JAPANESE FIVE NEEDLE PINE
Japanese five needle pine seedlings are terrific material for bonsai. Although the foliage is a bit less formal than grafted varieties, all the problems associated with grafting are eliminated. The oldest and best five needle pine bonsai are seedlings. Five needle seedlings are substantially more tolerant of cold winters than black pine. As with most pines, these are flexible and easy to train into most styles. Five needle pines are very resistant to needle cast fungus and most insects. Growth is a bit slower than black pine but with proper feeding, budding is profuse which facilitates bonsai design. A major advantage is that needle length is just right for bonsai, eliminating the need for the complicated needle reduction techiques used with black pines. The seed used in producing these plants is from one of Japan's top five needle pine specialists. It is collected in the Mt. Ichizuchi region. After one year, seedlings are transplanted into individual 3.5" pots. At that time, taproots are removed and remaining roots are properly pruned to create good nebari. This slows second year growth somewhat but assures great surface roots for the future bonsai. Very nice small bonsai can be created in 4-8 years. Pictures show typical material in October.
4 year seedlings
ADAMS' BONSAI
Lynchburg, VA
3 year seedlings
2 year seedlings (3.5" pots)
2 year seedlings
1year seedlings
Partially trained 6 year seedling (6" pot)
