Most of what I know about bonsai I learned from Harry Harrington´s books and web, bonsai4me.com
Many times over I have read what he has written: Pines should be developed slowly. If you styled a pine one year, never repot it next year.
So what I did anyway? I repotted it this spring after I styled it last year. Why?
Well, many answers apply.
I am an IDIOT. IGNORANT. Or the least offensive explanation I can think of is - It looked ok and I believed it will make it, cause I usually don´t lose trees. I think I know what I am doing. But the truth is - I don´t have much experience as this is my 4th year in bonsai and I have very little experience with conifers from a longer time frame - as can be seen this year when I lost one overpruned and overstyled spruce that I placed in full sun when it was opening new buds, or as is case here - styling and repotting in only 2 seasons.
So here you can have a look at my folly:
For example I collected another tree with this one - tripple trunk pine, styled last year too, same spot by the house just few cm away, same watering, fertilizing - I just didn´t repot it this year (luckilly I couldn´t find the right slab for it) and this is how it look like now:
So the lesson learned for me: Practice what you learn from Harry. Do not use your optimistic judgments and listen to experienced people.
(Although I have seen a local experienced guy remove 70 percent of pine foliage at styling and repot right away - so maybe some personal judgment could be useful).
I hope that this will be a good lesson for all of you here who are starting with bonsai.
I will write it down again.
Pines should be developed slowly. If you styled a pine one year, never repot it next year.
