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Vigorous summer shoots

July 23, 2013 by Jonas Dupuich

It’s been three weeks since I decandled some of my 9 year-old black pines. Although the weather has been cool, the summer shoots are growing well.

After decandling

9 year-old black pine after decandling – 6/30/13

Black pine

3 weeks later – 7/21/13

Black pine

Back side

The new growth is strongest where I shortened some of the larger branches.

Young summer shoots

Lots of new buds

Adventitious buds are popping up in areas where one year’s growth ends and another year’s begins.

Young summer shoots

Adventitious buds

Some of the buds that set in spring have opened and are continuing to grow.

Young summer shoots

Spring buds growing in summer

Young summer shoots

A variety of buds

It’s especially nice to see new buds developing close to the trunk. I’ll likely use some of these in the final design.

Young summer shoots

Future branches

A number of the young trees I decandled at the same time have responded the same way.

Before removing needles

9 year-old black pine – 4/1/13

After decandling

After decandling – 6/30/13

Black pine

3 weeks later – 7/21/13

Young summer shoots

Spring shoots opening in summer

Young summer shoots

Adventitious buds

Young summer shoots

Same branch looking toward the trunk

Nothing to do at this point but watch the trees grow – I’ll start adding fertilizer in another week.

✕

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Filed Under: Bonsai Care Tagged With: Black Pine, Decandling

Previous Post: « Decandling and then some
Next Post: Decandling follow-up »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patricia Tatich says

    July 23, 2013 at 7:58 am

    Thank you for your consistent posting of detailed photos and displaying them in a series…very helpful to building an understanding of budding and the growth of pines. Two questions…what fertilizer are you using in the tea bags? and where do you purchase the strainer-pots?

  2. Jonas Dupuich says

    July 23, 2013 at 9:45 am

    Hi Patricia – you can search for fertilizer for info on the tea bags: http://bonsaitonight.com/?s=fertilizer. As for the colanders, I’ve bought them online and at local grocery stores.

  3. Paul says

    July 23, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    Jonas, my black pines that I decandled in the manner you suggested are looking exactly the same. That’s great. The technique really works well. However, I noted that you have shortened the old remaining needles. When did you do that and why? Will you ever remove these needles completely or wit until they fall off naturally? If so, when? I assume that you leave the old needles for a continued drawing of energy to the new forming needle buds. Is that correct? Also, when do you begin removing the unwanted newly formed buds? Paul

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      July 23, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Hi Paul – good question. I cut needles when I want buds in the area but not foliage. Leaving needles gives the option of needle buds where adventitious buds might not otherwise form. The photos here aren’t a great example of why I’d want to do that, however. Cutback-decandling (http://bonsaitonight.com/2012/06/22/a-cutback-decandling-technique/) is one reason to keep old needles around – I’ll share other examples as I come across them. I don’t know that the timing of the cutting makes much difference – I usually cut needles whenever I’m working on that area of the tree, typically during fall, winter or early spring. They’ll fall off (or I’ll pluck them) this fall/winter.

      I typically don’t remove unwanted buds during summer – I’ll say more about this before long.

      Thanks,
      Jonas

  4. Juan says

    July 24, 2013 at 8:55 am

    We were blessed with seven 90+ degree days in a row, buds everywhere on the decandled pines. Juan

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