Watched the Kuromatsu Video and Now Totally Confused

rlominski

Hi All,

I just watched the Kuromatsu Video:

https://www.bonsaieurope.com/bonsai...electedcountry=

and am totally confused. Not once during the entire 45 minutes did anybody break any candles. Mr. Suzuki did a lot of scissor trimming of buds, but only after they were conpletely out of the sheath. Every article I have ever seen talks about and shows candles being broken off. The length of the candle depends on the zone of the tree.

The Video showed trees in training AND trees where the aim was to reduce the needle size, and Mr. Suzuki cut off buds and pulled needles, but never once broke off candles.

I still think that pines are very confusing, (yes I have the Pine book from Bonsai Today), but although it has examples of nice restylings, what I really want are step by step of how to pinch, pluck, and care for my Black and Red Pine.

Anybody?

Rob

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CScott

I feel your pain. Not having seen the video I can not make specific comments but I think there are a zillion different ways taught to take care of pine bonsai. My recommendation is to find a way that works for you and stick with it unless proven otherwise.

As far as "candle" pruning black pines, I was taught to wait until the buds are actually opening up. When the sheath around each needle begins to retract prune with sissors, not by hand. The purpose is to prune when the shoot is at its most active. The budding that occurs from this pruning will be stronger. This doesn't follow pictures I have seen when the candle looks, well, like a candle.

The other item I have found most usefull when candle pruning is to prune all the shoots at once. The procedure is to cut weak, thin candles back harder than the strong candles. When a candle is cut, the time it takes for new buds to form depends on the length of candle left. A longer residual bud takes more time for new bud production at the base of the candle. Cutting a candle completely off will immediately stimulate bud formation.

Using this knowledge you can cause faster bud formation on weak areas and hold back bud formation on the strong areas. A weak bud will be cut back flush with the base. A medium candle will be cut back to one diameter of the candle width. A strong candle can be cut back to within 2 or three diameters of the base.

I was taught this method and working on pines in general in a number of classes at El Dorado Bonsai in California in 2000 and 2002 from a teacher who trained in Japan. With candle pruning, bud thinning and needle pulling my pines have really progressed in the last seven years.

This may only add to your confusion. Take it or leave it, incorporate some of it, but classes with great teachers are the only way I finally "got" it.

An important note: This was only for black pines. It seems that every type of pine has its own issues.

Carmen

ovation22

Rob,

I hope I don't confuse things further. There is a difference between pinching and pruning. Pinching is used to slow growth in areas. Pruning is used to remove branches. Candle pruning, done at a specific time, is a special technique used on Japanese Black Pines to induce a second set of buds in one year. The second flush of growth will be much smaller, resulting in a more "in scale" image.

You may want to do some more reading about pinching and pruning.

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm
http://mababonsai.org/pages/hawley_pine1.html


John

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Ralph

Find a mentor that is experienced in developing and maintaining JBPs, and learn their method and stick to it. As Carmen says, their are several varying methods, and trying to pick it up on your own with a bit here, and a bit there will only confuse you further.

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rlominski

Thanks Carmen,

This would follow the advice in the video. The entire tree was cut at the same time, after the candles had opened. It does help some, I will just have to experiment.

Rob