Drastic prune required?

[halkentjr]

hi everybody. This is scots pine , moseri. Is this reverse taper hopeless? Meaning, the smaller portion will never catch up with that bulge? Yes, I dont know what I’m doing. I’ve had this 2 years . Thank you

 

[jradics]

sometimes an "ugly" tree just needs to be ugly. embrace it and go for cartoonish proportions. you can have other "classic form" trees too

 

[shohin_branches]

Do you have more photos of the tree in front of a neutral background?

 

[jerzyjerzy]

You an also carve it for more tapered looks.

 

[halkentjr]

I will try…

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Plant it on your yard if the bulges bother you. But it likely will never fit the image of a typical bonsai without a lot of carving and good luck.

 

[Clicio]

I will try…

Ah, the T bar branches....
Ah, the bulge...
Perhaps loving it the way it is, and trying to get your hands on better material for bonsai will be less frustrating.
NOT that it can't be done, but...
Is this tree worth the effort?

 

[shohin_branches]

A photo of the entire tree on a neutral background will help us give style recommendations.

 

[AshleyMammal]

If you’re a beginner then I’d consider this pine as absolutely invaluable as material to gain experience on. In my opinion, a big thick pine like this will teach you more than the usual beginner ‘stick-in-a-pot’ starter sapling.

As @jradics said, embrace the ugly and go with cartoonish proportions! Use it as a test bed to get your hands dirty, create jins and Shari, get the power tools out and have a go. Even killing it will teach you what to not push too far next time.

I actually think I can see a decent base on that trunk and, if it were mine, I’d look at chopping down to shohin size when the time is right. If I saw this at the right price I’d buy it.

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

NOT that it can't be done, but...
Is this tree worth the effort?

@Clicio is directly on point here.

That was something invaluable I learned when I began taking lessons and getting more serious into Bonsai. Sometimes it's not worth fixing the problems. In the time it takes to make a bad tree into something good, you could grow an even better tree.

 

[halkentjr]

Thank you

 

[Clicio]

@Clicio is directly on point here.

That was something invaluable I learned when I began taking lessons and getting more serious into Bonsai. Sometimes it's not worth fixing the problems. In the time it takes to make a bad tree into something good, you could grow an even better tree.

Exactly.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Indeed! Drastic changes can make great tree in time. No lost cause here.