Scots Pine Initial Styling

Here is a Scots Pine that was grown in the ground for a few years, put into this box about 4 years ago, roughly styled this spring, and finally wired and styled today. Still a long way to go, but my wife likes it (and helped with some of the final branch placement), although the picture shows spots for some additional fine tuning. The wiring job is not pretty, but does the job. Now to get some back budding.

I have yet to make my wife like my trees.

I like it, it's got a nice overall movement.

If it were my tree, the discontinuity of the bottom half of the trunk and the top wired half needs some attention. Good luck.

Luc

Luc,

Can you elaborate a little? My first understanding of your comment is that the curves in the top may be a little tight compared to the lower trunk. However, I ant to confirm.

Yeah. I feel the bottom trunk is very feminine (gentle curves) and the top more masculine (sharp curves). The bottom is natural and the top is forced. This is the discontinuity that I see. The tree isn't uniform and for me that's a problem.

Luc

It could also be that the bottom half has 1 curve will the top has 5 and in terms of length, both sections are relatively equal in length.

Luc

juniper07 wrote:I have yet to make my wife like my trees.

Try nailing jello to a board.

I believe you have a larger problem than those of style and the styling is not bad. However culturally, though it is difficult to tell from the photo, the growth looks like it needs a lot of growing in the sun. The branches are rather frail and look good design wise now but; when they bud next year that could be a different story. One thing about Pines is that you have to consider what you intend to have happen next year by what you do this year. I do not mean to be critical but this tree is only just beginning and what you have today will totally change by this time next year.

Vance - Yes the tree is weak. it was not in as much sun as it should have been in. The initial styling was to it cleaned up so that it will start to back bud along the correct branches. It is now in good sun with a nice fertilizer regime and should start to come around next year. Based upon my experience with other Scots pines it should start to fill in in about 2 years enough so I can start to consider a repot - it has been in that box for about 4 years.

It sounds like you have it together and understand what it is you are doing. So often I see an initial work done on a Pine with little forethought about where the tree is going or how it is going to respond to what has been done.