wind swept pine

[strawbs]

This is the first pine i got back in 2005 when i first started to get serious about bonsai.
not much to look at , think it cost me about $150.

pine 2005.jpg

not much happened over the next few years, i was expermenting with needle reduction
id feed it up , cut it back hard and pluck the hell out of it,also trying to get some back budding
i didnt really have a plan for the tree either.
needles down from 10 cm to about 5.

pine 2007.jpg

and now after the weekend, all this talk about Bunjin got me thinking, out of the square a bit.

after.jpg

still might need a bit of thining up the top,and i dragged a back branch around which i think i might get
rid of to open up so me space in the lower part. but for now im happy with it.
now i need to find an subtle pot.
cheers
Strawbs

[Jamie]

nice start mate, it has had a fair transformation hey, and is gonna look quite credible in the next couple of years

on a design note, i dont think you need that branch in the middle of the trunk, the one between the first branch and the apex branch, it will open the tree up and give it some negative space which will be a good thing

just my thoughts on it, otherwise nice

jamie

[strawbs]

cheers Jamie, yeah i know the one u talking of, still a bit of selective pruning to do.
cheers for the input.
strawbs

[techpetal]

Hi Strawbs,

I agree with Jamie, the middle needs to go. Maybe the top can also be slightly bent towards the back a bit more also to increase its depth to compensate for the middle (plenty of branching to develop)

I like it, good transformation. Not many would have taken it away from the informal upright design it initially looked like.

Tech

[Jamie]

too true there petal. not many would have changed from informal upright to windswept. it is very good think outside the square

the more i see it the more i like it, especially when i picture it with out that middle branch. i wouldnt be to concerned bout moving branching to the back as i think when it fills out some more it will add the depth.

one question is being a pine it would want to be growing upwards not across. that might be the hard part in keeping it in the style unless major wiring is done for a long time, i havent tried the style before though so i cant be certain on that

jamie

[MelaQuin]

Then again, you could leave the branch in the middle... that has to go... as a sacrifice branch. Design around it and remove it later. Keeping in mind it has to be stumped for upwards of a year before you can eliminate it entirely. Lovely thing about black pines....

[Gerard]

I have learned that windswept style trees appear more "alive" when the branches are not horizontal but blown upward.It makes the tree look as though it is moving and would probably better suit the growth habit of your pine.
The Robert Steven demonstration last week captured this very well.

Robert Steven 028.jpg

Regards Gerard