Help me style this scots pine/pinus sylvestris

[ohkthxbye]

Hey, I just bought one month ago this scots pine/pinus sylvestris, I already wired it. I would like to ask you if you can help me to style this tree and which branch to cut so I get rid of this wheel wagon shape (picture 1). The front of the tree (picture 2)
- Should I decandle or is it too late? It's my first Pine tree.
Thanks !

 

[Paradox]

That tree is not strong right now.
When was it wired and bent?
I wouldn’t do anything more until next year and not until it starts growing much stronger

 

[ohkthxbye]

That tree is not strong right now.
When was it wired and bent?
I wouldn’t do anything more until next year and not until it starts growing much stronger

I wired and bent it just after I bought it from a tree nursery.

 

[Paradox]

I wired and bent it just after I bought it from a tree nursery.

And summer time is the wrong time to do that.

 

[Shibui]

It is always harder to tell from just a few pics on the net but the tree appears to be in good condition and healthy to me. It has not been repotted so should be more than able to cope with some bending and pruning this summer.

Hard also to advise which branches to cut and which to keep from 2D pics. My brain just cannot work out where all the branches come from and go to in relation to other branches and trunk without seeing the tree in 3D and being able to rotate through full 360 deg and tilt it.

Try to find some 'fronts' that look good.
1. Consider nebari - the root spread around the trunk.
2. Then consider trunk shape - best look is where the trunk slopes a little backward low down but ends up coming forward near the top. Take into account that we can still bend parts of the upper trunk to achieve coming forward if you find a spot where the lower trunk is great. Try tilting the tree one side or another to see if that gives a better look at the trunk. Your tree does not have to stay at the angle the commercial grower planted it.
3 Check branching - best view is where lowest branch is to the side and slightly forward with following branches to fill the back and other side.
4. Look for features you would like to show off. Many nursery trees have no real features so don't dwell on features if there's nothing that stands out.
5. Faults that you want to hide - Try to have faults like big scars, straight sections, etc at the back where they are not obvious.

New stock trees rarely have the best of all the above in one side so try to find a viewing angle that combines a compromise of the best of all the above and that will be the provisional front.
Now you can decide which branches are least useful and remove them.
Also consider that the best trunk may be one of the branches. Removing the main trunk and using a branch as replacement trunk gives bends without wiring and usually adds better taper to a tree.

If you can find one or more good views of the tree and take some more photos from level with the trunk it may help with some ideas for shaping this one. image 41 looks promising but I suspect there could be a good view from the opposite side too.

 

[Paradox]

It is always harder to tell from just a few pics on the net but the tree appears to be in good condition and healthy to me. It has not been repotted so should be more than able to cope with some bending and pruning this summer.

If those pictures are from the last few days/last week, the candles have stalled and have not opened. It's July, they should be open and hardened off by now. The tree is not happy.

 

[ohkthxbye]

If those pictures are from the last few days/last week, the candles have stalled and have not opened. It's July, they should be open and hardened off by now. The tree is not happy.

I bought the tree with the candles stalled like this, I thought it was the tree growing the branches in his way. What are the issues if the candles aren't open?

 

[Paradox]

I bought the tree with the candles stalled like this, I thought it was the tree growing the branches in his way. What are the issues if the candles aren't open?

If they aren't open by now, the tree is not doing well at all. They should have finished extending and hardened off well before now.
Pushing the tree with more work before it recovers might just kill it

 

[ohkthxbye]

If they aren't open by now, the tree is not doing well at all. They should have finished extending and hardened off well before now.
Pushing the tree with more work before it recovers might just kill it

Ok, so I won't do anything before 1 year, or until it recover it

 

[M. Frary]

Ok, so I won't do anything before 1 year, or until it recover it

Don't do anything for at least a year.
If it lives you cut the shoots off in late summer/early fall.
We don't decandle Scots pine.

 

[penumbra]

I generally thin out the candles on my Scots pines. And often I break them in half when candles are full out but needles are still tight.
I agree that other than feeding, your pine just need to be left alone this season.

 

[Paradox]

Don't do anything for at least a year.
If it lives you cut the shoots off in late summer/early fall.
We don't decandle Scots pine.

Good to see you here again.
You've been missed

 

[M. Frary]

Good to see you here again.
You've been missed

Figured I'd drop in.

 

[clem]

hello, seing the thickness of branches, it could be a mugo pine or an hybrid. The pics are taken against the light, so it is difficult to see.

 

[TwilightTrees]

If those pictures are from the last few days/last week, the candles have stalled and have not opened. It's July, they should be open and hardened off by now. The tree is not happy.

Please can you explain to me what it means when "candles have stalled"? I'm asking because I also have a few collected Scotts pines, which I collected in spring and to start with everything looked good and it developed candles, but now the candles are very small and dry compared to other of my trees (I'm a beginner)

 

[TwilightTrees]

And summer time is the wrong time to do that.

Which time if year is best to work on Scott pine? Heavy bending? And which time to collect? And repot? I'm just asking because I'm beginner.

 

[Paradox]

Please can you explain to me what it means when "candles have stalled"? I'm asking because I also have a few collected Scotts pines, which I collected in spring and to start with everything looked good and it developed candles, but now the candles are very small and dry compared to other of my trees (I'm a beginner)

The candles started to grow then stopped growing ie stalled, and never finished opening up

 

[Paradox]

Which time if year is best to work on Scott pine? Heavy bending? And which time to collect? And repot? I'm just asking because I'm beginner.

Collecting and repotting: Late winter/Early spring just as the buds begin go swell
Heavy Bending: September - October

 

[clem]

you can also collect scotts pines since the end of July, or the begining of August, as the root growth is very good since the middle of July ->


People who live in hot climate collect in Autumn (October), People who live in a cool climate and collect in hot climate can collect in August, to be sure that the tree will have 1 or 2 monthes of good roots activity (enough heat).
In my experience, it is far easier to collect and then grow scotts pines in the same region (same climatic conditions). It is much more difficult to collect in hot climate (south mountains) and bring the pines home in a cooler and wetter climate because the pines can stop growing roots, and catch fungal diseases. (it's lived experience)

 

[TwilightTrees]

The candles started to grow then stopped growing ie stalled, and never finished opening up

Thanks for explaining