Pine Backbudding

D3rutat

ok guys i am kinda curious about this. I have a Pinus Strobus ( i know it's not the best bonsai material due to back budding but i am trying to accomplish the impossible: May the force be with you bonsai-san). I've bought it 1 month ago and restyled it,wired it, pruned some minor branches (no big branches pruned) did some candle removing ( no candle pruning). The trunk is pretty thick, about 3 fingers thick. The candles have started elongating and the tree seems to be fine( no needle dieback or branch dieback) I want to force backbudding on this tree and as far as i have read i can accomplish that by pruning this new years growth back to the last years growth. Right . If it is true, when should i do this pruning? After the tree exits dormancy or before it enters dormancy. It's currently sitting in a warm environment with lots of full sun. Thanx

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bnsaijim

Very little is known about the specifics of this species - Craig Cowing has one he's been playing with so perhaps he can chime in. Since moving to TX I've not had a chance to play with this species.

One excellent methodology for STRONG HEALTHY PINES, well fertilized.- do not touch the tree until fall then cut off all strong and medium growth in all zones of vigor at once, maybe first week of September. Provide better than normal winter protection.

Caveat, this again has to be a strong tree- not one you dug up a year ago. Since this is a new tree and you've already worked on it this may be a technique you put off.

In the mean time,

The technique you refer to should be done when the new candles are hardened off- late June or early July. You should get little green rosettes. When you can discern a second row of needles in the rosette you should cut off all old needles around it left in November, cutting a little of the sheath off.

Do NOT cut needles unless you have a rosette.

In August you can thin rosettes to 2 if you have 5-7.

Jim Stone
TX

Jerry Meislik

I have worked with Pinus strobus and it is a tough material to style and grow properly. It does not readily bud back.
As Jim states do not do anything if the tree is not very, very healthy and growing strongly. His suggestions are quite good. I would add to never prune any weak branches, they will die.
Hope this helps.
Jerry

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Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

D3rutat

let me see if i got this straight:

If i want to force backbudding, i should let the tree harden off it's needles and prune it back to last years growth this autumn?

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bnsaijim

WEEEEEEeeeelll, not exactly. Normal technique subscribes to cutting off all the new growth in June or July, i.e., July 4th in my neck...

The phylogenetic sign you're looking for to signal this action is the maturity of the first budding. If you are planning on shohin size wait till August (or as long as possible)... This makes for tighter/smaller buds...

OR you can do as the Xmas tree growers do - at the end of August you "shear" in this case it's a little more carefully done- you cut off all growth. If you do this I would fertilize the crap out of it- literally and figuratively- and get the tree as healthy as possible. Pines like to "sip" thier nutrients so I think a constant supply is best.

I can't tell you the better course of action - I don't have the tree in front of me - I can't see it, talk to it or smell it. You want all that Zen nonsense outta me- raise pines- it really is a mindset- you have to read your trees, "talk to them" and plan carefully... action and reaction.

My own batch of pines- they are resting after their first major root work- I'll tear into them in August/September. I forced buds in the first inch or two of trunk by pinching back three times last year. (Do not try this at home!!) But I've lost a bunch over the 3-4 year's so far - 120 out of 300. The weak die, the poorest for bonsai go bye-bye. I expect to only have 20 good ones and 3-5 great ones in 10 years...

Jim Stone
TX

D3rutat

here's a photo of the tree,

Attached Images

pinusstrobus.jpg.jpg (66.1 KB, 290 views)

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D3rutat

as you can see the candles are pretty well developed. I don't have a big experience with pines but this a sign that the tree is growing vigorouslyRight? And somebody suggested to fertilize the crap out of it. I now fertilize it once every 2 weeks with a regular plant fertilizer(not bonsai fertilizer bcos it's too weak). Should i do it every week or this might burn the roots?? THNX

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TreeBay

Where you have four candles, you need to reduce that number to two. Ideally this would have been done shortly after they appeared, and the tree would have put that strength into weaker branches. Now the growth in those areas will be correspondingly coarser. It's an awkward time to deal with this, because you are approaching the time when you would be decandling anyways - in 4-6 weeks.

Cut it everywhere back to two. Keep the two weakest candles (shortest and smallest) on the branches in the areas of strength. Keep the two strongest candles (longest and thickest) in the areas that are typically weak (interior and wherever they don't seem as strong)

Regards,

Matt

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D3rutat

here are the needles.

Attached Images

pinusstrobusneedles.jpg (51.0 KB, 141 views)

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