Five-Year Native Tree Challenge: Bu-Jetjet's Ponderosa Pines

[Bu-Jetjet]

Hello everyone!

I just created my account today and the first thing that caught my eye was this Native Challenge.

I collected a few Ponderosa Pines and California Junipers around the vicinity of Mammoth, Bishop, and Wrightwood CA during the late Fall - early Winter of 2019. That's what I am thinking of entering for the contest.
To start things off, I am attaching a couple of photos of "Una". I collected her a few miles south of Mammoth, CA with a collection permit. She has a very noticeable reverse taper that I am inclined to show off and highlight instead of "hide".
The reverse taper just tells her story of how she struggled to get life in between rock formations, thus creating that "pinch" near her base.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Nice!

I gave you my own, personal welcome in that other post.

I’m intrigued by your “highlighting the pinch” idea.

It’d be neat to grow a root flare UNDERNEATH the soil level, lodging a rock/item in the best presentable way, in-between the inverse taper and the nebari. Then, in a few years, unbury it all.. just an idea...

It’s a very interesting specimen.

Can’t wait to see what it becomes!

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Just wanted to share other California Natives that I currently have. They’re my only upright styles.
One is a California Juniper that I acquired from Bob Pressler over at Kimura Bonsai (Northridge), the other is a Knobcone Pine that I’ve been pot-training for the past 6 years now. I’m finally going to wire it today and introduce some bends on the thickening branches. I won’t be entering these two in the 5-year Native challenge, but I figured sharing some photos wouldn’t hurt.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Is that knobcone pine budding from an ancient trunk? Awesome trait!

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Is that knobcone pine budding from an ancient trunk? Awesome trait!

Yes. One of the traits that attracted me to it. It used to be a garden/landscape tree that was going to be discarded. I was able to convince the owner to let me dig it up.... but I had to cut it down to about 3’ (stump). It was painstakingly slooooooow to develop those few branches. But I just concentrated on feeding it last Fall and Winter and now I see that it’s happy.

I’ll post some photos once I finish wiring it.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Sweet, another one for my list. I thought only Rigida did that. Looks like I got myself a new quest.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Dug-up another Ponderosa Pine on my way home from Mammoth this past weekend. I did not have enough rags with me at the time so I used bubble wrap to enclose the root ball. I’ll be entering this as one of my choices for the five-year native challenge.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Since collection (late Fall 2019), I've resisted the urge to place Una in an actual pot. I just focused on having her regain strength and read up on how to properly "train" Ponderosas for bonsai. I am very fortunate to run into this group and having Eisei-En Bonsai's and Bonsai Mirai's numerous educational videos. After ignoring multiple JBP experts, I meticulously followed Ryan's and Bjorn's methods and Una is finally back-budding Spring of 2021! *high-five* *fist-bump*

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Not too crazy about the angle on this Ponderosa Pine yamadori… I'll probably change it this weekend

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

I received a really cool pot from Kokoro Bonsai Ceramics, and I figured I'd give it a go!

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

After preliminary wiring, and some much needed cleanup.

 

[HorseloverFat]

That’s neat pinus work!

I think I like the NEW angle.. about as much as I liked the old angle.. THIS one(angle) IS “closer”, though, in my opinion.

This tree has a great future, as long as you really contemplate each “move”

I like it! (I, personally, would have another “go” at setting the planting angle ((Tweaking EVER so slightly))when you repot in a few years. But I’m a raving lunatic.)

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Thanks my friend! I'll definitely keep the angle change in mind when I repot. I'm not making any excuses, but there was a bit of a mixture of excitement and anxiety in mind when I was repotting because it was starting to get warm. I collected three more Ponderosas beginning of May, and I still have to post them here for the entry.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Thanks my friend! I'll definitely keep the angle change in mind when I repot. I'm not making any excuses, but there was a bit of a mixture of excitement and anxiety in mind when I was repotting because it was starting to get warm. I collected three more Ponderosas beginning of May, and I still have to post them here for the entry.

No worries, bro-migo.. You and your tree have time

It’s SOOO “close” that I felt I HAD to say something.

Like when the band teacher walks over and says, “One of the Euphoniums is blowing a little flat on the Pick-up note between 67-68... blast out so you don’t “fall””

I am DEFINITELY not the equivalent of “the band teacher”.. but you understand.