jbp repot & critique advice

[stocaz]

Hi all, I picked this beauty up earlier this year from bonsaisensation

jbp4.jpg

first styling a few months ago, it has been thinned out recently but i don't have any recent photos.

jbp5.jpg

Any styling advice or virtulaIs would be great, I'm happy with the size of the trunk & nebari but I think the lowest branch on the right has to go.

I have a question regarding repoting,

If im happy with the trunk size and am only looking for branch ramification is it ok to repot into a shallower pot ?
Or will that slow down that process ?

Thanks in advance.

Ross

[Gerard]

You look like you are headed in the right direction Ross, looks healthy enough to repot but I think it will be best to wait until the end of winter.

[stocaz]

Thanks Gerard,
Ill definitely hold out till late winter/spring for the repot.
Do you know if branch ramification will be any slower in a shallow bonsai pot compared to repotting into the same pot its in at the moment ?
I wouldnt think so but want to be 100%.

Cheers Ross

[shibui]

Branch ramification will be slower in a smaller pot but that is what you want. Build your branches a bit at a time from the more compact shoots rather than from the strong ones with bare necks. I think decandling and needle removal while building branch and apex ramification is essential to get good compact branching.

[stocaz]

Branch ramification will be slower in a smaller pot but that is what you want. Build your branches a bit at a time from the more compact shoots rather than from the strong ones with bare necks. I think decandling and needle removal while building branch and apex ramification is essential to get good compact branching.

Thanks for that

[Scott Roxburgh]

Why not go half way into a shallow nursery pot or colander? You'll still get the growth, but also slowly reduce the rootball size over s couple of repottings.
http://bonsaitonight.com/2014/03/25/in- ... colanders/

[stocaz]

Thanks Scott for the link some absolutely beautiful trees there!!

I have plenty of these 300 x 120 orchid pots that I was going to use to repot all my Pines, personally I think they still look nice
compared to the colanders

StockImage.jpeg

Ill more than likely end up putting the Couple of larger trees I have into bonsai pots and the others into these orchid pots...

I think it comes down to me getting itchy fingers to get them on the bench in nice bonsai pots hahaha

[Jow]

Hi Stocaz,

In regards to the styling, it looks like you have a good disbursement of branches up the trunk but they are currently wired horizontally. You will find that as they develop ramification they will slowly lift themselves and as a result you will constantly be pulling them down. I would wire them with a bit more of a downward angle to allow for that in the future. Also i tend to like my branches either slightly up or down rather than dead horizontal but that is just my personal taste. If you do change the branch angles pay attention to the angle they leave the trunk at to make sure you don't get lazy convex bends in the branch line.

Nice piece of stock with some good potential.

Joe.

[Scott Roxburgh]

Not what you are going to want to hear but I can see a little branch in front there that looks like a good spot to cut back to in the future.

Along with the adjustments that Joe mentioned regarding branch angle, I'd focus on this being your new apex. It'll give you more control of the placement of the Apex and nice tighter growth. Let it grow freely this season, then decandle to start ramification.

p.s. This branch may not be a practical new apex in the bark.

stocaz jbp.jpg

[stocaz]

Great thanks guys