AusBonsai

Thanks for the pruning time advice Craig, Sorry about the cc on your tree I feel that it was not warranted in this thread, Cool tree for sure mate.
I have hard pruned three, dug in December 2011 only weeks after the dig about January and only one is suffering. The other 2 are only young and are doing great.
How many needles do you leave on a branch for back budding, the one that is struggling I only left about 8 lots and all have died off so I would say that taking the candles at the end would be enough to encourage back budding

Superb work as always Craig. The bonsai seem to thrive up in the hills where you live.
Brian.

Booga, the work I have been doing is on an older and established tree, if you dug your trees last year I would just be feeding them and growing them at this stage. Just make sure the growth on the inside of the branches doesn't weaken off that can be achieved with ample light and ferts.
Thanks for that Brian, looking forward to seeing some images of Jacks old pines.
Craigw

This is one of my Radiata pines that I've grown for the past 27 years. It was originally collected in 1973 by the late Mr Jack Tripovch. He bequeathed it to me and it has been radically restyled from when he had it. This is quite a large tree, the photo doesn't do it justice. It's around 600mm high and the lower trunk is as thick as my arm. Sorry for the crummy photo.

Loving that Radiata Brian.

Hi Brian I had a bit of a chuckle when I saw your pine, its such a classic Jack tree. Great to see it flourishing under your care. Jack taught me many things including the technique of mulching my growing on stock with chicken poo.
Craigw

My Radiata one year on.

Here is a summary of my work on this tree over the last 12 months (since 22 April 2011):
- 16/07/2011 – small apex branches wired
- 30/08/2011 – repotted (soil mix 60% diatomite, 40% coco peat)
- 20/11/2011 – Strong new shoots pruned
- 05/02/2012 – Foliage thinned
- 08/05/2012 – Old needles plucked and surplus small shots removed

I thoroughly weed and scrape back the top layer of soil each May.
It was well fed all growing season and received regular doses of SeaSol.
The wire is still on the tree from last April.

I hope someone finds this useful.

Steve.

Hi Steve,

Looks like you are getting some good results there.

When you say you prune strong candles, can you go into a little more detail as to what you do? Are you snapping strong candles in half? Letting them extend then removing totally? Pruning them in half once they have extended?

How was the back budding?

Joe

Hi Joe,
I never get 'candles' on my Radiatas in the way that black and red pine get them. Mine produce 'shoots' directly, unlike jbp and jrp which start with a candle and open into shoots. The shoots are never as long as jbp shoots. Shoots on the foliage pads would grow to a maximum of about two centimetres now that it is quite dense. Shoots on the sacrificial branch (lowest right hand branch) grow seven to ten centimetres in a season.

I individually cut the shoots to the desired profile now and reliably get two or three new shoots at the cut point.

It back buds well as long as I keep plucking the old needles each time they appear.

Have you got some photos of candles on yours? I'm interested to see.

Steve

I dont have any pics of the candles extending in spring but here is a pic in Autumn as the candle is forming.

Perhaps the weather in Brissy is too warm for the seasonal cycle of the candles to kick in?

They seem to really love the warmth.

Anyone else growing Radiata Pine in the sub tropics? Do you get 'candles'?

A quick follow up.

Reviving this zombie thread because I just happened to be reading it. Heaps of good information here.

As a response to SteveT's question (5 years later): A recently purchased radiata of mine DOES extend candles, and I live in Wollongong.

Weirdest thing was, the tree started extending those candles out last month, and some are starting to mature already.

Pinus radiata seems to be a bit of a mystery - or maybe it's just more receptive to different schedules/techniques?

Don't know whether I should just start trying to read the tree itself, or stick to a calendar. The foliage of the radiata in question is presently in a state approximating my JBP's in early Summer (when I would decandle them). I'm seriously considering going with my instincts just to see what happens and hope that I don't completely deform the tree (not a huge problem since it's still very much in development). If I do, I will be sure to update you all.

Owen

defiantly a species id like to own one day . I know someone who had 2 very nice ones but not sure he will part with them yet.......you know who you are

Hope to see updates of the beautiful trees here.