New white pine

[CamdenJim]

This morning I made my first visit to Brussel's Bonsai and bought, among a few other things, my first white pine -- a small one, 10" soil to tip. Although I have pretty good credentials as a tree-killer, I'm trying to reform, so perhaps this wasn't my best choice. But I'm bold enough to ask for advice here in hopes of keeping this one not only alive but thriving a year from now.

Am I correct in thinking too many buds were left on last fall? Should I start removing some now, or wait? I know other things I have to do soon, but handling buds/candles/shoots on a pine is something I've never done before.

 

[october]

Congratulations on the pine. Although it is tough to tell because the tree is so dense. This pine will need to mature a little before it is styled. This is probably the reason so many buds were left on the tree. This season, you can reduce the buds in each section to 2. If there are more than 2, remove the strongest one/ones and leave the weaker ones. You can remove them with your fingers or if they have matured already, you can cut with scissors. I would leave the remaining buds alone and just let them grow. Also, normally needle plucking and bud selection is done in Fall. However, opening up the tree a bit now, might be a good idea. Remove needles growing in crevices/crotches and ones that are growing downwards underneath branches. However, don't remove too much overall. Also, with white pine, you should cut the needles with scissors and not pluck. Cut the needle at the base, you can leave a tiny stub. Eventually it will fall off.

If the soil that the tree is in is good, you can leave it alone. If not, you can do a repot this season. If the tree grows well, either next year or probably the year after, you can do some basic wiring. These trees produce one flush of growth a year, so it is a slow process. Especially when dealing with younger material.

I hope this information was helpful.

Rob

 

[edprocoat]

This morning I made my first visit to Brussel's Bonsai and bought, among a few other things, my first white pine -- a small one, 10" soil to tip. Although I have pretty good credentials as a tree-killer, I'm trying to reform, so perhaps this wasn't my best choice. But I'm bold enough to ask for advice here in hopes of keeping this one not only alive but thriving a year from now.

Am I correct in thinking too many buds were left on last fall? Should I start removing some now, or wait? I know other things I have to do soon, but handling buds/candles/shoots on a pine is something I've never done before.

Tree killer eh? I am more specifically a Pine killer, 3 for 3 and my rule is 3 strikes and I'm out. lol Hope you have good luck with this. I have learned much of what not to do but just have not been able to get the hang of keeping a pine going.

ed

 

[Adair M]

Wow! Is that a current photo? And the candles are already that far along?

Those greenhouses at Brussel's are something else!

Since this is your first pine, know that Japanese WHITE Pine are different than Japanese BLACK pine. This tree is a white pine grafted onto black pine roots. This makes the tree more vigorous, so you can repot like black pine. But the foliage is white pine. So, NO DECANDLING!

NEXT: Brussel's soil is terrible. Too much pine bark. Repot as soon as possible into an inorganic soil mix. I recommend "Boon Mix". You will find lots of threads on here about Boon Mix. It's 1/3 akadama, 1/3 pumice, 1/3 lava. Notice: NO organic material. When you repot, remove all the soil from one complete side of the rootball, and replace with good soil. Two years later, do the other side. Oh, this is important: When you repot, make sure you wire the tree in VERY securely. You don't want the trunk to wiggle. Why? If the tree wiggles, it will break any new feeder roots off.

Since the candles are already growing (if the picture is current) you need to repot TODAY! If you see the tips of needles emerging, it's really too late. If it's too late, you should wait until next year to repot.

So, your plan: 1) Take care of the soil. Health of the tree is first and foremost. It doesn't matter how nice you wire and style it if it dies. So, repot it. Then, I would not try to style it, if I were you. Wait a half a year, watch it grow, learn it's watering and fertilizing needs. 2) Read all the threads on JWP care. Watch Ryan Neil you tube videos, paying attention to what he says about WHITE pine care. 3) Get some copper wire in preparation for wiring the tree next FALL. Fall is the season to prune and style pines.

 

[quietobserver]

Wow! Is that a current photo? And the candles are already that far along?

Those greenhouses at Brussel's are something else!

Since this is your first pine, know that Japanese WHITE Pine are different than Japanese BLACK pine. This tree is a white pine grafted onto black pine roots. This makes the tree more vigorous, so you can repot like black pine. But the foliage is white pine. So, NO DECANDLING!

NEXT: Brussel's soil is terrible. Too much pine bark. Repot as soon as possible into an inorganic soil mix. I recommend "Boon Mix". You will find lots of threads on here about Boon Mix. It's 1/3 akadama, 1/3 pumice, 1/3 lava. Notice: NO organic material. When you repot, remove all the soil from one complete side of the rootball, and replace with good soil. Two years later, do the other side. Oh, this is important: When you repot, make sure you wire the tree in VERY securely. You don't want the trunk to wiggle. Why? If the tree wiggles, it will break any new feeder roots off.

Since the candles are already growing (if the picture is current) you need to repot TODAY! If you see the tips of needles emerging, it's really too late. If it's too late, you should wait until next year to repot.

So, your plan: 1) Take care of the soil. Health of the tree is first and foremost. It doesn't matter how nice you wire and style it if it dies. So, repot it. Then, I would not try to style it, if I were you. Wait a half a year, watch it grow, learn it's watering and fertilizing needs. 2) Read all the threads on JWP care. Watch Ryan Neil you tube videos, paying attention to what he says about WHITE pine care. 3) Get some copper wire in preparation for wiring the tree next FALL. Fall is the season to prune and style pines.

As a local who wanders around there occassionally I can say I wouldn't want to pay Brussel's gas bill this year. Once they decide the trees' dormancy/cold requirements are met its springtime indoors...Seems great for length of growing season, but if you are buying you may be putting it right back into 'winter' this year.

 

[CamdenJim]

Thanks for the help

It's great to have advice like this -- particularly when it confirms what I thought already. And I spent an hour or two last evening with the Pines book/Bonsai Today articles on White Pine.

And yes, the photo is current.

@quietobserver: yep. Worked up a sweat strolling through the "cool" houses. I think I'll keep several recent purchases in the basement until the night temperatures come up a bit.

@October and Adair M -- Message received. Soil is indeed highly organic and I'll repot today or tomorrow. Will probably take some of the proto-candles/buds off, but leave most for the time being.

 

[Adair M]

Those candles...

That IS this year's growth.

The goal is to have two growing candles at each terminal tip. If there are three or more, you can remove one (or more) leaving two. If there is only one, leave it.

If, in a couple weeks, a candle appears to be too vigorous, you can pinch it back, BUT BE SURE TO LEAVE SOME NEEDLES.

Really, the best thing you can do is repot it into good soil, and leave it alone. Watch it to learn how it grows.

 

[quietobserver]

Those candles...

That IS this year's growth.

The goal is to have two growing candles at each terminal tip. If there are three or more, you can remove one (or more) leaving two. If there is only one, leave it.

If, in a couple weeks, a candle appears to be too vigorous, you can pinch it back, BUT BE SURE TO LEAVE SOME NEEDLES.

Really, the best thing you can do is repot it into good soil, and leave it alone. Watch it to learn how it grows.

Curious what you consider to be good soil in this instance. Pumice & akadama, or will the akadama turn to concrete too fast in AL where Jim resides?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

will the akadama turn to concrete too fast in AL where Jim resides?

Akadama does not turn to concrete at all here. Is this something you've experienced with akadama, quietobserver?

 

[Adair M]

I use Boon Mix. I gave the formula in a post above.

Akadama does break down. But, that's ok. It's open when freshly potted, so roots can work their way in and around the particles. It's still inorganic, so it doesn't ROT. Roots love it. It does retain a bit of water, whereas lava and pumice don't.

If you have trees that prefer more moisture, use more akadama in your mix.

White pines are mountain trees, and prefer to be on the dry side.

 

[quietobserver]

Akadama does not turn to concrete at all here. Is this something you've experienced with akadama, quietobserver?

Yes, but was living in the southwest at the time and had to water so frequently I think the soil had about 5 years of wear for every year of growth. I've read a lot recently about differing quality of product in akadama, so maybe I got ahold of the cheap stuff.