JBP when should I start styling

[Anth]

I was gifted a JBP And is has grown heaps of foliage over the past 2 months. The canndles have grown to about 4 inches long. When is the best time to start pulling needles and cutting the candles?

[Gerard]

It is a bit late to do pruning but branches can be wired and positioned a bit, bark will damage more easily when the sap has started flowing so do not get too aggressive with bending. Candles should be cut or broken in mid December.

[Anth]

Oh well might just leave it until next year then. It's got so many needles on it to get in and wire it.

[kcpoole]

I was gifted a JBP And is has grown heaps of foliage over the past 2 months. The canndles have grown to about 4 inches long. When is the best time to start pulling needles and cutting the candles?

Hi anth
Check out this wiki page on when to do what
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... hould_I%3F

Generally in Spring and again thru summer, Decandle as per your decandling regime. (there is an art to it and not just cutting off the big ones), and needle plucking in Autumn.

Ken

[Tony Bebb]

Hi Anth

I always candle prune and needle thin in September and late Feb/early March. I take more needles off at this time of year to encourage budding, and thin or totally remove the candles depending on what's required. Needles from the under side of branches are completely removed while others are plucked to leave the sheath as that is where the shoots come from. We do have a longer growing season up here though, but I would start styling now.

Tony

[kcpoole]

Forgo to ask, is the tree ready for"final styling", or still growing on?
If still growing / developing then I would only remove the candles from areas you are "finished developing".

Ken

[Dario]

Hi Anth, can you please post a pic and if not a brief description of your pine, estimated age, if it is in a bonsai pot, has it been styled, size, branching, stage of development etc, etc.
Good question Ken, and I am glad somone thought to ask it. I was actually amazed at all the advice without out knowing what stage the tree is at!
Not having a go at anyone at all, and realise that everyone was trying to be helpful...but pines are a unique species!
I say this because I learnt the hard way...had a couple of youngins and researched etc and pruned based on the info I got (all info for trees that were in final stages etc). I should have been growing them on instead. My mistake as I was completely new to it all at the time, but stil...an easy mistake to make for a newbie.
Anth, need a pic before advice can be given.
Cheers, Dario.

[Tony Bebb]

Hi Anth, can you please post a pic and if not a brief description of your pine, estimated age, if it is in a bonsai pot, has it been styled, size, branching, stage of development etc, etc.
Good question Ken, and I am glad somone thought to ask it. I was actually amazed at all the advice without out knowing what stage the tree is at!
Not having a go at anyone at all, and realise that everyone was trying to be helpful...but pines are a unique species!
I say this because I learnt the hard way...had a couple of youngins and researched etc and pruned based on the info I got (all info for trees that were in final stages etc). I should have been growing them on instead. My mistake as I was completely new to it all at the time, but stil...an easy mistake to make for a newbie.
Anth, need a pic before advice can be given.
Cheers, Dario.

Definitely best to have some pics if you want specific advice, and I believe all the advice so far has been general as the nature of the post suggests. In 27 years of growing JBP, I have always thinned needles and pruned candles at this time of year, and as mentioned the degree of pruning is "depending on what's required". If your candles are 4 inches long pruning is definitely required, and possibly total removal. Pics will let you know which is better for your tree.

Tony

[Anth]

I will try get some photos up tonight. The tree is in a bonsai pot. The trunk in about 2inches thick I'm not sure of it's age.  It stands about 50-60cm heigh and i think that the trunk has been chopped. sure When I got it the person that gifted it to me said that they had picked three different trees and left it to the discretion of the bonsai nursery to pick the tree that best suited the pot. I want to continue growing the tree , this will not be it's final styling . I wanted to wire some of the branches and start putting some shape into it, but there are too many needles and I can't see into the brach structure to see where I want to wire it. The main trunk is straight the goes out into a T shape , then continues on to a cluster of young branches at the top. I know my description may be hard to get an idea of the tree but it's the best I can do at the moment.

[Dario]

Thank you for your post Anth, and all the details that you provided.
It would be fantastic if at some stage you could put some pics up for members to be able to give you specific advice.
Thanks again mate, and look forward to seeing some pics!
Cheers, Dario.