A Fun Little Japanese Black Pine

[Alex DeRuiter]

Here's another tree I got from Don Blackmond at Gregory Beach Bonsai. I really like the curve in this tree and the base has a very odd look to it. I've got a couple ideas for a front so far, but I'd really like to emphasize the bulge in the base.

Base 1:

Base 2:

Favorite front:

Possible front:

 

[Specialkayme]

Nice bend. I would have liked to see a little more taper in it, but you can't have everything

What are your plans with it?

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

To be honest I don't really have a set plan for it yet. The nebari and the curve were what stood out to me, but I haven't really thought about a final image yet. I agree about the taper, but I can work on that. I may graft a couple branches down low at some point and maybe use them as sacrifice branches, but this is just an idea at this point.

As for what I think might be done somewhat soon to the tree, I'm thinking about this:

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

So here's what was done with this tree. I went to Matt Ouwinga's in early spring and he helped me (rather, he did. . . .) design this tree. I think he did an awesome job with what he was presented. Look at that wiring!

I put it in a slightly bigger netted pot, but the roots weren't disturbed. I went through the decandling process for the first time in my life and it seems to've gone quite well -- I'm getting lots of buds popping. The branch with the red line will be taken off in later winter as to avoid sap loss (this isn't just a myth, is it?), but I have stripped its needles to direct energy to the other branches.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Another quick update. I took the wire off today as it was beginning to bite slightly into the bark on that right-side branch. Everything seems to've set well. Those new buds are growing well, too, but it looks like they won't be nearly the same size as the current needles.

It's not too noticeable in the pictures, but the bark is beginning to cork nicely. I'm wondering how much it will cork...Brian (if you happen upon this thread), got any ideas?

 

[edprocoat]

This would make a nice cascade wouldn't it. Thats what I first saw when I noticed this thread today.

ed

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I suppose it could -- that's an interesting idea. That first branch would certainly need to go if I rotated the planting angle to make it a cascade...but the branching further up (down?) the tree looks like it could yield an interesting image if the tree were a cascade.

God I wish I knew how to use Photoshop. lol

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Furthermore, planting this as a cascade would more or less take the eye away from -- or at least make it more accepting to -- that bit of reverse taper at that first branch.

Hmmmmmmm. . . .

 

[Adair M]

You could probably go ahead and take off that branch you've chopped. Seal it with some cut paste, and it won't bleed to death.

You also need to let a back branch grow at the apex to 1) get some trunk tissue above the second branch,and 2) it will help heal chop right at the second branch. It also might help with fixing the reverse taper lower down.

This fall, rewire branches 1 and 2 to get them lower. You might even consider recutting that chop at the second branch.

And, one more thing... it looks to me like your apex is moving towards the back. Is this true? Hard to tell from the photos. I prefer apexes that are leaning towards the front. Think "the tree is bowing towards the viewer".

Overall, good start! It's amazing how the decandling works isn't it! Do it again next year, and you will get even more back budding!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It's not too noticeable in the pictures, but the bark is beginning to cork nicely. I'm wondering how much it will cork...Brian (if you happen upon this thread), got any ideas?

Maybe...I'll get outside in the morning and try to snap a few photos of bark developing...I have some about where yours is, and some just a little further along so we can estimate where it's heading. It appears to be a seedling JBP, rather than a corker.

Nice job on decandling, it's a leap of faith...though it's a bit early in the development to candle prune, and you need it to bulk up before ou work it more. Let it go until winter, feeding heavily. When you do prune this winter, select so you're keeping everything close to the trunk.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Awesome advice, Adair! Thank you =)

Sounds like a plan -- I'll chop that stub and seal it tonight.

That's a great idea about letting the back branch grow. Are you saying that I should do that with the intention of eventually chopping that back branch off entirely? I'm just afraid that if I do that, it will get too thick for its placement on the tree. Very, very good point about doing this to heal the scar.

Yes, I definitely need to chip away at the elbow created from the chop at that second branch. I figured I would do this when that first chop is healed a bit more just to make it easier, but next year upon rewiring sounds like a good time for it since it'll be close to fully healed.

I agree, it's always hard to tell from photos. To answer your question, it's leaning forward. That's one of the first things that really stuck to me when I was initially being taught how to style a tree -- always bow forward!

Thank you! The tree would certainly not be in great a shape as it is now if it weren't for the help of Matt Ouwinga. He has helped me significantly with this and many other trees. Yes, it's just astounding what decandling can accomplish! This was the first year I ever decandled anything and it was quite a learning experience.

Thanks again for your advice. It's very much appreciated!

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Maybe...I'll get outside in the morning and try to snap a few photos of bark developing...I have some about where yours is, and some just a little further along so we can estimate where it's heading. It appears to be a seedling JBP, rather than a corker.

Nice job on decandling, it's a leap of faith...though it's a bit early in the development to candle prune, and you need it to bulk up before ou work it more. Let it go until winter, feeding heavily. When you do prune this winter, select so you're keeping everything close to the trunk.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do that! No rush, of course; but I'm looking forward to it.

Seedlings don't get cork bark? That's a bummer. I don't know if this is a seedling or not, but I imagine you can tell me. lol -- I did get it from Don Blackmond early this year, but he didn't mention if it was a seedling or a cutting or a layer or what. Do you know what it is that keeps seedlings from corking?

Thank you -- I honestly wouldn't have had a clue about how or why to decandle pines, so I undoubtedly owe my success entirely to you. I was wondering if it was early in the tree's life to decandle, but I realized it really needed more branching closer to the trunk, so I thought this might be a good idea. I won't touch it until winter. There are still some weaker buds closer to the trunk, so that might help. I'll report back in, what, six or seven months? I'm hoping we have a winter as mild as last years. . . .

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Seedlings don't get cork bark? That's a bummer. I don't know if this is a seedling or not, but I imagine you can tell me. lol -- I did get it from Don Blackmond early this year, but he didn't mention if it was a seedling or a cutting or a layer or what. Do you know what it is that keeps seedlings from corking?

I won't touch it until winter. There are still some weaker buds closer to the trunk, so that might help. I'll report back in, what, six or seven months? I'm hoping we have a winter as mild as last years. . . .

Corkbark patterns are a genetic mutation(?) and it would be very rare to have a seedling display those characteristics. Typically, they're propagated by grafting scions from known corkbark cultivars onto standard JBP stock. Not that a seedling couldn't be a corker, but even pine cones from corkbark pines don't predictably result in corkbark pines, if they're fertile at all. 2 pine cones are developing on my Kyokko Yatsabusa (also from Don), and I'm leaving them on to test...though they really seem to be zapping the tree's energy.

By the age of yours (probably 7-10 years), if it was a corker, the bark would already look different. Notice on the new candles how the shoots seem to have a pattern that looks like fish scales? On any corker I've seen, that pattern is much more pronounced;persistent even as bark is forming, and then fissures begin to open up, either longitudinally, or in plates. I'll add it to my list of photos to take in the morning. ;-)

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

That makes perfect sense. Yeah, I've heard about a lot of JBP cultivars that don't produce fertile seeds. It's absolutely fascinating that over the ages people have been able to cultivate trees that have these characteristics...but let me not get too geeked out about it, or this post would become unbearable. lol

I'm really looking forward to those pictures now -- I'm interested to see the bark on yours and how significantly it differs.

Quick note, I just noticed in my pictures that there was a little wire left on...for the record, that was not forgotten. haha

 

[davetree]

You shouldn't have to seal cuts on pine.

 

[Adair M]

Davetree, you're right, you don't have to seal cuts on pine. But I always do. I use that cut paste that come in the little tubs. For one thing, it's grey (there's also a brown version) so the cut doesn't "shine". It does seem to contain the sap from dripping and running down the trunk. You can also stick a little bark on it, if you want, to really hide the cut.

Alex, Brian is right about the "Corkbark"s. Don't worry, all JBP will eventually develop "flakey" bark. Corkbark is a particular variety that produces "wings" of think bark. Like a Winged Elm. To be perfectly honest, Corkbark pines usually don't make the best bonsai. They're not very vigorous, and you can't bend the branches like regular JBP or else the bark breaks off. They're grown more as a novelty. So, really, it's better that you learn how to grow JBP with regular JBP like the one you have!

Keeping the pine in the full sun will help the tree develop the bark. Just know, it takes years and years for the tree to develop the really beautiful thick bark plates. There is just no subsitute for time. (That is why the old trees are so much admired, and also why they cost so much!)

DO check out Brian's blog. He has an excellent PDF where he documents the progression of one of his JBP over several years. It's wonderful.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Quick update on this little guy. Nothing spectacular, but it's off to an okay start. I might end up grafting some low branches to develop more taper at the base, but we'll see.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I wouldn't remove any of those old needles. The tree needs all the foliage it can to hopefully start to back bud. There are some tricks you can try before you resort to grafting next year.

 

[Poink88]

There are some tricks you can try before you resort to grafting next year.

I would love to hear those options having bought 3 JBP's from Don myself

 

[Poink88]

Alex,

Nice progress. I like it much better already.