A Tale of 32 Japanese Black Pines.

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Grant, I admire your set up there. Looks like a nice bespoke cage to keep your 'preciouses' safe (and healthy).

Still working on it with a long way to go.

Grant

[kcpoole]

Hey grant, are these all the unsold ones from the Ausbonsai sale day? Nice score

Yes,

bought the lot.

Grant

Nice! Well done
Ken

[Bonbon]

Nice and good buy. I am happy to spend the rest of life with them poor or rich, sick or healthy.........

[Grant Bowie]

Update;

I ended up repotting thoroughly 29 of the 32 Japanese Black Pines; and kept the 3 smallest to work on already. The smallest ones I just scraped off the top soil on top of the roots and around the rim of the pot and created a small trench into which I placed Osmocote and covered it with Zeolite. I then watered with Seasol and Power Feed; 2 or 3 times by now.

All the Pines are looking healthier; especially those that were fully repotted. They have been Seasol'd a couple of times and Fertilised just the once. They did get Osmocote in the new mix when repotted.

The needles are much greener(last years); the buds have visibly plumped up and the trees are shedding the older needles without me having to pluck them off.. The trees were a bit unhealthy and only had one seasons needles older than last years. If the trees had been healthier the 2 year old needles would not drop off by themselves and I would have had to pluck them prior to wanting to work on them.

The 29 trees will not be worked on until say March next year at the earliest. I may risk repotting the 3 small ones in Spring despite having already worked; them but it will be a calculated risk.

Some of the 29 were weaker(health wise) or are hybrids between Black and Red pines(or possibly even one or 2 straight Red pines) and these may take longer to regain robust health; and I would look at leaving them alone for a longer period to build up their strength.

Cheers,

Grant

[kcpoole]

Thanks for the update and progress report.
I have also repotted the one I purchased, but it has only recived seasol as yet.
Will get miracle grow this coming weekend and then a light serve of Neutrog too, but like yours seems somewhat happier now .

I also repotted all my other JBP (3 of them), last week too as a figured that Sydney is a few weeks behind you there.


Ken

[Boics]

Is it normal to fertilise Pines so late in the season guys?
I had thought that we held off on fertilising once things start to cool down?
TIA.

[Sean M]

I might have it wrong but I think in Ryan Neils notes it says to fertilize until 6-8 weeks before candle cutting. That way when the second flush of candles form they will be smaller. But a more knowledgeable person might be able to clarify.

[Boics]

I might have it wrong but I think in Ryan Neils notes it says to fertilize until 6-8 weeks before candle cutting. That way when the second flush of candles form they will be smaller. But a more knowledgeable person might be able to clarify.

I think you will find it is STOP fertilising 6-8 weeks before candle cutting.

[shibui]

Pines are still growing quite late in the season Boics so fertilizer is still useful - probably up to mid winter? depending on how cold it gets. I have stopped feeding deciduous trees (they cannot convert fert to energy without leaves) but still giving the occasional dose to evergreens. Aussie natives are generally still growing strongly so still getting regular fert.

[kcpoole]

Everything on my benches except deciduous trees, continue to grow throughout winter, so I fertilise almost year round
During winter I only do so every month or so, but all trees get some Neutrog on the surface to last thru the cooler months.

Ken

[Sean M]

I might have it wrong but I think in Ryan Neils notes it says to fertilize until 6-8 weeks before candle cutting. That way when the second flush of candles form they will be smaller. But a more knowledgeable person might be able to clarify.

I think you will find it is STOP fertilising 6-8 weeks before candle cutting.

Isn't that what I said.

[Boics]

I might have it wrong but I think in Ryan Neils notes it says to fertilize until 6-8 weeks before candle cutting. That way when the second flush of candles form they will be smaller. But a more knowledgeable person might be able to clarify.

I think you will find it is STOP fertilising 6-8 weeks before candle cutting.

Isn't that what I said.

Oh my.

I read that numerous times before posting and only when I read it again now do I understand the error of my ways!
Sorry Sean!

[Sean M]

Probably my bad grammar. I should have paraphrased Ryan as follows.

"Fertilize through winter and stop about 6-8 weeks prior to candle removal. This will ensure that the level of fertilizer in the soil has been depleted and will cause the second flush of candles to be smaller" (Neil 2012).

I'm not sure if the level of fert should be dropped during winter but as I stated I don't think it should be stopped altogether.


Neil, R 2012, Ryan Neil on Japanese Black, Red, and White Pine care, Aarin Packard, 13 November 2012, viewed 06 June 2013, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7ngvzu ... L&index=14>

[MoGanic]

Probably my bad grammar. I should have paraphrased Ryan as follows.

"Fertilize through winter and stop about 6-8 weeks prior to candle removal. This will ensure that the level of fertilizer in the soil has been depleted and will cause the second flush of candles to be smaller" (Neil 2012).

I'm not sure if the level of fert should be dropped during winter but as I stated I don't think it should be stopped altogether.


Neil, R 2012, Ryan Neil on Japanese Black, Red, and White Pine care, Aarin Packard, 13 November 2012, viewed 06 June 2013, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7ngvzu ... L&index=14>

I would be inclined to agree 100% with this for developed trees which now need refinement.

For young trees, for which we are still trying to achieve ramification, develop trunk girth etc... The fertilisers are useful at any stage to ensure we get as much growth as possible. The smaller needles come later when the tree is ready to be shown. Decandling pines is a great way to get back budding, ramification and to reduce node length where required. I don't see any need for small needles at the early stages.

What are your thoughts?

-Mo


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[kcpoole]

The smaller needles come later when the tree is ready to be shown. Decandling pines is a great way to get back budding, ramification and to reduce node length where required. I don't see any need for small needles at the early stages.

What are your thoughts?

-Mo

Wholeheartedly agree with this.
When trees are you we need to give them as much space and energy to grow and develop. This means lots of root room and Ferts.
Detail changes and finer growth will come after the structure of the tree is built.
The only change is that with Pines and Juniper, we need to trim rampant growth on sections of the tree to ensure the foliage stays vibrant closer in to the trunk so we do not end up with lonk lanky bare sections later.

Ken