JBP FOR MICK

[Jamie]

fly- i think you have the great potential in that tree to create some major taper if you take it off at those first two branches using the right one as a new leader for movement.
i probly just said the same as what the others have said but. i havent a great deal of experience with pine so i am reading all i can to get as much info as i can. ant wait to see more

[FlyBri]

fly you are in a beautiful position with this tree, to have those 2 low branches on a very healthy tree! great choices to have here. my common sense tells me have no fear to go the hack and only leave the 2 bottom branches, for that is where there is a magic future tree. especially with your eye for setting up trees. when is the next repot due? do you have a size in mind for future?

i agree with ant that basically what you have is two nice low braches which could become the future tree and treat the rest of the tree as a large sacrifice branch as most of it is a bit leggy ( not alot of growth in close)im no good with vituals but i reckon the right first branch would become your new tree. It has good branchlets to choose from . just work on powering the top of the tree which you seem to be doing and keep that low branch healthy. you could prob wire it into position for movement and select what you will keep on it now.

Gday fellas!

When I bought the tree about a year and a half ago, the one thing I did know about JBPs was to look for low branching. Now I'm torn between taking some action and working for taper... Perhaps I will make a compromise, and chop out any branches which are crowding/shading the lower part of the tree. I don't really have a plan for the future of the tree, but I think that something under 300mm would be nice. As for repotting: it was potted up this time last year, and there's a tonne of roots/mycorrhizae poking out the bottom of the pot. I might slip it out today and see what I reckon...

Thanks for the help and encouragement!

Fly.

[FlyBri]

Now I'm torn between taking some action and working for taper... Perhaps I will make a compromise, and chop out any branches which are crowding/shading the lower part of the tree.

Gday again fellas!

Sorry for spamming the thread, but I thought I should share a pic of my progress today.

JBP_Sep_09_03.jpg

[A] I cut off a branch which was shading the lower trunk.

Pulled the thicker RH branch back towards the main (sacrifice) trunk.

[C] Wired the thinner RH branch back. Depending what back-budding i get, this may or may not be the new leader.

Now, any thoughts on pruning the lower part of the tree?

Thanks in advance.

Fly.

[Jamie]

hey fly, have you got a pic of the after shot of what you have done???
or will it show much the same just a little bit less?

[FlyBri]

hey fly, have you got a pic of the after shot of what you have done???
or will it show much the same just a little bit less?

Gday Jamie!

The last pic is the latest. Doesn't look like much, does it?

Thanks.

Fly.

[Jamie]

hey fly, have you got a pic of the after shot of what you have done???
or will it show much the same just a little bit less?

Gday Jamie!

The last pic is the latest. Doesn't look like much, does it?

Thanks.

Fly.

well what it looks like now doesnt mean to say much as you are in a development stage of the tree. from what i have seen that you do a lot of "doesnt look like much now" turns out amazing!
look forward to seeing more on this one mate

[anttal63]

ok repot is done. i have tried something i read in bonsai focus 122. putting another drainage layer in the middle of the normal mix as well as bottom of the pot.
this is for growing trees on or young trees. it produces roots fast and strong. the drainage layers used are large grade diatamite. the normal mix consists of 50% medium diatamite, 25% orchid pine nuggets mini and 25% coco peat, with a couple of handfulls of the old soil full of mychorizo. the pot is a 280 mm orchid pot. a piece of shade cloth has lined the bottom so my bits dont fall out. the tree has been bare rooted and had a good pruning. anything growing up or down or across elminated. thick roots taken back to finer junctions closer to the trunk.

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[FlyBri]

ok repot is done... the tree has been bare rooted and had a good pruning. anything growing up or down or across elminated. thick roots taken back to finer junctions closer to the trunk.

Nice one Antonio!

It's always good to see people taking control of their roots early in the piece: often, there is the temptation to just give the roots a rough prune without addressing the overall structure of the nebari, which can create major styling problems for the future. You're clearly taking the bull by the horns with this one!

Can you give us a rough idea what percentage of the roots you have removed here? I'll be looking to repot in the coming week, and I suspect that I won't be able to be quite so vigorous with my root work, given that I expect to leave the large sacrifice branches on board for now.

I look forward to updates as your buds pop!

Thanks!

Fly.

[anttal63]

i ve been goin on about roots for ever. all you need to do is walk around a show / exhibition / forums, to see just how many poor nebaris are out there. as tony bebb said at the demo, plenty people work the top of their tree but not enough work the bottom.
im have surely taken 75% off. you fly are possibly leaving too much sacrafice on top. 1 strongest candle if you do not desire as much back budding on trunk. lower weaker one if you do. the lions tail thats all you need.

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[FlyBri]

im have surely taken 75% off. you fly are possibly leaving too much sacrafice on top. 1 strongest candle if you do not desire as much back budding on trunk. lower weaker one if you do. the lions tail thats all you need.

Thanks Antonio!

If it means I get to actually do something, I'm more than happy to chop more off the sacrifice branch! I'll keep you posted on the repot.

Goodonya!

Fly.

[mick]

Hi all.

So what you are saying Antonio, is that if you want more back budding down low, to leave more sacrafice branches, and less if you dont need to back bud as much ? Is it mainly to get buds down low the reason for leaving more sacrafices ?

I am loving the info and pics It really helps me to understand.
Cheers Guys
Mick

[anttal63]

no mick thats not what i meant.

a sacrafice on a jbp should look like a lions tale this means you have one candle and a dozen or so needles at the end of the branch. everything else off.
now when you have a trunk above the future tree as fly does and you want to sacrafice it. for fly its not necessary to pop buds between the future tree and the lions tale, or lower than the future tree. so he is better off choosing one of the higher, stronger candles to lion tale.

in my tree where i definately want low buds, if i leave the stongest candle at the top, for sacrafice i may not get the bud i want. ( not definative)
so to give it all i got i chose a lower weaker candle to sacrafice so as to send more energry lower. at some stage the top sacrafice will steal the energy again but by then i hope to have my buds where i want them and more. chances are new buds will also pop under the now stong lions tail on top and i can choose a lower one to bring it back in check and send the energy down again. hope this is clear. very easy to demonstrate in person, not always in writing.

[mick]

Yea it makes alittle more sense. Im still alittle bit confused about what you do ? Will you for example on your tree, onnce you have chosen your lower branch to lions tail, remove all candles except the strongest as well as all other needles and such, so the energy will be kept low for maximised lower buding?
Sorry if I cant understand it too well. But I am learning more and more evry day thanks to all you guys
I know what you mean about showing in person being easier than explaining in words. I have that trouble with things as well.

Cheers
Mick

[anttal63]

Yea it makes alittle more sense. Im still alittle bit confused about what you do ? Will you for example on your tree, onnce you have chosen your lower branch to lions tail, remove all candles except the strongest as well as all other needles and such, so the energy will be kept low for maximised lower buding?
Sorry if I cant understand it too well. But I am learning more and more evry day thanks to all you guys
I know what you mean about showing in person being easier than explaining in words. I have that trouble with things as well.

Cheers
Mick

the sacrafice is already there but i am not doing anymore candle cutting or needle pulling now that i have repotted. the lions tails will hapeen next year on this one.

[mick]

Hi Antonio.

How are you? The food that you described for me with the fish emulsion, blood and bone etc., Do you just feed on the soil, or the foliage as well. I have made some up, but only been using it on the soil. Not sure whether it would burn the needles or not.

What a lovely smell it has
My dog seems to like it. He kept trying to get a taste every time I turned my back

Cheers
Mick