japanese black pine
I bought a japanese black pine todayfrom a nursery here in mi.The owner told me it was in training for bonsai.The trunk has a nice taper to it and has been pruned for many years.My question is how do I go about putting it in a bonsai pot it is in a 1 gallon nursery container.I think I got a nice tree for the price($33.00)I have looked at alot of pictures of mature black pine bonsai on the internet and all the branching seems to be well on it's way to being a nice bonsai tree.I will post pics as soon as I get home on fri.
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Gnome
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rondo769,
I have minimal experience with Pines so I won't pretend otherwise. In the book 'Pines' by Stone Lantern Publishing it is noted that fall re-potting can be performed as long as minimal root pruning is done. Since you will be in the process of converting the tree from a nursery pot to a shallow container a spring re-potting is probably safer.
It would be prudent to take the process in stages as well. Don't try to cram it into a shallow pot at the earliest opportunity. Instead locate or fabricate a wide, shallow growing/training pot. Consider the next few years as a time of transition. The new pot should still be a little on the deep side. I use various containers for this purpose but they should be wider than they are tall, accommodate the roots without being unnecessarily large and most importantly have excellent drainage. I have made a few from 1X 4 lumber, they can be built any size you wish and will last several years. More on this later if you wish.
Use the time to get to know your new tree, do more research, acquire (or make) a reasonable pot, research and gather (or purchase) a proper bonsai mix. There is much to learn and no need to rush. One piece of specific advice I would offer right now is not to prune anything until you have plan and know why you are pruning it. Pines tend to lose their lower branches and once they are gone they are difficult to replace. Keeping/promoting low branches is very important.
In the meantime here is some reading to get you started.
[url]https://www.bonsaikc.com/seedlings.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.bonsaikc.com/seedlings2.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pines.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pines2.htm[/url]
Brent (of Evergreen Garden Works) has a blog that has some good information regarding Black Pines but it is rather difficult to locate.
[url]https://bonsainurseryman.typepad.com/[/url]
Also the book I mentioned earlier is an excellent resource.
[url]https://www.stonelantern.com/bookspine.html[/url]
Norm
I have minimal experience with Pines so I won't pretend otherwise. In the book 'Pines' by Stone Lantern Publishing it is noted that fall re-potting can be performed as long as minimal root pruning is done. Since you will be in the process of converting the tree from a nursery pot to a shallow container a spring re-potting is probably safer.
It would be prudent to take the process in stages as well. Don't try to cram it into a shallow pot at the earliest opportunity. Instead locate or fabricate a wide, shallow growing/training pot. Consider the next few years as a time of transition. The new pot should still be a little on the deep side. I use various containers for this purpose but they should be wider than they are tall, accommodate the roots without being unnecessarily large and most importantly have excellent drainage. I have made a few from 1X 4 lumber, they can be built any size you wish and will last several years. More on this later if you wish.
Use the time to get to know your new tree, do more research, acquire (or make) a reasonable pot, research and gather (or purchase) a proper bonsai mix. There is much to learn and no need to rush. One piece of specific advice I would offer right now is not to prune anything until you have plan and know why you are pruning it. Pines tend to lose their lower branches and once they are gone they are difficult to replace. Keeping/promoting low branches is very important.
In the meantime here is some reading to get you started.
[url]https://www.bonsaikc.com/seedlings.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.bonsaikc.com/seedlings2.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pines.htm[/url]
[url]https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pines2.htm[/url]
Brent (of Evergreen Garden Works) has a blog that has some good information regarding Black Pines but it is rather difficult to locate.
[url]https://bonsainurseryman.typepad.com/[/url]
Also the book I mentioned earlier is an excellent resource.
[url]https://www.stonelantern.com/bookspine.html[/url]
Norm
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Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
rondo769,
Here is a thread that has some information regarding grow/training boxes.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7322
And here is a closeup of one I have that is not in use right now.
[url=https://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=growboxsv9.jpg][img]https://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8238/growboxsv9.th.jpg[/img][/url]
It is approximately 14 inches square and 4.5 inches deep. Note the slatted bottom that provides excellent drainage and also lifts the box off the ground, kind of like the feet on a bonsai pot. This one saw three years of use to get to this state and could probably be used again.
Norm
Here is a thread that has some information regarding grow/training boxes.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7322
And here is a closeup of one I have that is not in use right now.
[url=https://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=growboxsv9.jpg][img]https://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8238/growboxsv9.th.jpg[/img][/url]
It is approximately 14 inches square and 4.5 inches deep. Note the slatted bottom that provides excellent drainage and also lifts the box off the ground, kind of like the feet on a bonsai pot. This one saw three years of use to get to this state and could probably be used again.
Norm