My first Japanese Black Pine

Hello!

I've been growing some Japanese Black Pines for about 2 years now, I know, it's not much, and I still learning the basics, but I'm enjoying it, I'm getting more confident with it's cycles, and most important, how to keep them alive... xD

I have now 3 JBPs, but this is the progression of the first one, the seedling that started it.

This is how it got home, it was just a 2 years old seedling or so, substrate was actually in good condition.
So I just let it sit tru' the whole winter, that was May 2023...
 

About Aug/Sep 2023 (late winter here) I felt confident to up pot it, not much of rootwoork at all, I just untangled it a bit and flared it out on top of more substrate in a colander, then filled it with more substrate. Since it wasn't a bad soil, there was a lot of capilar roots, and that's good.
In 2023 Growing season it grew very shy, recovering from the up pot, no problems at all, I just let it grow freely to establish...
 

In 2024 it really took of, so I started to pay more attention on what should I do, foster future possible branches and setting a sacrifice one.
This picture is from May 2025, I had it cleaned already, but it didn't change much since we are on winter around here. By the picture you can tell I'm aiming for a small tree and a quite simple shape so I can learn the ropes! In 2026 I'll probably up pot it a little, due to the conditions of that colander, but this year there will be no rootwork at all, and it will probably grow even better then last season.
 

Any tips and comments are welcome.

Looking happy and healthy tbh. 

Just make sure you have all the movement you want in the lower trunk, and you ensure these short low branches do not grow out, nor die off. 
Well done so far.

Hey LB, long time no see!
Thank you for your feedback.

For the movement, I thought it was already ok, but if the curves were a little bit more tight would be nicer for it's size, so maybe I'll bend it a little more while it's possible...

I know those lower branches are quite important for the future of the tree, so I'll take care of them...
Keep them short and alive, gotcha!
I think I'm getting the handle of the pine cycles and intervention, and I'm so happy about that, but I know there's still a lot to learn.

Thanks again.

I'm a beginner too, so I don't have any tips. With that said, I think it looks great!