Red pine progression, 7yrs

Red pine, 1.5" trunk, 18" tall, developed over 10 years. Hope you enjoy. I bought this tree for $5 US at a bonsai nursery.

2004: Several years after initial styling and repot.


2004: Second styling, I was just learning!


2006: Right lower branch jin, my first one!


2008: Needles get a bit long.


2008: After wiring, repot, and cutting needles. Yes, I know, a bit taboo. Still working on needle reduction, the old fashion way. It takes several years!


2011: Daddy, let me trim a bit off here!


2011: After a bit more shaping

Nice Job Josh. What bonsai shop did you get this tree from? I live in eastern Nebraska.

Dave

nice to see "aka" matsue being used in something other than literati.
In the pacific Northwest, nurseries don't seem to stock this pine as there is more demand for other species.

There is just one at the Pacific rim bonsai display at Weyerhauser.

After two years of study with Kyoshi Seiki on building and maintaining japanese gardens, he asked me if i would build a masculine garden or more feminine. I said Neutral and he seemed surprised. So in my design I have an equal number of both black and red. I prefer working on red because of their softer needles.

thanks for sharing

Thank you both for you reply.

Dave: I bought this tree 15 or more years ago, when I lived in Seattle. To date, I haven't come across a good source of bonsai stock to date in the midwest. I have seen red pine listed for sale at Growing Grounds, and have found this to be a reliable sounce for stock. Warning, the unfinished tree looks a bit leggy and floppy, a bit like my earlier images.

Dick: As you can see in the progression, the natural needle length on this tree obscures it's design (may be > 2"). All of the images that show more compact foliage, are the result of needle cutting. When I can't stand it any longer, I cut off last year's needles near the base (leaving sheath for potential back budding) and this year's needles at about 1-1.5". I have begun to decandle the tree in late June, early July as I have read about the treatment of black pine. The tree has responded relatively well, yet the smaller buds that I didn't risk decandling seem to push long needles by mid summer (sometimes as few as 3-5 pairs), and then the tree looks a bit goofy. It may be that I tend to fertilize rather heavily in spring.

In working with red pine, as you have, any tips for reduction in needle length? Same as black pine? Earlier? I have been a bit less aggressive decandling this red pine, as the new candles are much more fine when compared to black pine. I realize it is a multi year process, requires a more desciplined fertilization plan, etc.

Josh

There was an article, translated from Japanese, published last year in a french/spanish magazine, about total defoliation of JBP to reduce needle length. Peter Tea wrote a few lines about this technique on is Aichien blog. I tried on a Pinus pineaster whose needles are really long and they came from 10-12 cm to about half that.

I don't fertilize my aka matsue until the candles have fully opened and all the candles have been reduced to one or two and always the smallest left. I find if i restrict the water intake that also helps. It's so wet all the time around here, that I am gonna move it from the outside benches to inside the poly tunnel in an effort to have better control.

As a volunteer at the pacific rim collection, we have just one. It has not been on exhibit for years as the last time it was repotted, it was unhappy and dropped several important branches. It's healthy now and restyled and hopefully will get back to rotation for all to see.

Always happy to see a few reds still around and being developed. Keep up the good work.

Dick, as someone familiar with Pacific Rim Collection, you might enjoy this Washington hawthorn started by Bertram Bruenner (I came to own many years ago). I don't know exact age, but given his history, and when he was establishing his collection, it may be 40-50 years old. The first picture was taken in poor light, making the bark appear near black, the second image shows the age and color of the bark better. Best wishes, Josh

Wow! one of Doc's hawthorns many miles away from it's origins. We have half a dozen at the collection. the bark is always nice to see with it's age. Thanks for sharing. once in a while one comes up for sale when an owner's collection becomesavailable. I've been looking....