A pair of flattened pines
Late in the autumn 90, I dough these two plants in a rocky area close to Gothenburg where apartments were under construction. Today, I would never consider this kind of material as suitable raw stock for bonsai.
They grew in shallow soil on top of flat rock, the natural composition was according to the left picture. I planted them directly in garden beds but they were transferred to the wooden box the following spring.
At the end of June 91, during a working session at the Swedish bonsai society I created the basic shape. All new shots were reduces by half, everything was wired, the front rotated 45 degrees and a wind swept shape was created. During the rest of the year, the plants grew very well and I learned just how fast wire can bite into the bark at the end of the summer when pines seem to fatten up the highest rate.
In April 92, just before this picture was taken, I repotted into the bonsai pot where the trees still reside. It really was uncomplicated work, but I wanted to bring the trees close together, and at the time, it felt like a brutal and risky operation.
In May I thinned out the top of the main tree by completely cutting of all new candles. Thanks to a warm summer they were quickly replaced by new growth that had time to fully develop during the remainder of the growing season.
After some general thinning out and shortening of some twigs, the trees participated in their first show at Liseberg, a large amusement park, in the late autumn of the same year.
During 93, I pruned out the new candles in mid May, unfortunately, the summer was very cold and the trees did not respond well. The top kept striving upwards and eventually I simply pruned away a large portion of the top that was reaching upwards and to the left.
During repotting in the spring of 94 I raised the soil surface a bit to expose more surface roots. I finally strung down the back tree al the way to the lid of the pot and now it takes the role of a very low first branch. The picture was taken on 01 April, but in spite of that it does not look funny. If one looks carefully one can see an abundance of new shots.
This is from autumn of 94, it grew great during the summer. Already on 19 April, I totally removed all new shots on the weaker/lower areas and ten days later on the stronger areas. On two-needle pine, that way you give the weaker areas an advantage by allowing them to get a head start on growing new candles and in total longer time for the photosynthesis to work. Thus you help balance the growing power that tends to be much stronger in the top area and on the outer portion of branches.
The tree got the same treatment again during 95, but no repotting. I fertilize quite a lot and wire some twigs that grow awkwardly.
The picture is from the spring of 96, can you tell the reason why it looks much better then one year ago? The answer will come with the next picture!
In November 96, this bonsai is as dense as it is likely ever to become. These trees are very friendly and react exemplary to pinching, plucking and pruning. I regularly have to thin out the ramification in order to let light and air into among the many twigs.
The needles are a bit yellow, they need more nitrogenous feed.
Nothing very exciting happens in 97 and 98. The continuos growth has caused the top to become to dense and is subsequently thinned out severely.
This picture is from the spring of 99, this season I will let the plants grow unchecked (except in the top) in order to build up strength. In the late summer I will then make a severe cut back to encourage many weak shots for next year.
It worked. In the spring the trees are full of minute new buds, even way back on old wood. It is a nice task to select, which should remain! The candles are not totally removed only reduced in length.
This picture was taken in the mid of August year 2000, about at the time for the annual exhibition of the Swedish Bonsai Society where it won a medal and was selected as "Best in Show". Walter Palls justification mainly built on the fine ramification, health and the composition. The accent plant is an erodium.
During 2001, the trees were left to grow unchecked before finally being pruned back thoroughly in early August. It was actually exhibited during the special November exhibition in Copenhagen in spite of not being in perfect shape. It was a special Shohin section that needed stocking. The second picture is from October and shows the approximate form.
Early November the bonsai is tucked in for the winter littered with miniature new buds. The combination detailed wiring and re potting can produce a perfect result next year. Upsetting the roots weakens the plant "just right" so that the new shoots does not get to strong and that the needles stay short. A sunny spring and early summer with "just the right" amount of watering would make the conditions ideal.
Thank you for your interest! It would be very interesting to get your views, on
what could have been done differently, and what I should do with the tree in
the future.