I don't make enough photos of my trees... often I think they're not worthwhile - but I forget an important reason to make photos is to see the progression of a tree. You cannot see trees grow - it takes time, and after a year or so you will have forgotten what a tree looked like a year ago.
I got some money for my birthday - from my colleagues, january this year. From that money (and some of my own) I bought a tree on a dutch auction site (a site that I know LB regularly checks out to, for interesting finds )
It was not a huge amount, not enough for a great tree, and what I bought was a bit of an impulse-buy too: I wanted an ungrafted japanese white pine. The previous owner was a bonsai enthusiast with a small collection - that was getting a bit too large for his garden though.
It's not a fantastic tree, I know the flaws (trunk too thin at the base, underdeveloped nebari) but it was not extremely expensive, and as I have little experience with pines, I thought it would be good practice material.
The first thing that I noticed was the position of the tree. In the position it was in, three branches were at the almost exact same height. This was solved by tilting the tree to the left (I did not repot it, I put it back in a slightly larger pot in a different position). Some of the branches were already wired, but I changed the position a bit. I tried to wire some more, but got my first lesson: it was not the right time... the branches were not very flexible, I snapped one, and as as it's good to repeat lessons... I broke another one. Fortunately it was a branch that was not important for the design.
I did not expect much from it - but when I looked back at the photos I was a bit surprised by the difference.
Enough words - after all, it's not really such a great tree - just wanted to point out how useful photos can be
When bought:
After 8 months:
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Well, it might not be a stunning material, but it is certainly a nice one. I do think that with time it might turn into a fine Bonsai specimen.
Now, a question Auk... Didn't you consider going for a semi-cascade style at the time? I mean, it looks like the trunk could have been tilted downwards and the second branch of the right side of the tree (in the first photo) could have aided the final design providing the sense of balance required and then using one of the branches located at its left as the future apex.
I don't know... Just a crazy thought, but I think I would have loved to go for that style... That, of course, had the tree been mine
I don't know... Just a crazy thought, but I think I would have loved to go for that style...
No, that is not a crazy thought at all. I have indeed considered it. I like cascade style and I would like to have one (again... I 've killed my first one). However, the branches are quite strong and don't bend easily and I'm afraid of breaking them when I use more force - I do not master the techniques to bend thick branches on pines yet. I've tried with a bending clamp but I had to tighten it so hard that it already damaged the bark before the branch even changed position.
For the moment, I'm happy that it's growing. I may reconsider though. I'll need a bigger (longer) clamp to get more leverage
i love the tree, it suits my taste, GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!!!!!, sorry 'bout that, i get what you mean with photos, i have never had a pine but could never get one due to the fact that i do not even have a garden, i have only got a square foot of land. when it comes to wiring i get very jittery.
Sorry, did not mean to be, just curious of the progress
Update... last year the needles were plucked, this year I did some minor candle-pinching. Got more buds / ramification, but this picture doesn't look better than the last one. The tree will need growth now... and wiring
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