Preparing red or black pine bonsai for decandling is straightforward – keep trees healthy, give them lots of sunlight, and feed heavily. If the tree is growing in poor soil, repot it in soil that drains well and decandle when the tree begins to grow vigorously.
How much should I feed black pine bonsai I plan to decandle?
A lot. Start applying fertilizer as soon as the roots become active. In warmer areas, this may be as early as February – in areas with longer winters this may be as late as March or April.
If using dango or similar dry fertilizer, begin by placing a few balls on the surface of the soil and add more each week until the surface of the soil is nearly covered with fertilizer. If using liquid fertilizer, apply it consistently throughout spring. Combinations of dry and liquid fertilizer are also acceptable.
Black pine – week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
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J Steven Koenig II says
June 7, 2013 at 8:22 amWhat if you get a very late start on feeding a pine that you need to decandle?
Jonas Dupuich says
June 8, 2013 at 9:46 amHi J Steven – the main thing you can do if you get a late start on feeding but the tree is still healthy and strong enough to decandle you can continue feeding after removing the spring growth.
Brian says
June 7, 2013 at 8:25 amJonas
Where do you get your tea bags from. Seems way easier than making mucky balls.
Qualicum Brian
Janet Roth says
June 8, 2013 at 8:29 am@Brian, you’ll find many choices if you search on Amazon – e.g. search for “tea bags for loose tea”. They run around $5-$6 per 100 bags. Some are “prime” eligible so you get free shipping 🙂
Janet Nelson says
June 8, 2013 at 2:35 pmTokyo Fish Market has tea bags (San Pablo Ave in Berkeley, just N. of Gilman, off I-80/580). Also try Sam Yick in Oakland’s Chinatown (8th & Webster).
Jonas, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Great pix – pretty hilarious to see the mtn of bags grow!