Thank you all for sending in your design thoughts about this curious and complicated pine. There were some excellent designs. It is a truism about bonsai design that removing one thing often necessitates the removal of other things, in order to retain visual balance. And with pruning away overly long and repetitive branching we begin that process.
Almost everyone chose to retain the multiple crown feeling of this tree, and I think that’s the best beginning.
Here are a few photos of what we did with it…
Here’s the front we chose. Although the front from this side has a slight pigeon breast, coming toward the viewer, that pigeoning adds boldness, and structurally this side had better possibilities for apices and spacial placement of branching. Now to make sense of it by pruning…
Here we are removing one of the branches that could have been used as a final leader for the main trunk. The smaller trunk to the right has already been shortened to the first possible branch that was large enough to take over. With these cuts we achieve some taper goals, as well as relationship goals between the multiple trunks…in height and relative thickness. And the large straight trunk in the middle of these two was removed entirely.
What the tree looked like following structural pruning, and needle removal for balancing shoot-to-shoot.
Wiring the tree.
The finished Shore Pine, 38″ / 97 cm high. This is a case of an unusual flow. Usually with a multiple trunk tree, the minor trunk, which in this case is the small one to the left, is in the direction of the flow. Here, with the crown of the main trunk to the right of the base, it’s a leaning tree…away from the minor trunk, which is a design I’ve always really liked but one rarely comes across a suitable tree for it. To add a bit of quirkiness and individuality to the tree, we left the low branch near the base on…for now. Technically a branch that low has no place on a bunjin form, so it might not last. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while know I take a left turn now and then, and if I do, I try to own up to it. We’ll live with that low branch for a while…even though it’s naughty. Thanks everyone for engaging in this exercise! We’ll do it again sometime.
And for those of you who haven’t yet seen the first part of this exercise, here it is:
I try to avoid cutting off branches during the warm months of the year. Too much sap flow then. One can always leave a stub for a while, then the tree will redirect it’s fluid transfer to go around the stub. Later the stub can be cut off without much sap flow that can mar the bark.
This was a great exercise. I like seeing the thought processes worked out step-by-step. The photography was very good and I could see what was being done. The discussions provide a good reason for why. This was far superior to some of the elaborate productions done in Bonsai Focus. Much easier to follow what you did and why.
Great achievement, I didn’t realize how tall the tree was until that one photo of you facing the camera.
Some design ideas included jin’n of removed/reduced stems, did you consider that at any point?
Yes, jins were one possibility. For this tree, I thought jins would stop the flowyness of the trunk line. Sometimes jins can be detrimental to bunjin for that reason. Shari on the other hand are more about the line of the trunk, so they can be more useful for bunjin. For this tree, I thought future callused-over cuts would look the best.
{"id":null,"mode":"text_link","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/crataegus.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/crataegus.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/crataegus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jar-200x200.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"show your appreciation for the blog in a one-time or recurring tip","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":"","terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
17 Comments
Elegant…
I like it Michael. What did you do with tiny rear branch at bottom left?
Left it on. From this front is was less a problem; from the other side it hid the base of the tree too much. But it’s a bit low for bunjin really.
Wow that turned out nice.
Very nice. Curious if there is a particular process you employ for reducing the stubs of the branches you removed?
I try to avoid cutting off branches during the warm months of the year. Too much sap flow then. One can always leave a stub for a while, then the tree will redirect it’s fluid transfer to go around the stub. Later the stub can be cut off without much sap flow that can mar the bark.
This was a great exercise. I like seeing the thought processes worked out step-by-step. The photography was very good and I could see what was being done. The discussions provide a good reason for why. This was far superior to some of the elaborate productions done in Bonsai Focus. Much easier to follow what you did and why.
Thanks. Keep it up. >
Glad you enjoyed it, we will definitely do it again-
And the Tree’s name is “the Ballet’? R
Love that!
really like what you did with this tree!! Still love that little branch as well !
Is “whispyness” a word? this tree has it, fantastic.
I’m not sure it’s a word, but I like it a lot! (Actually I just looked it up, and yes it’s a word…)
Great achievement, I didn’t realize how tall the tree was until that one photo of you facing the camera.
Some design ideas included jin’n of removed/reduced stems, did you consider that at any point?
Yes, jins were one possibility. For this tree, I thought jins would stop the flowyness of the trunk line. Sometimes jins can be detrimental to bunjin for that reason. Shari on the other hand are more about the line of the trunk, so they can be more useful for bunjin. For this tree, I thought future callused-over cuts would look the best.
nicely done
Rely enjoyed this exercise Michael, Thank YOU!!
Ray