Japanese White Pine Yellowing Needles (and styling advice)

[Adamantium]

Hi, all! I'm wondering if anyone has any insight into why these needles might be yellowing? It looks like it's last year's growth, so it's not falling off naturally. The seller said it's caused by a drought last year. Does that sounds possible?

Also, any styling advice? Informal upright, for sure. Should I just try to make foliage pads, and pull everything down, and closer to the trunk?

Thanks in advance!

 

[plant_dr]

In the first photo on the right hand side there is a horizontal yellow needle. It has a dark spot in the middle of the yellow which looks like a fungus problem. Wouldn't hurt to treat with a copper fungicide.

 

[0soyoung]

The foliage that it has is quite sparce, IMHO --> unhealthy (it should have been quite inexpensive)
Remove the bad needles. I spray with an eco-friendly solution of 2 tbls 3% hydrogen peroxide in a quart of water
Buds appear to be alive and extending --> very much alive and could improve this year

My thoughts go toward the soil and thinking it maybe should be half bare rooted (i.e., clean out the exist soil from one side of the root 'ball') and placed into a good inorganic substrate. I think it BEST to WAIT until after the new shoots have extended and NEW NEEDLES HARDENED FIRST - circa Jul/Aug.

Focus on getting it healthy before you start any styling work. Study your tree and trees you like and devise a plan. You may be able to start this work this fall, but maybe not until fall 2019. Meanwhile, buy some junk and practice on them to develop your skills.

 

[Adamantium]

The foliage that it has is quite sparce, IMHO --> unhealthy (it should have been quite inexpensive)
Remove the bad needles. I spray with an eco-friendly solution of 2 tbls 3% hydrogen peroxide in a quart of water
Buds appear to be alive and extending --> very much alive and could improve this year

My thoughts go toward the soil and thinking it maybe should be half bare rooted (i.e., clean out the exist soil from one side of the root 'ball') and placed into a good inorganic substrate. I think it BEST to WAIT until after the new shoots have extended and NEW NEEDLES HARDENED FIRST - circa Jul/Aug.

Focus on getting it healthy before you start any styling work. Study your tree and trees you like and devise a plan. You may be able to start this work this fall, but maybe not until fall 2019. Meanwhile, buy some junk and practice on them to develop your skills.

Great advice, thanks. I got it for fifty bucks (not including shipping). Probably not as cheap as it should have been, but c'est la vie. As long as it's not in such bad shape that I won't be able to save it. If it's needlecast, do you think hydrogen peroxide will do the trick?

 

[0soyoung]

Great advice, thanks. I got it for fifty bucks (not including shipping). Probably not as cheap as it should have been, but c'est la vie. As long as it's not in such bad shape that I won't be able to save it. If it is needlecast, do you think hydrogen peroxide will do the trick?

Remove the affected needles and then spray every few days. Peroxide will, I think, do the trick.

Peroxide only nixes the spores on the outside of the leaves. It doesn't really affect the fungus inside infected needles (nor does any spray fungicide). Hence remove the affected needles (they are just a spore source) and spray to prevent new infection. Continue spraying every few days for, say, a week or two. Resume if you see any signs of needle cast (yellow banding mid-length of the needles) or more yellowing needles. Peroxide releases reactive oxygen and turns in to regular ole everyday water.

If this proves to be too much of a hassle, the next step up is Daconil which leaves an active residue that lasts a couple of weeks or so. You shouldn't (but may) need to go there. Then it is alternate Daconil/copper fungicide, then a systemic for the full nuclear option. Peroxide does it for me (but maybe I am just lucky to have few fungal problems).

 

[Potawatomi13]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Bad graft.

 

[Adamantium]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Bad graft.

Meh, it’s better than some I’ve seen. I thought the rough bark was nice, and to the untrained eye, it’s not that obvious that it’s not supposed to look like that.

 

[Adamantium]

Remove the affected needles and then spray every few days. Peroxide will, I think, do the trick.

Peroxide only nixes the spores on the outside of the leaves. It doesn't really affect the fungus inside infected needles (nor does any spray fungicide). Hence remove the affected needles (they are just a spore source) and spray to prevent new infection. Continue spraying every few days for, say, a week or two. Resume if you see any signs of needle cast (yellow banding mid-length of the needles) or more yellowing needles. Peroxide releases reactive oxygen and turns in to regular ole everyday water.

If this proves to be too much of a hassle, the next step up is Daconil which leaves an active residue that lasts a couple of weeks or so. You shouldn't (but may) need to go there. Then it is alternate Daconil/copper fungicide, then a systemic for the full nuclear option. Peroxide does it for me (but maybe I am just lucky to have few fungal problems).

Doesn’t sound like a hassle, at all. Definitely sounds worthwhile.

Thank you so much for your insight. Any feelings about how I should style it?

 

[M. Frary]

Thank you so much for your insight. Any feelings about how I should style it?

Get it healthy first. While that's happening,look up some pine bonsai pictures for different directions to take it.

 

[Adamantium]

Remove the affected needles and then spray every few days. Peroxide will, I think, do the trick.

Peroxide only nixes the spores on the outside of the leaves. It doesn't really affect the fungus inside infected needles (nor does any spray fungicide). Hence remove the affected needles (they are just a spore source) and spray to prevent new infection. Continue spraying every few days for, say, a week or two. Resume if you see any signs of needle cast (yellow banding mid-length of the needles) or more yellowing needles. Peroxide releases reactive oxygen and turns in to regular ole everyday water.

If this proves to be too much of a hassle, the next step up is Daconil which leaves an active residue that lasts a couple of weeks or so. You shouldn't (but may) need to go there. Then it is alternate Daconil/copper fungicide, then a systemic for the full nuclear option. Peroxide does it for me (but maybe I am just lucky to have few fungal problems).

What time of year is best to do that needle plucking? Once the candles have fully extended?

 

[M. Frary]

What time of year is best to do that needle plucking? Once the candles have fully extended?

You pluck the preceding years needles and spray it with an antifungal to prevent new needles from contracting it.

 

[Adamantium]

You pluck the preceding years needles and spray it with an antifungal to prevent new needles from contracting it.

What if all of the needles are slightly yellow at the tips?

I would literally be leaving nothing but the new budding candles. That can't be good to do, right?

 

[0soyoung]

What if all of the needles are slightly yellow at the tips?

I would literally be leaving nothing but the new budding candles. That can't be good to do, right?

Pinus parviflora and other alpine species get yellowish needles (especially at the tips) in winter. It is a mechanism for protecting PhotoSystem II = normal, not to worry as long as it is a nice lively yellow; it will soon return to the normal blue-ish green.

 

[Adamantium]

Pinus parviflora and other alpine species get yellowish needles (especially at the tips) in winter. It is a mechanism for protecting PhotoSystem II = normal, not to worry as long as it is a nice lively yellow; it will soon return to the normal blue-ish green.

No kidding! That's very good to know, thank you.

I thought once yellow, needles were doomed. Didn't know they could green back up.