Japanese Red Pine

[Brian Van Fleet]

I purchased this red pine in '08 from Brussel's. The trunk was good, and I chose this as the front that showed the best trunk line:


In '09 I repotted it, and put some movement into the upper portion of the trunk:


It grew nicely that year:


But all the growth was at the tips of the branches, and it wasn't back-budding. The two photos above are probably my favorite photos of this tree, and became my ultimate vision for it's overall form.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

In the winter of '09, in an attempt to chase growth back to the trunk, I cut it back pretty hard. I also wired a few more branches to accent the movement. The branch with the newest-looking raffia on it...it is on the outside of the last big bend of the upper trunk. It's in a critical place, and I snapped the branch. Whether it lived or died was going to determine how tall the final tree ultimately would be.



Of course, it died. Here is a shot in the spring of '10, and late summer after candle-cutting & resulting new growth appeared.


Still committed to the trunk line and shape, but now it had 2 good branches down low, and a span of about 10" linear inches with no growth...then a top.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So, one last attempt was made to preserve the height of the trunk...grafting. A cleft graft was made into that spot (my bride loves it when I do this stuff in the kitchen...)

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I also did a graft in the primary branch to bring some growth closer to the trunk. Both scions were from the tree itself:


Only the lower one survived; here is a shot from mid-summer, 2011:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

So here it is toward the end of 2011 growing season:


The gap in the trunk sticks out like a sore thumb. I could have pulled more branches down, but it seemed like a short-term fix. I brought it into the garage when Peter Warren was here in the fall to get his thoughts on it. A lesson I have to keep learning; if you are already committed to a front or design, don't bring it to a pro. My vision is almost always different. We negotiated on final height, front, design, etc. We agreed that it had to be reduced, and we agreed that we could do a compact design with a lot of movement using pretty much the 3 branches it had. We didn't, however, agree on front/planting angle. I have complete respect for Peter, and he has a style that is uniquely his, and I appreciate that, along with the experience he brings. I think I was just a little inflexible. Here is what we did:



Removed and carved the top of the trunk, rotated the tree 90 degrees clockwise (new front is the old right), and propped it up by about 45 degrees. The movement and taper is good, but all of the branches emerged from the back. The graft that survived is the lowest upright shoot visible on the left of the trunk. The failed graft location was at the outside of last bend of the jin.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I lived with the design for a few months, trying to see Peter's vision for the tree, but finally, I decided I liked the original front better, and we didn't do any work that would prevent me from using the original front. I removed the jin, and repotted it recently into this "Keizan" pot (10.5"x8.4"x4"), which is about 40 years old, and is developing a nice patina. No doubt, it's more compact in every way. Now, committed to this new size (16" tall), I can focus on developing some branches and adding a little character by carving a bit on the right side.

 

[JudyB]

I have to agree that I prefer the tree with your chosen front. I have a problem with growth all being at the back of a tree. But I do like it being more compact as well. The pot suits it nicely too. I wonder if you feel that it's a bit off balance? I wonder if you could address that with a planting angle, or some growth a bit back toward the base... In the end it has to make YOU happy, or it isn't worth keeping.

 

[Dav4]

Great thread, great trunk, too. I think many of us have been there where you here that "snap" and cringe as you contemplate "what could have been" along with "what will be NOW". I think Peter's vision for the "new" material is very good, but I can't help thinking about the way that lower trunk moved from your original front. Any chance to see the tree from that angle now?

*EDIT*

Ha!!! Great minds think alike...you posted you final solution while I was typing...it'll take some growing out but that will be one powerful little tree. Good luck with it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I have to agree that I prefer the tree with your chosen front. I have a problem with growth all being at the back of a tree. But I do like it being more compact as well. The pot suits it nicely too. I wonder if you feel that it's a bit off balance? I wonder if you could address that with a planting angle, or some growth a bit back toward the base... In the end it has to make YOU happy, or it isn't worth keeping.

Thanks. I love the pot, and it was a TIGHT squeeze to get it from the previous 13.25" round down into this one. When I finished packing, stuffing, shoving, wiring, pinning, and stepped back to look at it, the damn thing was smack in the middle of the pot. UGH.

It's definitely off balance, and I think it can go one of two directions from here: keep it off balance, because nature isn't balanced, and art should make you "feel something"...whether you feel pleased or feel uncomfortable. OR (how I trend) by balancing it a bit with some carving on the right, and bringing some growth from the back of the tree to fill in the right side a bit, then building an apex that also extends back over the soil.

 

[fore]

I too like the your chosen front Brian. It's a beautiful tree. I've not gotten a JRP as I've heard they can be brittle. I recall a story Ryan Neil said during a workshop where he got a chance to work with a JRP Kimura had given him and he snapped the branch. But the two of them turned it into even a better tree in the end. Hopefully yours will be the same! I do like where you are going with this and when you get the branch and the apex developed, it'll look really nice!!

But still, I'll eventually get one as I like it better than JBPs actually. (everytime I look at Brussels Bonsai, all I see are small immature trees for $50-100. Maybe they've changed since you got that great JRP from them...or you have to go there or call them to find better stock?) Either way, I just haven't found any JRP's in that category...a real great find Brian!
Chris

 

[Dan W.]

I would call them or visit. They have far more, that isn't advertized on line

 

[Jason]

Thanks for the progression. I think your tree has huge potential.

 

[fore]

I would call them or visit. They have far more, that isn't advertized on line

Mississippi is a bit far for me But boy though, they could sell so much more on internet sales if they put more online. Seems strange these days. But good to know that they have more on hand. Thanks Dan!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

(everytime I look at Brussels Bonsai, all I see are small immature trees for $50-100. Maybe they've changed since you got that great JRP from them...or you have to go there or call them to find better stock?)
Chris

Here is a buddy walking through just one of Brussel's pine areas last March. It's since been moved, and expanded, but you get the idea. The majority of these are black pines, but he does have a handful of reds. I'll be up there next week and may have a minute to check out what Red Pines are still there. If I remember right from my last visit with him, he had a bunch cordoned off for Rendezvous.

 

[edprocoat]

Thats what I really love about this B-Nut site, the info I learn here. I have heard of JBP and JWP but I have never heard of a Japanese Red Pine. I like your front, the tree looks good and I bet it will come out even better with time. Keep up the great work!

ed

 

[october]

Hi Brian,..Very good and detailed progression thread. I think you are lucky becaue you have 2 options for the tree...Peter's and yours, either way, it will be a beautiful tree in the years to come.

It is too bad about the snapping of the branch in the beginning. Not that it matters at this point, but could the branch have been salvaged using the super glue technique. Years ago, a branch broke off of a large pine that was in training at the nursery. We used super glue and the branch and tree lived like nothing ever happened to it.

Rob

 

[tanlu]

Years ago, a branch broke off of a large pine that was in training at the nursery. We used super glue and the branch and tree lived like nothing ever happened to it.

Rob

Rob, That's very interesting to know! Do you remember how old the branch was? You may want to post a thread on that whole experience since I'm sure tones of us have broken off branches that took years to develop.

T

 

[october]

Hi tanlu.. I would say the tree was about 3 feet high and maybe around 35 years old. Perhaps I will post a thread about it.