Japanese Black Pine

[niwamikey]

Hi All!

I have a japanese black pine that I have planted in the ground in San Diego now nearing the end of fall. I'm hoping to keep it in the ground as niwaki. I was trying to create some curves, but the main trunk may be a little too thick. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to lop off the trunk and start a new main using one of the left branches. Goal is to continue thickening the trunk (currently aboit 1.5in) and add some curves to the tree. Any suggestions would be appreciated it!

 

[MaciekA]

You could do that. Some thoughts though:

First, if you've just put the tree into the ground this year then I'd personally hold off until a year from now -- you might as well use all that extra foliage to root into the ground much faster than it would have otherwise. Then follow up in fall 2024.

Secondly, if it were my niwaki and I was following the strategy discussed here, I wouldn't go from <big unwanted leader> to <leader is chopped off> all in one go. I personally disassemble strong leaders on pines step by step, the way Jonas Dupuich or my teacher does it. That is, I will slow down or reduce a leader (foliage-wise, shoots-wise, etc) long before removing it. Even when it's time to really chop a lot off, I will leave a small shoot somewhere to continue to draw sap even if 90%+ of the rest of the leader has been removed.

 

[River's Edge]

Goal is to continue thickening the trunk

The apical leader is what thickens the trunk primarily. Chopping it off simply delays the process while another leader is selected. Then the new leader must gain strength and thicken considerably before it can thicken the lower portion at any where near the rate of the existing apical leader. A better approach is to wire up a new leader and begin preparing it to take over before removing the existing apical leader.
At the same time one must consider creating sufficient lower branching for future design, thus balancing staged removal of sacrifice branches and sacrifice leaders to create sufficient new shoots and bud back in the process.
As others have suggested a staged approach is worth considering. Chopping the apical leader is contrary to the stated primary goal.

Perhaps think of it this way, What is the goal for a Niwaki trunk thickness? Likely more than triple the current thickness for proper proportion. So lots of growing to do before chopping in my opinion.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I can't see the base from the pic but what I can see of that trunk is still probably bendable with the right technique,

If youre not confident to do it perhaps you could find an experienced local bonsai person or failing that a professional

 

[Mike Corazzi]

The apical leader is what thickens the trunk primarily. Chopping it off simply delays the process while another leader is selected. Then the new leader must gain strength and thicken considerably before it can thicken the lower portion at any where near the rate of the existing apical leader. A better approach is to wire up a new leader and begin preparing it to take over before removing the existing apical leader.
At the same time one must consider creating sufficient lower branching for future design, thus balancing staged removal of sacrifice branches and sacrifice leaders to create sufficient new shoots and bud back in the process.
As others have suggested a staged approach is worth considering. Chopping the apical leader is contrary to the stated primary goal.

Perhaps think of it this way, What is the goal for a Niwaki trunk thickness? Likely more than triple the current thickness for proper proportion. So lots of growing to do before chopping in my opinion.

How about at the same time, bend the apex down and away from normal growth pattern while sending the upper left branch ...UP?

 

[River's Edge]

How about at the same time, bend the apex down and away from normal growth pattern while sending the upper left branch ...UP?

Agreed, That is always a preferred approach, because it creates a more natural transition and taper. Sometimes it is difficult to know how much detail to include in responding to a general question.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Agreed, That is always a preferred approach, because it creates a more natural transition and taper. Sometimes it is difficult to know how much detail to include in responding to a general question.

Don't worry about that. We greedy tree jerks are voracious readers and data hogs.

 

[niwamikey]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! This was exactly what I was looking for. I'll be leaving the apical alone and will train the left branch as the new leader. I really like the idea of bending the apex down while sending the left branch up so will attempt that as well.

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! This was exactly what I was looking for. I'll be leaving the apical alone and will train the left branch as the new leader. I really like the idea of bending the apex down while sending the left branch up so will attempt that as well.

Consider that it is wise to add change of direction as well as upright movement for new apical leader leader when wiring the old apical leader off to the side!
Short response, plan both aspects in relation to the lower portion of the trunk and nebari. Also, the removal site is easier to camouflage if it is to the side or back.
Now that should cover enough to confuse the issue.
Disregard the above if the goal is formal upright, in that case bend away until the new apical leader can exit straight up as much as possible!

 

[jevanlewis]

As @River's Edge mentioned, the first thing you need to determine is the desired trunk thickness (and height), along with the style (e.g., formal upright, informal upright). The height and trunk thickness will help you know how aggressive of a bend you need, assuming you do want bends in the trunk. The thicker the trunk (generally true of niwaki vs. bonsai), the more of a bend you need for the bend to be visible.

Some other things about niwaki:

1. While you can wire niwaki, guy wires and chop and grow are used much more often for shaping. One reason is niwaki are usually much larger, and wiring (at least all branches) usually isn't feasible from a time commitment and wire resource use standpoint. For larger trees, guy wires and cut and grow is usually sufficient.
2. Because you don't repot niwaki, the tree isn't exposed to repotting stress. Additionally, niwaki roots are less exposed to wide temperature swings and changes in moisture. Tthese can make niwaki a little less risky to work than bonsai. That said, don't go overboard: too much pruning and shaping (and at the wrong times of year) need to be avoided on niwaki, too.
3. Although you don't repot niwaki, this means finding a good spot of ground initially is extremely important. After choosing sun/shade requirements, I've found good success with berms, which allows me to ensure good drainage and guarantee soil that is easy for roots to expand into. Plus, berms look really cool: you can build rock walls/cliffs at the base and plant Japanese/Korean/Chinese/etc. accent plants at the base of the berms. Finally, if you ever want to do a cascade niwaki, you need some sort of elevation, which a berm or hill can provide. It's hard to see from the photo below because of the low resolution, but I did berms for most of the trees in the front yard of my previous house.