Chuhin Black Pine Restyle
In a game-changing redesign, John Wang of Los Angeles, CA transformed this gangly pine into a unified bonsai. While my client owns it now, the pine has changed only subtly since John got his golden mitts on it over ten years ago.
Chuhin Black Pine, before John Wang’s reworking in 2009.
John brought the upper branch down using a jack.
The pine shortly before my client took possession.
At this point I took over the pine’s maintenance, with a first wiring that leaned on John’s superb earlier work.
After a long search, a suitable antique pot was found (the one in the middle).
This is December 2021, before pulling old needles and trimming excess summer shoots.
Here it is afterwards, 2021. Needles are a little short this year. Black Pines can weaken if the regrowth following decandling produces needles that are too short for too many years in a row. With a tree this dense there is some latitude. Several ways to maintain vigor: cut off weaker shoots; more fertilizer; leave some old needles; shorten repotting schedule; and reconsider decandling date.
9 Comments
Great work! Sequential photos are very effective in conveying how this sort of redesign evolves. Thanks
Beautiful. Shows what is possible when you know what you’re doing. Great transformation.
Gorgeous! You continue to delight with thesse fotos! Blessings for a great 2022! Bunny
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beautiful work.
how long was the jack left on?
Peter ________________________________
I don’t know the details, these images were passed on to me secondhand.
I’dl ove to see greater detail on how he used the jack to move that branch. Any chance you could post a quick stick drawing of what went on? This kind of nuts and bolts stuff is really important to me. It really transformed that tree into something very beautiful.
These are all the images I have, sadly——no closeups.
Michael does the tree belong to you now, do you own the tree?
Hello James, a client owns the tree.