Pitch Pine Literati Progression

[Tidal Bonsai]

Hello Fellow Nuts,

I am a big proponent of bonsai enthusiasts using their native species to make beautiful bonsai. I have been looking into our native pitch pines because they backbud profusely, bark up at a faster rate that many other pines, and have great contrast with their black bark and light green needles.

I was looking for material to replicate their natural growth in NJ. These trees grow tall with little taper until the top 1/3-1/4 of the tree (a Literati-like design). After much searching, I found this piece of stock that had good movement, and a gentle-elegant taper.

I had the help of a fellow Nut to take this piece of stock and get it into a flat at a more appropriate planting angle. Some branches that would never be used were removed, and I am leaving it to regain strength before heavy bending in the fall or next spring. The drawing below is my vision for the tree.

I am stoked for this future project!!!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I cut back the whorl of 4 branches on the top to two. This is to
A. Avoid swelling
B. Encourage the tree to focus more energy lower on the plant.

This will all be bent and twisted to the right once it has a season behind it. This will put the left branch as the apex and the two right branches as side/supporting branches.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I realized that not everyone on the forum has seen a naturally growing pitch pine before, so I attached some pictures from my neighborhood. The first shows how they backbud profusely, even on an old trunk.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I've really wanted a pitch pine for quite some time, but you can't get them here in downstate NY.

 

[GGB]

Sweet, much luck. I had two big ones that frustrtaed the hell out of me. They budded up so profusely at the base that they both suffered severe inverse taper. I realize in hindsight it was due to a mite infestation. Perhaps I'll try this species again

 

[jeanluc83]

I really like pitch pine. I have a bunch that I started from seed a few years ago but they have a long way to go. I would really like to get my hands on a good size collected tree.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I really like pitch pine. I have a bunch that I started from seed a few years ago but they have a long way to go. I would really like to get my hands on a good size collected tree.

I don't know how to go about getting a permit, but the two main places that I know of that have beautiful wild ones are in the Shawangunk mountains in the Catskills, and the Jersey Pine Barrens. Both are state preserves or state parks.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

I don't know how to go about getting a permit, but the two main places that I know of that have beautiful wild ones are in the Shawangunk mountains in the Catskills, and the Jersey Pine Barrens. Both are state preserves or state parks.

Those damn bureaucrats!!!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Since I maybe removed only 10% of the roots I decided to Jin a small nub and apply some wire. This was to accomplish four things:
A. Give selected branches some movement
B. Get light to every branch (especially the low and/or weak ones)
C. Turn the lower branches so they face up (the most photosynthetically efficient placement).
D. Take some more energy away from the apex, by putting the leaders at an angle (less photosynthetically efficient).

Time to really leave it alone now...

 

[BonsaiMatt]

C. Turn the lower branches so they face up (the most photosynthetically efficient placement).
D. Take some more energy away from the apex, by putting the leaders at an angle

Maybe I'm confused by the pictures, but it looks like you did the opposite of what you described...

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Maybe I'm confused by the pictures, but it looks like you did the opposite of what you described...

I apologize if I was misleading...the lower part of the main branches were moved down, but the secondary branch tips and candles were rotated and pointed upwards. The apex is being rotated 90 degrees to the right once it puts on some growth this season.

 

[BonsaiMatt]

I apologize if I was misleading...the lower part of the main branches were moved down, but the secondary branch tips and candles were rotated and pointed upwards.

Oh, nice, couldn't see those tips before. Looks like a fun project!

 

[Hyn Patty]

Good to read. I just posted asking after Pitch pines and Eastern White pines as those are the two species it looks like I'm most likely to encounter in the mountains of Western North Carolina. We purchased 50+ acres on a mountain in the 4,000+ foot elevation range so I am hopeful to find some decent material to collect up there on the stony ridge. But as I have little experience working with pines I want to go slow and learn as much as I can before I try any future collection.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Looking up into a pitch pine.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Pollen cones and extending candles, Spring 2018

 

[Hyn Patty]

I didn't find any pitch pines yet but I did find a bunch of Virginia pines all over the mountain just above our cabin. Also a couple of small, stunted, very thick hemlocks.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

A little snip here...and a little cut there...

Candles were extending up to 7 inches long and up to 5 at each branch tip!!! Since I had been seeing good signs of tree health after the initial work, I

1. Cut the candles down to pairs of two
2. Removed future acorns that were forming
3. Removed and jinned a bar branch that was on the inside of a curve.

 

[GGB]

acorns?!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

acorns?!

Sorry, pinecones, haha! Those little fuzz balls from an earlier picture are flowers that will turn to pine cones once pollinated. I didn't want the trees energy wasted on that, so I removed them.

 

[GGB]

Just messing around with ya. Unfortunately though, they weren't pinecones. Those are just more buds, as the candles elongate those do too. Little side branches. My jack pine gets them