A few years ago I created some cork bark black pines by grafting. The trees have grown well and are now quite full. Corkbark Japanese black pine Some of the oldest needles have recently begun to yellow which is a tip-off that the interior branches will be yellowing out as well. To make sure that […]
Black Pine
Be patient with pines in summer
As decandling season comes to a close, you might notice summer buds forming on some of the first trees you decandled this season. Summer buds Ideally we’ll see two buds at the end of every branch. Ideally. It’s common – and perfectly fine – to see anywhere between zero and five or more buds per […]
Be gentle with pines
Pines can look great after decandling and needle thinning. It’s when we have the best view of a tree’s structure which makes it a great time for making styling decisions and wiring. Japanese black pine after decandling and needle thinning About a week after decandling, you may notice some brown needles on your pine bonsai. […]
Reducing branch vigor on black pine bonsai
Balance is one of the top priorities when developing black pine bonsai. In spring, as new shoots elongate, it often becomes quite apparent which shoots are stronger than others. Strong shoots near the apex of the tree Strong shoots on the back of the tree Although decandling is a very effective technique for balancing vigor […]
How to fertilize black pine bonsai
Fertilizing black pine bonsai is pretty straight forward. For any given black or red pine, I first determine the tree’s stage of development. If a tree is young and I’m focusing on increasing the size of the trunk, I follow one path. If the trunk has reached the desired size and I’m focusing on increasing branch […]