Japanese white pine experiences?

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Here is a picture of that same tree taken in 2003, long before I owned it:
View attachment 297107
It had that yellow coloring in it’s needles even back then.

I'm certainly no expert, but it looks a bit like the 'Nasu' white pine. Most of the ones I've seen are from Tochigi prefecture, including the small one I own.

The one on the left of this photo is a Nasu, it has the small/yellowish needles you spoke of, as does my little guy.

I could be way off but the foliage looks similar to me.

 

[Adair M]

I'm certainly no expert, but it looks a bit like the 'Nasu' white pine. Most of the ones I've seen are from Tochigi prefecture, including the small one I own.

The one on the left of this photo is a Nasu, it has the small/yellowish needles you spoke of, as does my little guy.

I could be way off but the foliage looks similar to me.

Thanks! I’ll do some research!

 

[tanlu]

I just re-read this thread. Since it’s inception, I have acquired a few more JWP. Another zuisho, A couple Kokonoe, and a couple of seedlings. And one of “unknown” origin, that I suspect was a seedling.

one of the seedlings is an “exposed root semi-cascade”. It has a great exposed root base, but the needle quality is not as good as the grafted cultivars. The needles don’t firm in tight clumps, they tend to twist and splay out a little, and the distance between needle clusters is farther than the JWP with the tight foliage. It’s something I’ll just have to live with.

another seedling is a tree I just bought fromBrussel’s. It’s a multi-trunk clump, just imported. I was able to get it shipped to me while it was still barerooted. That way, I could get it into my soil mix. (I don’t care for the mix Brussel uses). It’s doing well, budding out. The needles are about an inch, but don’t twist or splay. Again, not as good as the grafted cultivars, but they don’t detract.

The “unknown” JWP is a tree imported 30 or 40 years ago. It has extremely short needles, but they always have a yellowish color to them. It’s a type of dwarf, grows much like a Zuisho. But far lighter colored. It appears to be on its own roots, but no one knows if it was a seedling or a cutting or layer, or what. I showed it last fall at the NC Arboretum.

JWP do spectacularly well for me. @Dav4 has seen them, he would agree! I use a fast draining inorganic soil, and I don’t withhold water. Heck, I sometimes water them three times a day! I don’t fertilize in the spring, I wait until they’ve finished growing. And start fertilizing mid summer. Except, I do give them a bit of fish emulsion a couple times in the spring. I also give them “MicroMax” micronutrients every spring. This is a product I buy from Julian Adams. The trees seem to like it. I give it to all my pines and junipers. They’re in full sun. When I water, I make sure to run all the hot water out of the hose first, so the water is cold when I spray it on. I try to just water the soil to reduce the chance of getting fungus in the foliage.

(Exception: the new “bare rooted” JWP from Japan DOES get sprayed down with water several times a day! Helps to keep the foliage from dessicating while the new roots are getting established. It’s in 3/4 day sun. It used to be in morning sun, but when it started budding out, I moved it to more sun. I have it close to my back door so that I can inspect it each time I step outside!)

I'm late to this thread, but have found its contents helpful, as JWP is still my favorite species. I'll vouch for Adair's statement here about not withholding water while making sure their soil is very airy (doesn't break down easily over time). I've been growing JWP on their own roots since 2010 and have been experimenting with growing conditions with JWP seedings, largely not by choice since I've had to move a lot and travel. For most of my time in this hobby, my bonsai learning has focused more on keeping things healthy and vigorous so that they can take to bonsai culture, while learning about their development along the way. I've noticed they are particularly happy if they are either in the ground or in extremely airy medium while being watered frequently. I discovered how much they love water during a very wet and busy year. I was travelling a lot and had to leave my JWP seedlings alone for more than a week in their 4 inch nursery pots filled with turface, grit (agricultural granite), and peat (less than 5%). It had rained non-stop while I was away and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to effectively fertilize given the contant rain. Well, that summer, the JWP recieved very little fertilizer but abundant rain and put on a substantial amount of growth. It was probably the most growth my JWP seedlings had ever put on without being in the ground. Since then, I've been avoiding JWP horticultural conventions (notion that JWP prefer staying dry) that proliferates in the West. I intend to post photos of here next year after I begin styling.

Another successful grower of JWP on their own roots is Julian Adams based in central VA. His soil mix is fully inorganic and he's been growing JWP seedings and zuisho cuttings and air layers for decades. He treats them like any other pine. I go to him when I have questions about JWP seedlings.