Would it do any harm (OR good) to clip brown tips off needles?

[Mike Corazzi]

Last summer, thinking I was doing the RIGHT thing, I kept my Scots pine (avatar tree) in direct and FULL sun ALL day.
8 AM to 7 PM ...ALL...day.
AND while the temp was getting to 107-110.

And SOME of the needles went "brown tip" on it.

So when I asked about it earlier, someone posted that the ...extreme...heat could have been damaging to the roots so I put it where it got sun but way less time and with shade relief in the afternoon.

So my question is if it would do any harm (or good) to clip off JUST the brown dessicated part of some of the needles just for cosmetic purposes.

If I...PULL... on those needles they are VERY firmly attached to the affected branches. (not ALL branches are affected) and if I pull, only the brown dry part snaps off. The non brown tipped GREEN needles are exactly as firmly attached.

The tree is loaded with new buds. A very few are even showing a ...peek.. of green new needle babies.

My plan is to NOT repot this coming year and keep the tree where it is now where it will get a lot of sun but for a lot less time and NONE in the afternoon.

And fertilize the snot out of the tree starting in Feb or March.

Think it's okay to clip off just the browned tips? ABOVE any green, of course.

whew... there. Done. I think that's all I can say about it.

 

[Paradox]

Are you sure its not a fungus? Picture?

I would leave them alone, and not worry about looks for the moment.
I would be more worried about the health of the tree.

DO NOT fertilize a sick tree............

 

[0soyoung]

Think it's okay to clip off just the browned tips?

Yah, sure. It is not a big deal. However, if you are cutting lots of needles, you may notice that the cut ends turn brown after a while anyway.

DO NOT fertilize a sick tree............

Why not? Sick trees need essential minerals to build tissues (i.e., recover).

 

[Paradox]

Yah, sure. It is not a big deal. However, if you are cutting lots of needles, you may notice that the cut ends turn brown after a while anyway.

Why not? Sick trees need essential minerals to build tissues (i.e., recover).

If you have been feeding the tree all along like you should have, it should have the reserves to recover on its own given proper care.
Pushing a sick tree with more fertilizer (ie pouring it on as the OP suggests) could send the tree metabolically over the edge.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Yah, sure. It is not a big deal. However, if you are cutting lots of needles, you may notice that the cut ends turn brown after a while anyway.

Why not? Sick trees need essential minerals to build tissues (i.e., recover).

Nope. Very few actually. Maybe 40-50 or so.

 

[0soyoung]

If you have been feeding the tree all along like you should have, it should have the reserves to recover on its own given proper care.
Pushing a sick tree with more fertilizer (ie pouring it on as the OP suggests) could send the tree metabolically over the edge.

This is pretty much true anytime, isn't it --> fertilizer burn.

Let me venture that this "don't feed a sick tree' advice is equivalent to the "don't feed a repotted tree" adage. The truth is that in these states the tree doesn't utilize the fertilizer well, so some just washes through the pot. But when many feeding regimes are '5x the rate on the bag', why is anyone in a stew about saving fertilizer when the tree is in poor health or has just been repotted? Tthe horticultural fact is that sick and recently repotted trees need essential mineral nutrients.

 

[sorce]

That is likely some form of a mistranslated reverse placebo too.

People probly JUST fed a sick tree, when something else needed to be done, fungicide, repot, insecticide, other don't-be-a-moronisms.

Feeding a sick tree won't fix it.

Sorce

 

[Paradox]

This is pretty much true anytime, isn't it --> fertilizer burn.

Let me venture that this "don't feed a sick tree' advice is equivalent to the "don't feed a repotted tree" adage. The truth is that in these states the tree doesn't utilize the fertilizer well, so some just washes through the pot. But when many feeding regimes are '5x the rate on the bag', why is anyone in a stew about saving fertilizer when the tree is in poor health or has just been repotted? Tthe horticultural fact is that sick and recently repotted trees need essential mineral nutrients.

I dont see them as equal at all. There is a big difference between a strong healthy tree in a pot and a weak/sick one. Adding more crap to the pot when, as you say "the tree doesnt utilize fertilizer well" (which I agree) is doing more harm than good.
Yes I know some people feed super high amounts. IMO its not necessary and they could be playing with fire so to speak. I dont superfeed and only feed regular amounts and so far my trees seem pretty happy.

Look, I am not going to argue with you about it. (Kinda sick of arguing after the Trump thread). You can do with your trees what you want to.

However in every discussion I have seen, professional bonsai growers and people that have been doing it way longer than me have always said not to feed a sick tree in most cases.
I imagine they have a good reason for saying that and Ill go with their experience and knowledge over my own any day.

Of course, there are some situations where nutrient deficiency is causing the problem so obviously you should feed.

The trick is learning the difference and being observant enough to know the difference.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I had our club's "pine guy" take a look last Friday.
He has experience with Scots.
He took one look and said it had just gotten too much heat and had had the same happen to him.
Said he just uses some shade cloth in the blistering days or covers soil with sphagnum.
He said there were so many new healthy buds that it probably wouldn't be very noticeable by late spring.
So I'd say the tree is healthy but got too hot last summer.
It's now where it gets direct sun that goes to shade by about 3:00

 

[Adair M]

Scots pines are native to Northern Europe. There they have short summers and long cold winters.

I don't know where in California you are, but it sounds like you live in a much warmer climate.

One of the keys to success with bonsai is to work with species of trees that will thrive in your climate.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I don't think you can even find them in local nurseries.
I got this one from an old Italian nursery 10-20 years ago and it has lived a very odd life.
Even gave it away for many years and got it back about 8 or so years ago and had to nurse it back.
It lived in a tipped over nursery pot for all the time they had it.
That's where the gnarled nebari came from.
It's the avatar tree.