Bristle Pinecone care

Vin, here ya go. I've got corkier firs, but couldn't resist showing this one. Pics simply don't do it justice though. Gotta head into my shop now.

Patrik image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
3 years ago I bought my 1st and only BC Aristata. I watered and fed it with my JBP the first growing season while trying to find reliable info on bonsai cultivation and development. I then watered it less based on what I read about BC.
The first year I had it grew vigourusly, had good candle extension and seems to grow through out the year. However as I watered less the last two years, the growth has slowed. As mike and vance said, they can do nothing when stressed. This is what happened: my BC literally stalled out in the middle of candle elongation last year, some of the bud tips even died.
I believe this was due to the change in watering and the exceptionally hot summers we had last 2 years.
Last week I removed about 1/3 of the soil and put it in a pond basket with pumice, lava and hard clay. I've gone back to watering and feeding it with all the rest of my pines and I expect to see it's vigor restored. I live at sea level.
 
base797 said:
Vance, sorry was just outside watering the crap out of them, haha. But, seriously was. I collected them as well as another very impressive one that I gave to my best friend. I also have a couple other smaller, less unique "test drives" to assure that I could cultivate them down here at 5500 feet. They came from 10,500 or so, and yes in Colorado. I must have walked past 10's of thousands of them before finding ones that were collectable and had potential. Ryan was here earlier in the week and seems the cantilevered one will end up at Mirai. We will see what Ryan van do with it. I believe they are aristata.

Patrik
Click to expand...
Do you think they can survive at Ryan's place?
base797 said:
Vin, here ya go. I've got corkier firs, but couldn't resist showing this one. Pics simply don't do it justice though. Gotta head into my shop now.

Patrik
Click to expand...
Damn! You got it going on with the conifers! The sacrifice clamp is a nice touch as well. You need to start a thread and share the love; really.
 
Base--Those are some damn fine trees. Thanks for posting!
 
aframe said:
3 years ago I bought my 1st and only BC Aristata. I watered and fed it with my JBP the first growing season while trying to find reliable info on bonsai cultivation and development. I then watered it less based on what I read about BC.
The first year I had it grew vigourusly, had good candle extension and seems to grow through out the year. However as I watered less the last two years, the growth has slowed. As mike and vance said, they can do nothing when stressed. This is what happened: my BC literally stalled out in the middle of candle elongation last year, some of the bud tips even died.
I believe this was due to the change in watering and the exceptionally hot summers we had last 2 years.
Last week I removed about 1/3 of the soil and put it in a pond basket with pumice, lava and hard clay. I've gone back to watering and feeding it with all the rest of my pines and I expect to see it's vigor restored. I live at sea level.
Click to expand...
I'm curious to know what your average humidity is.
 
aframe said:
3 years ago I bought my 1st and only BC Aristata. I watered and fed it with my JBP the first growing season while trying to find reliable info on bonsai cultivation and development. I then watered it less based on what I read about BC.
The first year I had it grew vigourusly, had good candle extension and seems to grow through out the year. However as I watered less the last two years, the growth has slowed. As mike and vance said, they can do nothing when stressed. This is what happened: my BC literally stalled out in the middle of candle elongation last year, some of the bud tips even died.
I believe this was due to the change in watering and the exceptionally hot summers we had last 2 years.
Last week I removed about 1/3 of the soil and put it in a pond basket with pumice, lava and hard clay. I've gone back to watering and feeding it with all the rest of my pines and I expect to see it's vigor restored. I live at sea level.
Click to expand...
Aframe,
Yep, I water mine daily (thoroughly one day, edges with good substrate next day, etc) in the summer and every other day currently because it still has the original rootball (which I suspect never dries out completely). I fertilize with ozmocote and foliar feed. I have had 3"+ candles. Best of luck with yours.

Patrik
 
Vin said:
Do you think they can survive at Ryan's place?

Damn! You got it going on with the conifers! The sacrifice clamp is a nice touch as well. You need to start a thread and share the love; really.
Click to expand...
Vin,
Yes, I think it will do just fine in Portland area and Ryan didn't seem concerned at all. Yeah, damn thing is pretty heavy and was blowing out the bottom of the box, hence the clamp. Biggest thing holding me back from posting more is the ability to take decent pics as many are big and I am solo during the week and the weekends, well I am out looking around in the mountains. If you were wondering about my humidity too, it is low. Thanks for the kind words.

Patrik
 
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rockm said:
Base--Those are some damn fine trees. Thanks for posting!
Click to expand...
Thanks Rockm!

James, sorry your post got hijacked. PM me if you need advice not mentioned here.

Patrik
 
base797 said:
Aframe,
Yep, I water mine daily (thoroughly one day, edges with good substrate next day, etc) in the summer and every other day currently because it still has the original rootball (which I suspect never dries out completely). I fertilize with ozmocote and foliar feed. I have had 3"+ candles. Best of luck with yours.

Patrik
Click to expand...
Right on Patrik, thanks for sharing the info. Great material you got there, please continue to share. Maybe I'll see you on the mountain some time
 
Nice Bristlecones, Base!
I'm sure you don't see arctic temps so you ought be fine.
 
M. Frary said:
Nice Bristlecones, Base!
I'm sure you don't see arctic temps so you ought be fine.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike. Yeah, They have been wintering here just fine. Even the year before last when our first freeze was -17 and prior to that lowest temps were in the high 30's.

Patrik
 
Some great looking trees Patrik. The BC with long side root and 2 dead trunks collected in '12 is not bad looking in new pics. Did not think so good before:rolleyes:.
 
base797 said:
Vin, here ya go. I've got corkier firs, but couldn't resist showing this one. Pics simply don't do it justice though. Gotta head into my shop now.

Patrik View attachment 100515 View attachment 100516 View attachment 100517 View attachment 100518
Click to expand...
Patrik, I've got even more serious zone envy now! Thanks a lot dude!LOL You just stay in your shop for about the next 4 days or so and I'll be out there to pick 'em up! Seriously good trees! Thanks for posting them............SK
 
Steve Kudela said:
Patrik, I've got even more serious zone envy now! Thanks a lot dude!LOL You just stay in your shop for about the next 4 days or so and I'll be out there to pick 'em up! Seriously good trees! Thanks for posting them............SK
Click to expand...
Haha. Thanks Steve. I've seen some good stuff that you have posted as well. Keep well.

Patrik
 
Been waiting for someone to post bristlecone bonsai, I did not even know if they were "successfully" being cultivated as such. As you can see I draw inspiration from them frequently.
 
For some reason I don't seem to be receiving updates of postings on this thread.
 
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