New JBP stock styling

Hi Guys,

Sorry for another post as i got a bit of stock now i'm just looking for directions to take.

I have a nice JBP and i am at pains to decide if i should remove the bottom two branches as they appear to be too low idea? should i chop both those branches use the thickest as the new trunk line and choose a thickest of the first branches at the previous chop point?











Regards

Daniel

For most bonsai, shorter is better. I would cut back the top growth and keep the lower branches. I generally prune stock like this back to places where I have a pair of branches with good buds at the end. Start from the outside and work your way in. Once you get some back budding you can do some fine tuning.

Cheers for the reply !

I was thinking the same thing but i was told that black pines don't really back bud greatly, so i have been really apprehensive to do any major work?

i was thinking of taking off the lowest branch and making the current second branch the first major branch as it is closer to 1/3 of the way up, and then shortening the both height and the rest of the branches to try get some more compact growth

Daniel if you are thinking of back budding as in broad leaved species, no they don't work that way. If you cut off all the green from a branch it will die. But it does back bud very well with the right care.
There is a very good Youtube video of Ryan Neil in which he explains how:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn1FiRw2JBo

Thanks great presentation i'm watching it now!

What you basically have is pre-bonsai material. There is a lot of vegetation that needs to be removed, but in a timely manner. Look at what is ugly on the tree and remove about a third of it at a time while managing the remaining growth. Once it recovers and put out new growth, do it again. This will force some back budding on the not so old growth and give you a chance to consider what direction to take. Your new specimen probably has about 3-5 years of decision making before it's true form will start to emerge.

Hi Thanks for the reply.
I totally agree when i got this , i took the view that it would be a long term project. Where i am perth australia any sort of JBP is rare as there is no import of seed allowed of any kind since the 80's and import of anything outside the state is also very restricted so your options are limited.

I liked the thicker trunk and lower branches but there is also a lot of flaws where there is 5-6 branches coming from the previous chop point which is not ideal.

what i wanted to shoot for and this would be way down the track which maintains the lower two branches

http://chrisbakerbonsai.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/japanese-black-pine-tree-pinus-thunbergii/sony-dsc-156/

That image would be achievable. But the first thing you need to do is sort out the top growth, there are too many branches there and the overly thick one needs to come out forsure.