Bonsai Tonight

An educational website about bonsai development

Decandling shohin black pine

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The steps are simple. 1) Remove spring shoots.

Shohin black pine

Shohin black pine – 21 years old

Shohin black pine

After removing spring shoots

2) Remove extra needles.

Shohin black pine

After removing extra needles

3) Perform light cutback as needed.

Shohin black pine

The first branch on the right is long

Shohin black pine

After shortening the first branch on the right

That’s it. In all I removed 14 branches, lots of needles, and 212 spring shoots.

14 branches

Branches removed

Lots of needles

Needles removed

212 shoots

Spring shoots removed

I decandled on the early side as I’d like the tree to be show ready by the end of September. I’m also feeding the tree more than usual to further boost the summer growth.

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Comments

  1. It’s nice to know we’re on the same page Jonas. Thanks to Eric Schrader for his guidance as well.

  2. Were all of these candles removed at the same time? Don’t you usually remove them in stages to balance the second growth?

  3. Hi Jonas. With regard to your comment about feeding for summer growth … is it your practice to stop feeding, for any amount of time, after you remove spring candles?

    Thanks in advance
    Steve (from Australia)

    • Hi Steve – yes, I usually stop feeding when I decandle and start up again after up to one month.

      @Sidesummy – Yes, all candles were removed at the same time. I could have removed the smallest candles about 10 days earlier but ended up doing it all on one day. Sometimes I decandle all on one day, sometimes I spread it out. The approach depends on how out of balance a tree is (if it’s way out of balance I do it in stages) and how much time I have to decandle (I do it in one day when there’s less time for decandling).

  4. What is the purpose of decandling? To thicken existing branches? I am a very amateur enthusiast, so I apologize if this is a basic principle!