Pinus Elliotti / Slash Pine Bonsai Progression

[xtolord]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum,

I have several trees [ mostly tropicals -> Ligustrum, Bougainvillea, Ficus ]
This slash pine is one of the very first tree I tried when going into bonsai.


July 2010


Oct 2010


Oct 2011


=)

[Handy Mick]

Great xtolord,
Welcome to our site, what's the weather like in Mauritius?

Mick

[xtolord]

Great xtolord,
Welcome to our site, what's the weather like in Mauritius?

Mick

Hi Mick,
Thnks, weather rather hot and dry right now...
So dry we are having water issues for quite some time...

Fortunately the weetrees are doing ok =)

Cheers
Xavier

[Handy Mick]

I like how the pine is going, I think though you might need to pull some needles closer to the trunk. She's just a bit hairy that's all, good though.

Mick

[xtolord]

I like how the pine is going, I think though you might need to pull some needles closer to the trunk. She's just a bit hairy that's all, good though.

Mick

" you might need to pull some needles closer to the trunk"
Could you give me more details about it?
I dont really grasp what you mean...

[kcpoole]

I think Mick is referring to the mass of Needles on the trunk
Reducing them and defining the shape / branching of the tree

Ken

[Handy Mick]

That's it ken, only because they are in bonsai pots. If you were to grow them bigger I would say leave the needles for more energy.
They look like nice little trees for starters also you could put some wire on them to get a bit of movement.

Mick

[alpineart]

Hi Xtolord
Welcome to Ausbonsai , I dont have a Slash pine but one day i might come across one .Definitely moving in a good direction with the shape .To improve ramification and open up the upper section for air and sun i would pluck all the needles pointing up and down leaving only the side needles . This will give the current branches the opportunity to grow side shoots which can be utilized next season for the beginning of your branch structure /ramification . When pulling the needles off always pull outwards it lessens the chance of stripping the bark .Leaving the needles on the trunk on a young pine gives you more choices as to which bar branches if any can be removed as these needles in most cases grow shoots .If removed your choices will then be limited to the occasional back bud on the trunk .Do you intend to grow it as an informal upright ? Have you cut the needles or are they reducing on their own . Very keen to see where you take this over the next couple of seasons .

Cheers Alpineart

[xtolord]

Thanks for the input,

The tree has sprouted needles early last month.
I have allowed the top needles to grow some and then cut them off.
From what I gathered, this will prevent the tree to grow too much in height, but still give off new growth.

I've left some of the side needles intact, and made the same process [ allowed needle to grow some and then cut ] to the others.



I'm trying to force the growth to the lower parts, there's mainly a small growth in the lower part of the trunk I'm trying to stimulate.
At first I had left the tree growth alone, but most growth went to the top areas.


That's the part I wanted to get to grow more. It managed to grow a "candle" this time =)

I've tried cutting off the leaves closer to the trunk, but it turns black afterwards.
I wanted to let the leaves grow some more and see if a weeping style would fit [ with its naturally long needles ]
If its not fitting, I could always cut them up.

For the wiring I dont have any adequate wires here.
There are some aluminium wires, but not that thick.

[kcpoole]

Yes if you do not force the tree to backbud by pruning the top it will continue to grow the top or ends of the branches.
By cutting back the branches or apex, we are forcing the tree to shoot out back on the trunk or on the branches closer to the trunk

Re the wire, You should be able to buy Different grades / Sizes of Aluminium wire on the internet and have it delivered?

I use the following sizes, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm. 3.5mm, 4.5mm, 5.5mm and also have some 6.5mmm for real heavy duty bending

Ken

[de_keizer]

i you want wire hears a guy on ebay selling it cheap

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Clearance-Bo ... 433wt_1163

[xtolord]

Re the wire, You should be able to buy Different grades / Sizes of Aluminium wire on the internet and have it delivered?

I use the following sizes, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm. 3.5mm, 4.5mm, 5.5mm and also have some 6.5mmm for real heavy duty bending

Ken

I'll have to check on that.
I know I can buy stuffs via internet, but I know that some materials [ but I dont know which ones ] can cause serious issues upon reception.
I'll look into it.

i you want wire hears a guy on ebay selling it cheap

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Clearance-Bo ... 433wt_1163

Thanks for the link,
I see this one is made of "Anodised Aluminium"
Any suggestions on whether to use "Anodised Aluminium" or Copper?

Most books I've seen recommend copper wires [ without much explanation ]

[Scott Roxburgh]

Copper is much stronger, requiring a smaller size to bend the wire. < more expensive too!

I use Copper for conifers (pine, juniper etc) and Aluminium for deciduous (maple, elm etc).

One of the benefits with Copper is that the colour fades as it tarnishes, so it can be used for trees being shown.

You can use thin steel wire too, it is just harder to bend.

[kcpoole]

I use all Aluminium anodised wire on all my trees
that way I do not have to worry what I grab or do i have enough for that job etc.

Copper wire "work hardens" with use, so when it is applied it stiffens up and thus has greater 'Holding power" than the same sized copper.
Having said that, Copper wire must be annealed before use and that can be a real pain if not already done when you buy it.

Ken

[xtolord]

I use all Aluminium anodised wire on all my trees
that way I do not have to worry what I grab or do i have enough for that job etc.

Copper wire "work hardens" with use, so when it is applied it stiffens up and thus has greater 'Holding power" than the same sized copper.
Having said that, Copper wire must be annealed before use and that can be a real pain if not already done when you buy it.

Ken

Thanks!
Out of thirst for knowledge, what happends if a non "annealed" copper is used?