Back budding in Scots Pine

GraemeK

Hi,

I was bought a Scots Pine for my birthday the other week. It has two branches and an apex. The two branches are long with only needles on the ends. The tree looks healthy but i think it really needs to back bud on the branches otherwise it will and does look silly.

Are scots pines easy to back bud and how do i do it? Also when is the best time to carry out such work?

Thanks

Graeme.

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Dr.Bonsai

Hi GraemeK,

Young pines tend to look a little odd, but they have the capacity to bud back profusely. New branches usually develop from latent buds hidden between the needles pairs, or sets.

One way to encourage back budding on pines is to pinch the candle tips as they grow out. Also, In general, you can reduce the number of shoots or branches to just two at any point, at any time, and this will help quite a bit. Thin the apex more aggressively because this point dominates the tree.

With Japanese Black pine, the candle may be removed entirely and new shoots will form at its base, and hopefully farther back along its branches. Black pine are exceptionally strong and this can even be done after the needles have started to develop in the sheaths of the candles. This work is done in early summer. In fall, the needle count is reduced, particularly at the apex of the tree, which allows more sunlight in. Branches are wired with the tips flat at this time - the black pine is again vigorous enough to drive candles straight upward, and the flat tips help induce back budding.

With Japanese White Pine, the candles are usually pinched in half rather than being removed entirely, and this is done earlier, before the needles begin to extend, while the candles are still green and fleshy. Needle thinning is also done. Branch tips are wired up because the tree is weaker.

My suggestion for your scots pine is to treat it gently until you are familiar with its growing pattern. Pines have a tendency to throw more branches off where you already have branch unions, and needles are a source of latent buds.

Begin by reducing your branching to two branches, (not three or more) at any union. Near the apex of the tree, choose the weaker branches to remain. At the interior of the tree and near its base, choose the stronger branches to remain. This will help to regulate the pine's tendency to grow up up up.

Next, to discourage the pine from sending out more buds where you already have them, strip away most of the needles that have formed around branch unions and the areas where branches already come off the trunk. I would take them all off within a 1" radius of a branch node for example. Leave some needles on the trunk and older branches where you want to encourage buds to develop.

Wait to practice any kind of candle pruning until late spring to early summer - Typically may-june-july (depending on your hemisphere and how soon the growing season kicks off where you live.)

GraemeK

Hi Dr Bonsai,

Thanks for ur help...

I think the tree is a little older as it only has two branches and an apex and has no needles on the trunk. The trunk is quite old looking with rough bark but it is think at proably 1/2in.

I will try pinching out the buds etc and see what happens...maybe taking it to a bonsai nursery will help?

Also i could post a picture of it on here couldnt i?

Thanks,

Graeme...

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TreeBay

Hi GraemeK,

Yes please post a picture! Also keep in mind that pines really hate having wet feet. It can result in root rot. One sign of that is new growth dying off.

Pines soil should be allowed to dry off a little more than your maple or elm. They aren't cactus, but they should not be overwatered, either.

If you keep a broken piece of chopstick pushed down into the soil, you can extract it periodically and use it as a "dip stick" to check for soil moisture. If your pine tends to stay too wet, from rain or just too much watering, you might look at adding more sand to your soil mix to increase drainage. By sand I mean ideally good clean river sand size #3 or larger, not beach sand!

In my experience, pines need to be worked on just a few times each year:

LATE WINTER - Grafting
MID SPRING - Repotting
LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER - Candle pruning
EARLY FALL - Bud Selection
LATE FALL - Needle Thinning and Wiring

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GraemeK

Hi!

Heres the picture of the scots pine...
You can see what i mean but needles on being at the ends...
Also i was told by my grandfather that this must be 25-30 years old? I feel it is probably more like 10 years old?

Thanks

Graeme...

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TreeBay

Hi GraemeK,

It would be a good idea to remove the moss that is growing up onto the trunk and exposed roots. The moss will soften and decompose the developing cork (bark) in the critical area of the trunk base that the Japanese call the [i:66f7eaac9d]nebari.[/i:66f7eaac9d]

When you remove the mossyou may find that the bark is already crumbly. Let it the bark dry out there before you try scraping it too much. But get the living moss out of there.

It's okay to have some moss on the soil, but it does interrupt the interface for the respiration of the roots (they need air as well as water). Generally speaking, pines do better without moss, and it's added for only foro show during display times.

The tree looks healthy, and while it is hard to be sure from the photo, I would agree with your assessment of its age at somewhere around 10 years, based mostly on the texture of the bark.

Note: If you ever find any evidence of hornwort or liverwort on the surface of the soil, it is a clear sign that the plant is being overwatered and/or there is a drainage problem. Scrape off all the wort, adjust your watering, and repot as soon as you can reasonably do so.

It looks like you are safe at this point!

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GraemeK

Hi Treebay,

Thanks for the advice regarding the moss....

but what about the branches? do you think it will back bud?

Its not the best tree i have but it was bought for me so i want to do something with it and try to make it something.

Thanks

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bnsaijim

One idea you might consider is, towards spring chop all but that right branch, wire it up for a new leader. This has two advantages-

your foliage is now tighter in to the trunk...

you'll improve the taper of the trunk.

meanwhile study the techniques for two needle pines so you know what to do to keep it from getting leggy again!

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Jim Stone
Seki Bonsai Studio
sekibonsai.com
Santa Fe, TX

Hi my name is jeff I,m new at the bonsai but i have always loved them. I recently bougth a japenes juniper. It,s 12 year,s old.Well let me get to my questen. I raise rice finches. It a typ of bird. I build aveares for pepole. I have my own aveares.I bought the bonsai for in there cage. Iwant them to have a natural envierment.So i put this new bonsai in there cage but i dont want my bonsai to die. do you think thay will kill it. plus I was woundering if it would be ok to put earth wearms in the soil. will you please respond to thiese questions. thank you very much.