Structural / hard pruning of Ponderosa

[One First Matter All]

Hi all,

Just curious if anyone has any advice for structural / hard pruning on a collected Ponderosa pine. It has vigorous growth and seems generally healthy. It has been in the "starter" pot for three years. I would like to set some of the structure this year. Right now, it looks like an out-of-control tree with too many branches to call itself a bonsai.

I have read that autumn pruning is best because the tree produces less sap. However, I have also read that structural pruning can occur anytime the tree is healthy. Thoughts?

 

[sorce]

What are your plans?

I would put it in a basket half way above ground to air prune the surface roots but allow escapees to fatten it up and hit it with a baseball bat or sledge hammer once a year for a few.

Sorce

 

[One First Matter All]

What are your plans?

I would put it in a basket half way above ground to air prune the surface roots but allow escapees to fatten it up and hit it with a baseball bat or sledge hammer once a year for a few.

Sorce

Ultimately, looking to do a feminine Sokan style tree. Below, I have marked in black which branches I would like to keep in my tree and how I would like to wire them. Not sure when or how quickly to do the branch removal.

 

[sorce]

I forgot the "answer" from this thread, I only remember that it was quite useful, so I am unbiased in that I think it will... line up... with my idea against your design.

Bonsai Stick Figures with special guest Rick Martin

Bonsai is about evoking feelings. Like all art, the feelings may be simple or complex. Maybe a past memory or childhood remembrance. Maybe the tree you proposed to your sweetheart under or carved your initials. The point is stirring a feeling or emotion is what art is all about. To remove the...

www.bonsainut.com

Ponderosa is quite, "nichey" in a few ways, and due to a few factors.

Personally, I think we like them for a skewed reason of, "it's a pine from the mountains". So it's one that we like to wrongfully slide into the appropriate definition of "Yamadori", or "From the Mountain". So I don't even like them in the first place, except for where they are actually large and rugged enough to use as a convincing "Yamadori" tree.

It's large needles makes it one that easily slips away from "convincing", outside of these specific good qualities as a "Yamadori". Making it one of the most difficult species to use without these qualities. We just "think it's good" because it's "a pine from the mountains".

@wireme has laid out an idea, where "Yamadori" can be interesting, simply as is, without really striving to "make it look like a tree", at least, not outside of the tree in the shape that it is. Quite like the Original Chinese Bonsai of Old. This is the only way outside of "large rugged material" that can actually be made to look like a tree that I find acceptable for Ponderosa. Except this means it has "mountain tells", old Deadwood, snowslide built movement, etc., which I don't find this material to have.

Yet. That's why I think you should let it grow and beat the shit out of it for a while!

I think an interesting tree could be had from this material, using the lowest branch alone, and much more time on the dial than you may have it wound to.

I believe that stock figure thread may bring some enlightenment to your mission with this tree.

Sorce

 

[Colorado]

Hi all,

Just curious if anyone has any advice for structural / hard pruning on a collected Ponderosa pine. It has vigorous growth and seems generally healthy. It has been in the "starter" pot for three years. I would like to set some of the structure this year. Right now, it looks like an out-of-control tree with too many branches to call itself a bonsai.

I have read that autumn pruning is best because the tree produces less sap. However, I have also read that structural pruning can occur anytime the tree is healthy. Thoughts?

View attachment 385783

August is the ideal time to do this type of work in my garden. The reason for that is that Ponderosa needles continue to elongate later in the season than many other pines. Working on Ponderosas too early in the season can result in longer needles. Because when you reduce the amount of needles on the tree, then the remaining needles will receive more energy. So that is why we generally wait until later in the season to work on Ponderosas.

We only value Ponderosa as a bonsai species because it comes from the mountains? I guess I missed the memo on that.

Ponderosas are the most cold hardy pine you can find. One of the strongest and most robust growing pines, rivaled only by the Japanese Black Pine. Ponderosa is incredibly drought tolerant and thrives in extreme heat and sun. Oh, and thick, plated bark that again is rivaled again only by the JBP.

 

[Potawatomi13]

A couple points: needles, bark, feminity(?). When considering size of tree consider size needed to have needles in reasonably good scale. Mature reduced needles will be about 2 1/2- 3". Bark and sex also consider mature bark will be anything but feminine regardless of tree style. Eleven Yamadori Ponderosas for experience here.
Wiring instead of hard pruning may be warranted. Remember sacrifice/extra branches make trunk grow bigger

 

[One First Matter All]

Thanks @Colorado and @Potawatomi13 . Appreciate the input.