Auk wrote: Thanks for the drawings, but I do not think they are improvements.[/attachment]

No bother mate We all see things differently and have different tastes and aesthetic feeling. Best of luck on making it exactly as you wish it to turn out

Those pads look great! Hell of a progression

simplysaid wrote: Can the first branch be bent down enough that the dense foliage can creat more balance?
It's always tough to not see a tree in person. I'm still learning some basic branch structure so that's why I ask.

It is a good question and yes, that's the plan. The branch was wired down. I've removed the wires but the branch and new shoots will have to be wired again.
I've cut a lot of needles - I did not pull them. The remains will dry out and then can be rubbed off easily. By that time I'll re-wire.

Auk wrote:

simplysaid wrote: Can the first branch be bent down enough that the dense foliage can creat more balance?
It's always tough to not see a tree in person. I'm still learning some basic branch structure so that's why I ask.

It is a good question and yes, that's the plan. The branch was wired down. I've removed the wires but the branch and new shoots will have to be wired again.
I've cut a lot of needles - I did not pull them. The remains will dry out and then can be rubbed off easily. By that time I'll re-wire.

I watched a video of Bjorn Bjorholm, and he said that cutting pine needles is a more accepted technique in Japan than in the USA. I wonder why?
Where did you learn to do that and how has it worked for you?

simplysaid wrote: I watched a video of Bjorn Bjorholm, and he said that cutting pine needles is a more accepted technique in Japan than in the USA. I wonder why?
Where did you learn to do that and how has it worked for you?

I think in that video Bjorn was talking about making the pads look more compact and dense by cutting longer needles, i Also remember him saying that after cutting those needles are kept moist to avoid browning. Hope i'm talking about the right video :lol:

What Drake writes is correct, but that's a completely different technique. As far as I know it is done rarely, and only for trees for exhibition that have (a few) needles that are too long.

Needle pulling/plucking is something different. You can pluck needles - pulling them out in the direction of the needle, or you can cut them close to the base.
I prefer the last method (though it's a lot of work, and I do pull needles too when I get tired of cutting).

I learned this by Googling for it, examining pages, and taking the tree to the club, where someone showed it to me.

Yes, it has worked. I have more foliage now, I think that's visible on the photos.

I think someone asked for an update? Not sure if that concerned this pine or the other one. I'll update both

The last time I cut needles and I could have wired it - but I didn't. The tree is doing well, it looks very healthy. I got more buds - so more ramification - and the pads are starting to fill out better. It is out of shape and does need wiring - but not now, that'll be somewhere end of this year.

Very nice tree. How long have you been working with it?

Travi51 wrote: Very nice tree. How long have you been working with it?

Thanks!
Well..this topic I created a year ago and it says "3 year progression", so that must be about 4 years

Your tree is looking great. Nice job