Backbudding Scots Pine.....bud question

[Vance Wood]

Do you have any problems getting your trees into California???? I remember when I was living out there the powers that be were pretty strict about stoping traffic and confiscating vegetables and fruit and living plants of all kinds. They still do that on this side of the country. Our club has a member that comes over the Ambassador Bridge from Canada and he always gets searched. The last time he came over here was before 9/11 so that's not the reason. In order for him to birng his trees in the country he had to have certificates and all that crap.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

What advice did I criticize? I think I've appreciated all input.
Not all of us understand what a poster is really saying, but I know I consider all advice.

 

[Vance Wood]

What advice did I criticize? I think I've appreciated all input.
Not all of us understand what a poster is really saying, but I know I consider all advice.

You wrote: This guy has gone through the hell of BAD akadama that made itself into a bog.
Also, I "tried" pulling down-facing needles.... WHEN IT DIDN'T HAVE MANY....
to FINALLY hosing out MOST of that hell conceived Japanese murder clay and repotting TWICE last summer to first, get it out of akaclammy and then to get it INTO lava, pumice, charcoal and applying some Vance treatment. and then FINDING OUT that SUN is good for it and then puttin it IN full sun and ....THEN..... hearing that a lot of frequent fertilizer is ALSO good.
So, the pore critter has had a dose of almost EVERY wrong thing.
BUT..... in proper soil since last early fall (even though clipped back on a few limbs mistakenly RUSHING it) I think (HOPE) that maybe this year if I leave it alone, the MULTIPLE back buds (magically created against all odds) may actually come out GREEN!

I know you are not specifically criticizing anybody or anything but it did remind me of the condition of shooting the messenger. However; if you go through your above list it is surprising the tree is alive at all. Most of the time a tree benefits from a lack of treatment, not how many things can be done in a single year. The more things you do in a year the more you increase the odds of failure. In other words: You can do this and it would be right, you can do that and it would be right, and you can do this other thing and it would be right as well BUT!!! If you do this, that and the other thing all at the same time you are going on a boat ride in a leaky skow. I know you know this and I hope you don't become angry at me for pointing these things out.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Who could be angry with you, Vance?
You're a bonsai-ist and you're okay.
Ya sleep all night and work all day.
Ya cut down trees, ya eat yer lunch
Ya go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays you go shopping and have buttered scones for tea

 

[Cypress187]

It is what I understood, and therefor, do.
ButI kill pines. 4 in a row. Not per se related.
Now 3 have survived over a year with me.

2 and counting (maybe i'll try to keep them alive first maybe )

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Now if it has needle cast, what's the treatment?
When I Google it, it keeps showing needle cast on ...spruce.
The "pine" link is kinda non specific.

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2007/4-18/conifer.html

but it says: " Don't apply fungicides unless you are certain your tree has a fungal needle disease. Many factors other than disease can cause browning of needles, and fungicides are no help for these noninfectious problems. Send a sample in for diagnosis before you decide to spray."

 

[Adair M]

There are a couple of sprays that help. Daconil is one, and Bonide Copper fungicide is the other. Neeflecast spreads, or I should say it infests needles, when they are developing. So spray when the candles are developing and while needles are growing. Spraying at other times of the year isn't very effective. When spraying, alternate the two sprays listed above

A better approach is to treat the soil with a systemic. Use Cleary's 3036 granular. The tree will absorb the fungicide and it will be effective when the needles are growing.

Once needlecast has infected a needle, there's really nothing you can do except pull it or cut it off. It's contagious, and one infected untreated tree can infest all your pines.

Keeping the trees in full sun, and avoiding watering the foliage if possible, and avoiding watering In the evening help prevent needlecast

 

[Vance Wood]

In the past I have used Captan by Ortho. It seems to work pretty good as a propalaptic (sp?)application and doesn't seem to bother the trees.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

A better approach is to treat the soil with a systemic. Use Cleary's 3036 granular. The tree will absorb the fungicide and it will be effective when the needles are growing.

Once needlecast has infected a needle, there's really nothing you can do except pull it or cut it off. It's contagious, and one infected untreated tree can infest all your pines.

Keeping the trees in full sun, and avoiding watering the foliage if possible, and avoiding watering In the evening help prevent needlecast

Nothing on Google for Cleary's 3036 granular.

And WHEN is proper time to pull any affected (infected?) needles? With so many, it scares me to denude the tree in addition to the other insults I've piled on i t.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Infestation shows when developing the needles. In our region and following the guidelines the fungus spreads in autumn. Here recommendations are spraying in June, end august and september. Watch the new growth, might turn out ok. That's one of the reasons letting the tree grow without cutting the first year.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I can't recall, but don't ...remember.... a "developing" stage.
Even though I suppose it would HAVE TO.
As stated, I p ut this tree through hell last year and in prior years even had it in kakadama ...further distressing it.
As of last year, after repotting, the needles were just "that way."
If it's any indication, NONE of the affected needles pull out easily. They are FIRMLY attached.
would one cut off the brown part and leave the green part?
Even the needles that are FULL brown (very few are like that) don't want to pull out easily.

I would ...THINK.... (uh oh) that it MIGHT be good that they are not easily pulled out.

At this point.... maybe.... leaving it alone to pop new growth in the SUN with a GOB of fertilizer might be the best route to take.

Does this set any record for "unsure" terminology?

 

[armetisius]

Boy, that sums it up about perfectly.
(hmmm.... if I ...air layered... it and then ..... GRAFTED it to dandelion stock....and then........Aaaghhhh!

Now if you manage to pull the last line off I want a generalized address.
Why?
Because I will move down the street JUST to learn your grafting techniques.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The product is Cleary's 3336, not 3036, that is the granular, systemic fungicide, usually added by sprinkling on the top of the soil. The June and August-September is good advice.

 

[Adair M]

Leo is correct, Cleary's 3336. Sorry for the typo.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Leo is correct, Cleary's 3336. Sorry for the typo.

Oh, that's quite OK.
it sez:

"Not for Sale to: NY, CA"

gawdamm friggin stoopid state. They ALSO ban Cuprinol, the BEST deck preservative ever!
and any gun that you can't drop from 45,000 ft without its going off.

 

[Vance Wood]

You cannot buy sand blasting sand either. I researched that issue for a friend a couple of years ago.

 

[M. Frary]

Candles are shoots, shoots are candles.

No. Candles are candles. They aren't shoots until the needles elongate.
Let's get it right.

 

[Adair M]

No. Candles are candles. They aren't shoots until the needles elongate.
Let's get it right.

Mike, are you going to have that engraved on your headstone?

 

[M. Frary]

Mike, are you going to have that engraved on your headstone?

Who says I'm going to die?

 

[Adair M]

Oh, darn! I forgot! This is the Internet! Stuff on the Internet lives forever!

Wow! That Jesus dude was way ahead of his time!