Radiata with Lots of Potential

[rudy]

Thanks Grant, you asked for it here it is.

I found it very difficult to take meaningful pics, it is a Radiata and it grow very vigorously.

Hope you can make sense of the pics but it gives an idea of what i am up against. As i always say i don't have an artistic bone in my body and this sucker does my head in.

Probably posted the pics in the wrong area. I wonder if someone can help in any way as i like the tree.

Regards
Rudy

[Grant Bowie]

Wow, a difficult tree. Maybe the mods could move it to a new thread and call it Radiata with lots of potential.

Anyhow, a few questions.

Is the stump left with the intention of using it as a brace to pull up the branch with the new apex?

The multiple branches coming from the whorl and going forwards, are they all alive?

Were all the branches removed that were intended to be removed removed?

Or are there still more to be removed?

You could make a start on this tree by needle pulling all the needles that are more than 2 years old. Leave on this years and last years needles. Do not strip back to just one years needles or even harder like a black pine; Radiatas need more needles than a Black pine and they have a weak root system in comparison to a Black pine.

This would give us ,and you, a clearer look into the tree and you would be much more familiar with the tree. It should be an OK tree to shape and style.

Grant

[rudy]

Thanks for the input Grant.

Yes this probably should be moved to another area.

Now to answer your questions.

I blindly followed the advice given and there was no mention (that i can recall) of any other styling apart from lopping the top and bending the new leader up.

The stump is only left on for bracing purposes.

All the branches emanating from the whorl are alive and growing strongly.

As far as i can recall no other branch removal advice was provided.

I have pruned this tree a few times to keep it in check and it back buds beautifully and quickly. All the needles are new and i do not believe they are older than two years)

I grew this tree this tree pre-internet when advice was books, library and nurseries, i was not a member of a club, I did the best i could scrounging up the best knowledge i could at the time. Hence all the faults.

I'd love to get this one into some sort of structure to work with.

Again Grant thanks for taking the time to advice me. I feel this tree is beyond me and all advice is appreciated.

By the way this is one that Boon tried to style but did not change it all that much from the original growth at the time.

Thanks and Regards
Rudy

[kcpoole]

As per Grants Suggestion, New thread for this tree.
Lovley trunk there Rudy and hope that you and Grant can do an online workshop on it.
Going to be fun to watch this one

Ken

[rudy]

Thanks for moving the post KC,

Fun i hope something can come of this as i am so lost, so any help and suggestions very much welcome.

It does need to be repotted as has been in this pot for approx 8 years so it would be great if we can get something happening on line.

Regards
Rudy

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks for moving the post KC,

Fun i hope something can come of this as i am so lost, so any help and suggestions very much welcome.

It does need to be repotted as has been in this pot for approx 8 years so it would be great if we can get something happening on line.

Regards
Rudy

If we repot soon we will need to wait a year or so before we do any serious work on it.

Otherwise we can work on it now and repot in a years time or more; your choice.

I do VTP for clubs if interested. otherwise we can do our best by photos.

Grant

[rudy]

Thanks Grant,

No i don't like to repot in summer.

Be great to start asap but to be honest i will need serious help so if you are interested to guide me i am all ears.
What is a VTP?

Thanks Again
Rudy

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks Grant,

No i don't like to repot in summer.

Be great to start asap but to be honest i will need serious help so if you are interested to guide me i am all ears.
What is a VTP?

Thanks Again
Rudy

Visiting Tutor Program, sponsored by the AABC for member clubs. It pays for transport to a club for purposes of demos or workshops for the affiliated clubs by an accredited bonsai person. The clubs arrange accommodation and pay for demo or workshop fees. Workshops are usually paid for by the participants (sometimes subsidised) but demos are usually paid for by the club.

Quite common if you are a member of the local club.

I usually repot Radiata pine now in Autumn, say March; and only do light work after.

If you wish to pull some needles we can do it now. If we do heavy work now; heavy bending and intense wiring, I will from bitter experience with Radiata, only repot after a year or so.

A lot of very good Radiata pines have died in Melbourne over the last 3 years because of, in my experience, too much work in a short time and inappropriate repotting etc.

Grant

[rudy]

Thanks Grant,

Needle pulling still does my head in a bit. Though i should learn more about it.

I have normally just pruned and thinned.

Regards
Rudy

[GavinG]

Great base and lots, as they say, of potential. Maybe too many potentials, some may need to go. I can't be confident from the photos, but it seems mainly to go sideways, in too many different directions. One possibility might be to lean it over a bit more, and cut off all the branches except the strongest, which then becomes the trunk going into a semi-cascade. Just a thought.

Gavin

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks Grant,

Needle pulling still does my head in a bit. Though i should learn more about it.

I have normally just pruned and thinned.

Regards
Rudy

If you continue to do what you have done in the past you will end up exactly where you are now; i.e. nowhere and without a clue or a clear path to follow.

You have asked for help /advice and I have given it. If you would like to learn let me know.

Your call.

Grant

[rudy]

Thanks Grant,

Yes i am direction less with this and would love to learn more as something needs to be done about this tree.

Are the pics sufficient enough to get something happening.

Is there anything else i should do to make things easier for advice.

Once again i appreciate your help.

Regards
Rudy

[Grant Bowie]

From the proposed front you just can't see any of the structure which is why I suggested needle pulling old needles to try and clean it up a bit and make it a bit more transparent.

Also the potential tree from the proposed front looks to have no correlation with the sketch, which is just a generic sketch.

So to proceed we need to thin out somehow without removing potentially desired growth for the future.

You could go through and do a 2 x 2 selection of branches to reduce clutter but a needle pull is still probably the best way forward at this point. View my thread on a selection method below.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15692&hilit=+Randomness


Grant