Colorado’s Literati Ponderosa Pine

[misfit11]

I like the sketch, I like the idea. Ultimately though and my biggest gripe with Pondy, is the needles size. With your tree, the needles and foliage mass will always be a blob of green on a small trunk, relative to the needle size that is.

This is where I'm at with Ponderosa Pine for bonsai as well. Unless youve got a very large tree, the needles will always seem out of scale, IMO.

I realize there are many out there that love this native pine, and certainly there are some with trunks that are mind-blowing, but the inability to bring the needle size down within proportion is often a deal breaker for me.

What about grafting JBP on this? Some might consider me a heretic for even suggesting such a thing, but it could give you a better tree.

Just a thought...

 

[Colorado]

I like the look of number 1. Adds a bit more drama to the tree and makes the trunk more of a highlight by adding more movement. I just don’t love the upright nature of the trunk in its current state. I was partially inspired by a tree Harry Harrington just styled. Needles were much smaller but I loved the look.

Thanks for the input man! I will have to think about that.

I had seen a photo on instagram of a tree that inspired that sketch I did, but now I can’t find the photo back should have snapped a screenshot when I first saw it haha.

 

[Hartinez]

Thanks for the input man! I will have to think about that.

I had seen a photo on instagram of a tree that inspired that sketch I did, but now I can’t find the photo back should have snapped a screenshot when I first saw it haha.

I hate that. Happens to me with recipes sometimes

 

[Colorado]

This is where I'm at with Ponderosa Pine for bonsai as well. Unless youve got a very large tree, the needles will always seem out of scale, IMO.

I realize there are many out there that love this native pine, and certainly there are some with trunks that are mind-blowing, but the inability to bring the needle size down within proportion is often a deal breaker for me.

What about grafting JBP on this? Some might consider me a heretic for even suggesting such a thing, but it could give you a better tree.

Just a thought...

Fair points for sure. When I acquired the tree 4 years ago, I didn’t really understand how hard it is to get the needles to reduce. I probably wouldn’t get another pondy so small (fully to say small, it’s probably at least 24” tall lol).

I don’t think you are a heretic at all for suggesting grafting. I think I mentioned that idea earlier in the thread actually. I don’t think I would do JBP because I don’t want to have to protect it in the winter, but the thought has definitely crossed my mind to graft it with limber pine, pinion pine, or JWP. Problem is, I have never grafted anything so I’m not very confident in my ability to successfully execute that

 

[misfit11]

Grafting does require a certain skill set, and even with the knowledge, there are no guarantees that you'll be successful. I've had successes and failures, for sure. Get a hold of a bonsai professional to teach you or do a workshop. It's a great skill to have and opens up options.

Alternatively, you can just pay a professional to do it for you. I'm having Peter Tea graft Itoigawa on a San Jose Juniper of mine .it's not cheap, but I want to get the tree on the road ASAP. While my grafting skills are okay, I'm not Peter Tea

 

[Colorado]

Grafting does require a certain skill set, and even with the knowledge, there are no guarantees that you'll be successful. I've had successes and failures, for sure. Get a hold of a bonsai professional to teach you or do a workshop. It's a great skill to have and opens up options.

Alternatively, you can just pay a professional to do it for you. I'm having Peter Tea graft Itoigawa on a San Jose Juniper of mine .it's not cheap, but I want to get the tree on the road ASAP. While my grafting skills are okay, I'm not Peter Tea

The thought definitely crossed my mind to ask Todd Schlafer if he could just do it for me lol. I am sure that it would cost me a lot more than the tree did, though

I have not ruled out grafting. I am thinking that I want to get it into a different pot, let it settle into a new design, and then maybe reconsider on grafting in a couple years. Hell maybe this would be good tree to practice grafting on anyway.