Japanese Black Pine

[alpineart]

This is a strange site , one I have never seen before . A pine with both flowers and cones .

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Is it a male , female or both . This is the sacrifice branch that I decided to layer off rather than just remove . It is layered at the whorl to create a clump style JBP or possibly a raft . It has struck roots however I have decided to leave it attached for another season . None of the other JBP's from the same stock have flowers or cones .

Cheers. Alpineart

[treeman]

Pines are monoecious alpine.

[shibui]

Yeah, What Treeman said....

This is normal. Every pine tree can have both male and female flowers.

[Nate.bonsai]

Yeah, in today's society, you shouldn't judge. Your pine will be what it will be. Just be supportive and proud.


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[shibui]

Yeah, in today's society, you shouldn't judge. Your pine will be what it will be. Just be supportive and proud.

[Rolf]

Yeah, in today's society, you shouldn't judge. Your pine will be what it will be. Just be supportive and proud.


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Did I miss something here? I thought it was about JBP!?

[alpineart]

Hi Guys , thanks for the info and yes it is about pines . I never stop learning thats why I belong to clubs and forums .

Cheers . Alpine

[Pearcy001]

I want some cones! Do they only form on old growth? I look forward to seeing the clump style Alpine.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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[shibui]

Female flowers appear on the tips of new candles Pearcy.

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Male flowers appear on the side of the new candles

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When a male and female black pine flower like each other very much they can exchange genetic material and embryos are conceived but it takes more than a year for the cone to mature. That's why Alpine's cone is way back down at the base of the new candle - that was the tip last spring right? The cones mature around midsummer and open around February. The few cones that have set on my potted pines have had seed inside but usually infertile (empty shells). others have told me they have had good seed from cones on bonsai and potted pines so

[Pearcy001]

Thanks for the explanation Shibui!

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[alpineart]

Hi Percy001 , I have never kept a pine untrimmed except for these few with sacrifice branches . Even seed grown stock Pinus Nigra are regularly trimmed from seedlings so I guess i have never seen this happen . As Shibui has said the cones are on last years tip , now 12 months old and below this seasons candle . However this is the only branch/pine with cones and I do have a few of them . I have a couple of sacrifice branches that are being layered off at the whorls to create clump styles so it should make for another topic .

Cheers . Alpine

[Lane]

I removed all of these as soon as they appear, they seem to slow the growth of the candle?

As soon as you remove them the candle extends vigorously.

[alpineart]

Hi MacGuyver , mate the ones with the flowers and cones have elongated and out-performed the branches and tree's with no flowers/cones including the European Black Pines and Scots Pine Ihave here , So to me it not a certainty or is it just an unusual season being very wet ?? . I usually snap candles long before the completely elongate , different to what most people say to do however this year I missed out on most of my winter bonsai work .

Cheers Alpine

[terryb]

No female flowers, but a small JBP I have has thrown a bunch of male flowers. Mostly on last seasons candles but even a few from small needle buds. Was a bit confused until I did a bit of searching on this site and found this thread. What is the best way to remove them?

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Also have some on one of my Callitris

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[shibui]

How/ when to remove pine shoots depends what stage your pine is up to.
I guess your tree is in development phase where you want more thickness and growth. It does not really matter if it is flowering. If you are still growing and developing the tree just leave it all there - with or without flowers for up to 2 years but prune branches back before the old needles start to drop so you can get back buds to grow new shoots.
If your tree is in the ramification phase - building up branch pads and density cut the shoots in December to get lots of new buds at the base of each shoot. Early pruning tends to give long new shoots, later (December) pruning tends to give much shorter shoots with smaller needles that give better branch density.