I got this tree earlier this year, was in very rough shape, basically was in the clay you get from a B&B nursery tree but in a 5 inch training pot. I took the advice of some seasoned Miria forum experts ( thank you) did a light clean out of some of the clay removing no roots just created enough room for some oxygen and aggregate soil to go back in. It pushed new growth I did not touch the new growth because even for a Japanese black pine seemed really weak.
Couple questions:
Next step and timing? should I do anything this upcoming Fall or let it recover until next spring?
I seem to struggle with being able to visualize how design ( create) a pine. With my limited experience I assume semi cascade/ cascade are the options but I don’t totally understand how to lay the beach structure out from this point. Any advice or information or different ways of thinking that might help me understand and conceptualize this?
Can’t speak much about the horticulture, but that is a very interesting tree. I like it. Design-wise, I would try raising the left side of the pot as viewed in your first picture. New planting angle when you repot, maybe making it into a very steep slant rather than a cascade. I think also pointing the trunk up a little might help the trees’s health and vigor? Front of the tree should be about at the corner of the pot that’s pointing at the camera in pictures 2 and 3. Carve back the knots left and the very end of the trunk to create a better taper. Pull the little branch at the back over to the left to fill in the negative space under the arch of the trunk. Shape the furthest right branches into a dome or triangle with a flat bottom. Not sure about lowest branch in the front. Maybe a horizontal s curve to create a small pad or dome below the main trunk line. Kinda between a cascade and a bunjin.
Anyway, those are my thoughts while having lunch and listening to Christopher Tin. Hope that gives you some ideas.
