Hello everyone! I’m fairly new to bonsai and this will be the first pine that I work on. I received it last summer from my local bonsai society. I was told it was a JWP grafted to an eastern white pine. It was also field grown and most likely dug up and potted early last spring. It seems to be in a mix of field soil and red lava. The substrate retains a lot of water and takes a long time too dry out even during the hotter months of the summer. I would love to start pruning and wiring it this year, but may need to repot it to a more aerated substrate. Is it okay to repot it this year even though it’s only been dug up from the field for a year? Also, does this look like a JWP? Some people online have stated that it is not. I would love the opinion of an be expert. Would it be okay to do some wiring this year if I do a repot in march? Lastly, has anyone hear of a JWP variety called “ Kukuzumia”? This is what the grower stayed it was.Thanks in advance for the advice!
Does the container look to be fully populated with roots? I believe we are in the prime season for repotting pines (at least on my region (8b).
I’d have to check but I believe it is moderately populated with roots. I want to get it into a more appropriate soil and into an actual bonsai pot.
It is not advisable to repot pines in back to back years. I have some more thoughts, but need to run an errand. Back in a bit.
That’s what I was afraid of. To be honest I’m not positive if it was potted last spring but I’m assuming it was. I’ll have to take a look at the rootball when I have time this week. Also haven’t seen the grower lately at the bonsai society meeting so I can’t ask him.
JWP Fukuzumi
Pinus parviflora Fukuzumi Japanese White Pine also known as ‘Fukuzumi’ is unique pine with small blue-green needles.
I am not confirming that this is what it is, just the most likely based on your spelling
Also if it is, it is naturally a very windswept looking pine, worth looking at imagines before styling
If it was dug from the field last year, I would give it this year too (at least) and not repot.
The usual path to take with field grown or collected material is recover from the dig, potentially style if strong enough in the correct season, then recover, and repot.
Pines I’m not solid enough on to give you a timing as I’m still learning myself. But this is the repotting season for pines, and coming up spring wiring.
Definitely wait at least one year if not two. Gauge the growth this year. If anything pines require you have to be more patient with early on stages. They need to heel and reestablish the fungal relationship that allows them to uptake water without having very fine roots. I actually had a JWP (dwarf tamunuki) in the Q&A this week and Ryan went over timelines for repotting and then wedge cut style a year laterm tree is in very similar condition, size as yours.
Okay thanks for your advice. I’m going to hold off on repotting until next year.
Yeah your tree is very similar to mine. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the Q and A videos and can’t watch this. Thinking about upgrading though.
Yes I came upon this online too. It’s so similar it might be the correct type of white pine.
Well here is the take away, one major action a year essentially and standard yamadori recovery is 2 years coming out of the mountain. Where yours was not out of the mountain I think its nuanced but waiting at least a year is a no brainer. One of the things I learned through error was “wanting to do” and never letting the trees get extra strong to handle that impact of the “doing”. You have to build up the energy for the tree to handle what you want to do and not try to do things when the tree isnt in shape for it. You cant ask someone to go from the couch to the olympics and its the same concept, jut a different modality.