Japanese black pine, corticosa

I have ben working on theese 3 small plants for a about 5 years...they begin to look like shohin now, and I wonder if anybody of you, have any comments, or good advise for the future of their develpements







Kind regards Yvonne

There are 2 approaches to corkers. One is to reveal as much cork as possible, because the cork is what sets these trees apart. The other approach is to cover the cork up with foliage. Of course, there's always a bit showing. It looks like to me the first and third of these trees naturally want to reveal cork. The second covers it up.

Do you happen to know the cultivars? With cork bark Japanese black pines, this makes a difference. All the cultivars develop corking differently, and this will influence your styling choices. Do you know how old the trees were when you acquired them? The reason this is important is it will give you an idea how far along the tree is in cork development. I have one, a mi nishiki, that won't be fully corked up until it's 25 years old, about 10 years from now. Another one I have, an ondae, corks up relatively quickly...maybe 10 or 15 years.

Corkers are difficult to style because after the cork sets up, the branches cannot be bent.

I think you've done very well with these. Good luck with them in the future.

I enjoy the lot aswell. This path spoke out for the one, for the fun and conversation thaught would share...

I think it's neat how we all choose different paths, I like where they are going.

The trees was tiny skinny mame containerplants, when I bought them in Japan...and as far as I remember did they already then have a little corcbark building up...I think I still have the japanese nametack somewere, I can maybe have it translated, as the cultivar is interesting to know now the trees become shohin after all.
 
I dont think corcbark is nice on small shohin, so I brake the wings off, when ever possible...
On small pines does the nebary look inverted with the cork, only large old corkbark pines, can grow out of this problem.
I also have 3 corkbark ulmus shohin...on them I remove the cork too.

The third tree is the less pretty, I agree, but to cut it to a semicaskade will be something I may not be prepared to do....but I will ofcource take a closer look on the option.

Kind regards Yvonne

No pressure Yvonne, just wanted to share what i'd seen. It's neat as it is, looks like a pine   . Only you and it know the path it will take. It would be a rather dramatic shift. Would bring it back down to "mame" status?

Feeling no pressure   I like the conversation....I used to have some mame, but decided a while ago, to grow them bigger, shohin is better for me.
the apex ower the red line on the tree we talk about, am I planning to let grow for now, to make the trunk gain sice, before I cut it off...the second tree also has a such..they have all had sacrificebranches from here and there all the time....when I cut one off, I find a new shot placed in a good position, and let it grow.

Kind regards Yvonne

I like # 3 best out of all of them...but they all are very becoming....

I m a bit horrified that you cut off the old bark.. to me that is beauty, doesnt matter what the scale of the bark.... its just shows you once again...its all in the eye of the beholder.

Anyway, Well done Yvonne.

Love and light

Hi Andre

I am not cruel, and remove old bark...the corkbark trees push wery quikly new barkgrowth ( wings) on young branches...this is what I trim back, to "normal" sice, afterwards will the remaining bark grow old and is being cared for, just like all other old barks I have in my garden.

Kind regards Yvonne

..did I say cruel....Yvonne you cannot be cruel even if you try.. hihi

I should be carefull what I say...you do live in the country of the Vikings....mmmmmmmm

Anyway by "horrified" I mean, I only gasped a little, maybe my left eye contracted a little... hihihi

Love and light

Hi Andre

No problem...I think your eye contacted because you did not know  about the growinghabits of corkbark trees...now you know removing of the young wings is not a big deal, and a small bonsai become better, without having the "inverted taper" look the wings give.

kind regards Yvonne