AusBonsai

This was purchased back in 2010 From Shibui Nursery Yackandanda , believe it or not it was and is my first Japanese Black Pine apart from my 4 for $40 trees purchased a year or so earlier .I don't know how old it is but the moment i clapped eyes on it i had to have it . The movement in the trunks was exceptional under the cover of the needles I re-potted it the moment i arrived home and a few weeks after not knowing jack about JBP'S i visited Mathew {Noah78} inspired by his pics and wanting to introduce myself to a Banana Bender come Mexican and welcome him to the Nth East Victorian Region .The next day i hit the tree with the cutters and placed some wire on the branches , not too hard , didn't want to kill the bugger .Due to some serious injuries of late , ruptured disc , broken, leg and now plenty of spare time to sit around and watch the world go by, i thought i would work this over again .Removing around 50 % of the needles and un-wanted shoots its well on its way to becoming a very nice Bonsai trainer .Mind you getting around is bloody hard work but i cant lay around and watch all my plants die .Yep still got 2 arms 2 feet and a heart beat , but now their just not playing ball .Something like this should take a couple of hours this has taken me a full day and some .

The decision has finally been made as to the front of the tree, for now anyway , the inarch grafted branch has set well ..Finished height is around 550mm with a base at ground level of 80mm , possibly 100mm plus once the re-pt and base is exposed . So Impressed with the trunk movement i think i may have to get someone to take e over over to Yackandanda to pick up a couple more .

Cheers Alpineart

G'day Alpineart,
Maybe I'm going crazy, but is that scoria in your mix?

Hi Waltron,

Mate your not nuts , its all i use blended 10mm minus soft red scoria sieved and washed with aged composted pine bark added, All my bonsai and trainers are in the same mix .Deciduous , Evergreen, Pines , Junpers and now Natives . Even my grow beds have a content of the fines removed from the bonsai mix . I have never used any commercial bonsai blend or recommended product and have no intentions of .It doesn't deteriorate and every year i wash out the fines and add some more pine bark when re-potting . 2000 plants cant be wrong .

.Cheers Alpineart

You're a legend Alpine, always thinking outside the square. What a great way to save time and money.

I've seen commercial Bonsai mix advertised on average at $18 a bag, and this stuff cant be re-used.

10mm minus soft red scoria...
I've been thinking of using scoria for a couple of years now but haven't managed to source any suitable (fine enough) for soil. Do you buy it in bags or by the tonne/cubic metre, and who provides it? ...I want scoria, scoria, sccorrriiiaaaaaaaaa (throwing tantrum)

By the way that's a nice pine, looks like Shibui produces nice stock.
Take care.

Hi Siddhar , not a legend mate just couldn't afford to replace 3 cubic meters of bonsai mix every year or so . Cheers Alpine

Hi Waltron , the scoria is crushed about 20 klms out of Melbourne up the Hume Freeway .The Victorian product is the best i've found , cost wise from a nursery is around $85 per cubic meter and the aged pine bark i collect from the pine logging collection sites in the local plantations . Its usually about 4-5 years old , to fresh and the sap/resin is not a good thing in a pot , sticks like shari to a blanket and wont drain freely .

Nursery pine bark unless stated aged is no good ,orchid blend should be O.K . Our local pine mill sends thousands of tonnes of fresh bark around the country however some of this is sold as aged pine bark , slightly misleading and not recommended for my bonsai .The 10mm minus scoria sieved and washed into the grow beds through 30 %shade cloth and an 8mm sieve works on all species .This usually ends up as a 2-7mm blend . In extreme hot weather i use sand trays or wet beds to maintain the moisture or humidity which ever is required .

As for Shibui's stock ,when your on a good thing stick too it . Cant say i have purchased anywhere else in the form of pre Bonsai

Cheers Alpineart

A quick update as of today , i trimmed this yesterday to allow some light into the center of the tree.It is progressing well and is due for a repot in winterSomehow the inarch graft has been dislodged , hopefully it can fuse back or a thread graft will be used to rectify the void .

Cheers Alpineart

That is progressing nicely Alpine I would imagine pic no 3 would be your preferred front You are pricking my conscience to get to work on mine.

By trimmed, do you mean cut all the needles?

Hi Alpine

That dose look very good & should turn in2 a very nice tree over time

Regard's The Hacker

bodhidharma wrote:That is progressing nicely Alpine I would imagine pic no 3 would be your preferred front You are pricking my conscience to get to work on mine.

Hi Bodhi , i think your right on the preferred front , i have a few hundred pines that need a major work over so i guess this is the best opportunity to get it done .

Cheers Alpine

Scott Roxburgh wrote:By trimmed, do you mean cut all the needles?

Hi Scott , i trimmed all the needles and trimmed and pinched the buds on the stronger shoots to divert the energy to the lesser area's and improve back budding .Needle plucking above and below the branches and shoots was also done . There is one major branch that snapped last year , while it has healed it hasn't back budded and only has growth at the very end , this was tip pruned also .

Cheers Alpineart

[quote="The Hacker"]Hi Alpine

That dose look very good & should turn in2 a very nice tree over time

Regard's The Hacker

Hi Hacker , a couple of seasons has seen it progress well , a repot into a 600mm oversize pot should give it some serious root run which should do the whole tree the world of good .

Cheers Alpine