upright when the foliage pads filled out more.

This species of pine does sound like a very strong pine. It is handy to know.

Best regards.

Hi Daiviet ,

This is the first season that it has began to back bud . Last year was spent slowly removing the congested whorls .Branch placement on a young tree like this is not easy as the congestion makes for dozens of useless branches . Being young it has began to back bud on the trunk as well . I will monitor the candles and redirect the growth back along the weaker areas . To Quote a well know Euro' Artist These European Black Pines are the "Superior Black Pine". Now i know as to what extent they can be removed from the ground and survive i will no doubt be collecting what i thought was impossible .

Cheers Alpine

Hi Alpine, that will be a future eye catcher for sure. A quick question, and i agree, they are every bit as majestic asJBP maybe even more so. Mine is darker in colour needle wise, our difference in climate you think.

Hi Bodhi , mine have been so wet over the last season as have the plantation pines . They too are a yellowish colour . A Nigra - Austriaca has a distinct spiral needle up to 70mm long when young under 10 years after that the tend to flatten out somewhat .The Nigra -Nigra has a distinct dark green needle flat and like a cactus 70mm long very stiff more-so than the JBP .The Nigra -Maratima has a dark green needle up to 120mm-140mm long with a twist like the Austriaca however they are sparse between the needles and take quite a few years to back bud .All reduce well and become straight over short periods with needle cutting . I have managed to reduce Austriaca's to 18mm needles naturally with continual trimming however after 2-3 seasons untrimmed the needles elengate and revert back to around 40- 50mm .

The bark on all 3 Nigra's is the same wafer thin like a paper bark when young and thickens and turns to large silver /white plates with a distinct black outline This tree is estimated at under 10 years old ,the root ring count on the weekend was 8 rings from the stay root , whilst it only has 5 sets of whorls it has been chopped and the excellent healing has almost concealed the chop .This chop took place just above the lower whorl , i only discovered it yesterday hence the thicker mid section at the lowest whorl .I originally thought it was from all the numerous branchlets about 30 odd at the 2 lower whorls .Hope this helps

Cheers Alpine

alpineart wrote:Hope this helps

This helps me immensely thanks Alpine.

This was an effort and a half . With nothing better to do due to the fact my shattered leg is still broken after 4 months and doesn't look like it will fuse any time soon , i have a whip out on me , trimming and styling from now for the next 6 weeks will be the task at hand . This has taken 6 hours to do its first major styling It has had a couple of minor trims in the past but nothing like this . I trimmed all the needles back to 15-18mm so i could make a decision as to which shoots /candles to remove .This was about 1.5 hours work to trim each individual shoot as multi trimming doesn't work when trimming this close , too many buds are dislodged or severed .With the trimming done a few of the longer and unwanted branches were cut back and jinned where required , approximately 1/3 of the shoots/rosettes were removed and about 75% of the needles .A quick clean up of the older jins and an extension lower down for the apex shari . A quick brush over with some lime sulphur and the wiring process was underway. As the wiring progressed , needle plucking took place in order to get this wire into the best position . With all the hard work done it was a matter of shaping the minimal amount of foliage left to start this on its new phase . This can now grow on for another season with the wire being removed in late Winter .

Cheers Alpineart

Hi Alpine,

Very nice work, but if you ask me I think you should take a concrete pill & harden up a bit

Regard's The Hacker

amazing looking pine, and sorry to here about your leg

Hi Hacker , Concrete pill , I've been walking around or be it hobbling for 8 weeks with the break as severe as the day it was shattered . Only a couple of screws holding together it now , crunching like a meat grinder ..

Cheers Alpine

Trent McKenzie wrote:amazing looking pine, and sorry to here about your leg

Hi Trent , thanks mate , it is going somewhere from when i collected it .The leg will heal one day or it will require a re-set

alpineart wrote:Hi Hacker , Concrete pill , I've been walking around or be it hobbling for 8 weeks with the break as severe as the day it was shattered . Only a couple of screws holding together it now , crunching like a meat grinder ..

Cheers Alpine

Would that be why it hasn't set yet? You should be keeping weight off of it shouldn't you??

Hi Luke , one of the surgeons gave it the all clear 8 weeks ago , unfortunately he cant read a bloody xray . He requested Physio and hydro and its had a rigorous workout 4 times a week . Now they tell me it never fused and it is basically the same as the day they set it with a few loose screws to add to the disaster. Medical experts or is it medical practice , they certainly need some serious practice to read xrays and to set plaster , that was taken off after 10 days and couldn't re-plaster, as they damaged the ankle putting the back slab on . Mind you it took all of 5 men to apply traction and plaster at the same time . Its been one medical disaster after another ,and will probably have to be completely re-done , screws , plates and plaster and another 30 odd stitches .

No Cheers here . Alpine

id take them for negligence, thats a load of BS Alpine, i hope you gave them a mouthful........ of your fist