Ok laughter time, J.B.pine

So I planted a seed, back in 1991 or so, would have to check my passport for exact year.
Source was Thompson and Morgan seeds.

Soil is just a basic mix of 5 mm builder's gravel [ silica ] and compost.
Pot is concrete, works just like eartheware pottery, handles extra water nicely.
Roots are decent.

Technique out of Bonsai Today.

We can get healthy lush growth, good branching and just need to hit the correct time to candle prune for shorter leaves.
Additionally due to the comments of an instructor on Bonsainut - Mr. Adair [ Sifu ] - also learning how to keep the tree from
just expanding outwards.

So this year it is finding the correct month to efficiently do the above.

Please note -------- needles - have been ------ Cut.

The second branch has a companion behind it which is being slowly removed and used for cuttings.
So it is not that thick.

As cuttings go, doing nicely as well, no more having to import seed, and this is our "Tropical" stock.


I had the tree on the slab for rotating and the sunlight hit it from the Eastern side. It was glorious,
you could see inside, beautifully. The camera has but one eye ----------- bother.

Anyhow here it is.
Feel free to comment yay or nay.
Laters.
Khaimraj

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote:Feel free to comment yay or nay.

well, with comments being restricted (by he-who-is-no-longer-here) to a simple yay or nay, i say yay.

Thanks Kevin,

I suddenly feel the loss of all our members who saw this tree a few years ago, and looked pass my yay or nay.
Laters.
Khaimraj

Looks pretty cool to mine eyes......
Maybe a little wire in the crown?
Growing this from seed? Very nicely done!

Thanks Lance,

I need all the encouragement I can get.
I believe I am the only person on this island growing J.B. pines, it's lonely.

The only other guy, tried to mimic with a version of mud [ his akadama ] and
killed everything.
Laters.
Khaimraj

Yay yay yay yay yay, looks great Khaimraj!
The laughter mentioned in the title must be of happiness, as this is a wonderful tree, thanks for showing!

Thank you Maarten,

but please remember you are not supposed to - cut - the needles.
Learn how to use the seasons to trim the candles,and get shorter needles.
Laters.
Khaimraj

It's a yay here!

Dear Khaimraj,
I'll remember, thanks! You always are very educational!
Right now, find a pine!

Definite yay here. Thanks for sharing

YES!
The revenge of seeds
My aged eyes see a strange, straight kind of ?stick? between the two low branches on the left... What exactly is it?

Hello Alexandra,

the split bamboo, pushes the branch down and the branch up.
To hopefully give the look of an ancient tree with thick low branching due to the weight gained over the years.
The top branch leans forward slightly to agree with the older branches.

An elderly scholar, ripe with wisdom and experience [ or experience turned to wisdom ]
He or She looks for a [ what else ] Scholar's stone or a chair
Thanks for looking
Until.
Khaimraj

* I am so very sorry the camera hath, but one eye.
The sunlight alit on the branches, internally was glorious!

Khaimraj,

Very nice, beautifully designed and ramified like your other trees.

Happy New Year to all,

Augustine

A Blessed and Happy New Year to you too, Augustine!

Yay here.

All bonsai are works in progress, your tree is at a good point.

I like the aged appearance that the bark is beginning to develop. The bark gives a sense of maturity. Time will only improve this aspect.

Personal taste is personal taste.

If this were my tree, I would wire all the branches out, and adjust them down, the lowest to an angle below horizontal, middle to an angle near horizontal, and the upper to lay out a little and fill in gaps left by moving the others downward. Right now, to my eye, with all the branches reaching for the sky, the tree creates an image of a young, or middle age tree in an open field. Lowering the branches, would create a more aged appearance. Ends of branches with foliage, would turn up.

But this is my personal interpretation of the image.

Of course shorter needles would help too, but you know that and are working on it. I am not "horrified" at your cutting of needles, It is one way to "get the photo". It is just not the preferred method.

Nice tree, I'd be happy to have one like it on my bench. Good work.

Nay.

There's nothing really interesting to look at. You have a basic form; it looks like a mushroom. There's no contrast other than texture of the leaves compared with the bark, and the size of the canopy compared with the trunk. There's no movement. This tree has the same effect to me as a well-taken photograph of a boring subject.

Could you share with us some of your work, James?

I just love work from humble beginnings, when time is given time to work its magic. Cheers and keep up the good work.

Yes,show us something,james-smith from nowhere.

Sure, just as soon as you explain to me how showing you my trees or my location is relevant to this thread or substantiates my opinion

james_smith wrote:Sure, just as soon as you explain to me how showing you my trees or my location is relevant to this thread or substantiates my opinion

Location is always useful in the event of you asking for advice on tree maintenance in your area. It would be good if you would share that with us please.

Fiona
Admin

james_smith wrote:Nay.

There's nothing really interesting to look at.  You have a basic form; it looks like a mushroom.  There's no contrast other than texture of the leaves compared with the bark, and the size of the canopy compared with the trunk.  There's no movement.  This tree has the same effect to me as a well-taken photograph of a boring subject.

james_smith wrote:Sure, just as soon as you explain to me how showing you my trees or my location is relevant to this thread or substantiates my opinion

it was probably the wording of your "opinion" that caused some to take umbrage...
we dont need Kumbaya and hugs all around, but you also dont need to be a dick...

unless you have earned the right to be a dick and that would be where examples of your superior work would come in handy.

just sayin'

geo wrote:Yes,show us something,james-smith from nowhere.

It's Jim Smith for chrissake! Preeminent grandmaster of American tropical bonsai who's forgotten more about bonsai than most of you will ever know.

What's going on in this place these days??

Well, "James Smith" is probably a relatively common name, so if this is the James Smith of bonsai fame, why not just say so?

I'm guessing it's not that James Smith...

beer city snake wrote:
it was probably the wording of your "opinion" that caused some to take umbrage...
we dont need Kumbaya and hugs all around, but you also dont need to be a dick...

unless you have earned the right to be a dick and that would be where examples of your superior work would come in handy.

just sayin'

Perfectly said...

Yay on the tree.  I agree with Leo's comment about moving the branches downward to enhance the perception of age but knowing you Khaimraj, you probably have great sketch or two of what you want this tree to become that incorporates such details.  I love that bark.