New Japanese Black Pine Help!

DonnaCosta

Help! I purchased a japanese black pine yesterday. It was a bit root bound so I removed a little less than 1/3 of the rootball and repotted into a free draining mix. I removed about 4 inches off the top and cutback a few of the longer side branches. I have no idea what to do with it at this point. Can anyone help me decide what to keep and what to get rid of? Maybe help me pick out a front
Thanks, Donna

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Bonsainut

Good job Donna,
If it were mine I would stop right there for the moment. I know you are anxious to move forward, but a bit of recovery is in order now.
I would cut back new candles late in summer around 4th of July. Go get another and do it again! One nuts view!

__________________
Keep growing,---'Nut



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DonnaCosta

Can I ask you what exactly you mean by cutting the candles. I'm not sure what people mean when they say candle, or this years growth from last years growth. Thanks again.

waltr

Yes Donna, don't do more now. Nut had good advice. Just read as much as you can. The information can be confusing so watch out. You are at least few years away from a bonsai. Here are some links to get you started:

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm

http://www.gsbf-bonsai.org/kusamura...blackpines.html

http://www.wwnet.net/~scott13/Articles/Hawley1.html

There are many more if you do an internet search. Your JBP does look like it has a good start. Good luck.
walt

John Dixon

Donna,

'Nut has given you good advice. Stop for now. Pines need to recover after being root pruned, and it was a little early for that anyway. Now it needs time to recuperate. No fertilizer, just keep some moisture in the soil (not water-logged).

An old saying for pines: Only work on the bottom OR the top in one year, not both.

Candles are the extensions from the tree's branches. These will grow almost vertical from the bunches of needles at terminal ends of branches/twigs. Most people suggest removing 1/3 to 1/2 of these candles ever other year, some more often than that. Complete removal is also possible. If you do not perform this reduction, the branches become leggy and less apt to bud-back. You end up with long branches with foliage only near the ends. The opening of these candles produces new needles. The "sheen" of the candle is a known identifier of the time when certain activities can be performed on the tree, safely.

Pines require some specific study. I suggest you just let this specific pine grow this year and use the time to study on them. Next year you will be better prepared to style it.

Just my opinion. Good luck,

John

__________________
John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

Bonsainut

John,Waltr,

Good prudent advice, keep it up.

Donna,

New growth comes on in spring. The new shoot is called a candle. If you want growth in close to the trunk you need to cut just above the new candle in summer. This will give you 3 to 5 new buds at the cut point.

From these buds select two in Sept, at each cut site. These will elongate but much shorter than the rest of the needles curently on the tree. If the second budding was strong and even throughout the tree you can then take off last years needles in November.

Lots of feed, sun and air will help keep vigor and strong growth going. Stay on schedule and soon the tree will have short internodes throughout. Shorter needles are a byproduct but not needed until you are ready to final pot in in O say 2009. Good luck

__________________
Keep growing,---'Nut



Lethal Use of Farce

DonnaCosta

Thank you everyone.

mushashi

By just above the new candle, are you referring to the point where the old/last year's growth ends and the new candle begins?


My black and red pine have some candles that a getting close to 2 inches long. I assume the best is to wait till June/July and then either cut them off completely back to last year's wood or leave 1/3 to 1/2 of the candle length remaining?

I hope this is clear as I am starting to get a little paranoid about my pines.

Thanks.......

malhomme

Mushashi,

Disclaimer: the technique and timing depends a lot on what stage your pine is in. What I am describing below is the method I use for developed trees that are showable or close to it. Different metods are used on trees that are still in the rough.

I am breaking my candles now on my JBP's (Zone 8b). They are shohin and have been in training for a long time so the vigor is balanced throughout each tree. Therefore each candle is small and they are uniformily the same size.











Some time after the needles harden-off I will cut just below the needles formed by this Springs candles. There is a gap between last years growth and the growth from this Springs candles-- cut here. The timing varies, but I usually do this in mid-June. From this cut, new candles will form and hopefully you will have encouraged some back budding. These candles will form the needles and branches that you keep/train until next year.

There's so much more to this and there is no "one way". But this is the way I was taught and it has worked very well for me.

HTH,
Jim