JBP candle variation on seedlings - question?

[wrcmad]

All,

I have a number of 3 year old black pine seedlings. All have been grown under the same conditions, but the dominant (apical) candles that developed recently are vastly different at the moment.
I was just wondering if anyone can shed some light on what it should be telling me regarding health/vigour/energy balance or something else?
All pics were taken today.
It all seems very inconsistent, and is a little puzzling....
Anyone who could shed some light would be much appreciated. Thanks.

1. Normal looking single candle:

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2. Multiple candles originating at the base.

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3. Multiple candles originating at the base + a candle node with candle branching?

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4. I am guessing these are young cones? - on a 3 year old?

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5. Developing cones?!! - on a 3 year old???

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[shibui]

#1 is a typical white pine candle. strong single candles will usually grow really long with a bare patch at the base. If you think you will need to get branches to grow in that area cut off the candle after it has opened so that new, smaller buds will form.
#2 is quite common as well. Probably just shows a very vigorous tree. It will develop into a whorl of branches at the same spot on the trunk. If you leave several branches at the same level the trunk will thicken a lot at that spot. If you intend to use that part of the tree in your final design you will need to reduce that whorl to just 1 trunk and 1 branch before it starts to thicken too much - you could do that now but the candles you leave will elongate quite a lot. Leaving it until after spring growth will mean the smaller ones will stay small and that should keep that internode a but shorter.

#3 the little buds at the top of the candle may be developing male flowers. Pines have separate male and female flowers but both occur on the new shoots. Male flowers will elongate to around 3cm long then open up on a warm spring day and release pollen which is very fine and drifts on the wind.
Occasionally you can also get a candle that divides into several smaller candles. Time will tell and I do not know why it happens.
#4 Is indeed developing female flowers which will eventually look like small pine cones and, if fertilised will continue to grow into full sized cones. Sometimes 3yo trees are mature enough to flower but developing cones will divert a fair bit of energy that could be going in to growing the tree. you need to decide which is more important. In my experience there are very few fertile seeds in cones on trees in pots.

#5 does look like cones but they are not the usual shape for black pine. There may be some problem there.

Regarding pruning and energy balance. It depends what stage your tree is up to. If you are still trying to make your trees grow then let most shoots grow. As long as you maintain some needles close to the base of branches you want to use in the design later then you can cut back and new shoots will grow from the base of the needles - see notes to pic 1 and 2. Energy balance and decandling is used when the tree is in the second stage of development and you are building ramification.
We can't see the overall shape and stage of development of your trees so I can't be more specific than that.

[wrcmad]

Thanks shibui, These seedlings are still in development stage and I'm trying to grow them.
Your comprehensive explanation is much appreciated.

[Jarad]

Found some pollen cones on my JBP the other day, had no idea what was going on till I read this. Thanks!

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