AusBonsai

I have been layed up for some time and have only just started to walk again after a motorcycle accident. During this time, most of my plants have died due to lack of attention (which I'm quite upset about), though I do have a few plants that have survived.

One of these plants is my JBP. It is a little brown on top (I'll post pics when I get a chance to get outside) I have been able to fertilise all summer and I also haven't had the chance till now to decandle. Is it too late to decandle before Autumn sets in or do I have a little grace and can do it now?

Cheers

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Not too late to de-candle but at this time you had better leave it for a couple more weeks (more or less) and it will produce lots of buds to be thinned out next winter/spring. If you want lots of ramification and back budding, autumn is a good time to prune off the summer growth on a healthy tree but just remember you will get buds not new shoots - hopefully. This is why it's best to wait until the warm weather is over but before the cold sets in. If you want new re-growth in the season you need to prune in December.

treeman wrote:Not too late to de-candle but at this time you had better leave it for a couple more weeks (more or less) and it will produce lots of buds to be thinned out next winter/spring. If you want lots of ramification and back budding, autumn is a good time to prune off the summer growth on a healthy tree but just remember you will get buds not new shoots - hopefully. This is why it's best to wait until the warm weather is over but before the cold sets in. If you want new re-growth in the season you need to prune in December.

Brilliant! Thanks for the advice, treeman.

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Is this tree still developing or a well established pine with plenty of ramification?
It may be better to prune more than just the recent summer shoots. On developing pines I often prune further back to force new shoots closer to the trunk and to get better ramification. You can remove more than just the new shoots as long as there are still healthy needles left so that buds will form there.
Agree with Treeman that it is too late in most areas to get new shoots this season to promote shorter shoots and smaller needles but pruning in autumn and winter will give lots of buds that will grow into candles next spring and those candles can be cut next December if the tree is well developed enough to require that technique.