Pinus Strobus-Don't hate

Giga

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A pretty bad flaw I see in the two lowest branches being bar or near bar branches right across from each other. If already you hadn't thought of it the small sprout down low might be used as a second trunk. Best of fortune.

I'm not sure I see what your talking about as there are no bar branches on this-the only issue is the straight section of the trunk there but that is going to be fixed. I think what you are seeing is branches that have been removed a while ago that just have not been jinned-They still have sap flowing around them even be cut a while ago-once they dry out they will be jinned.

Damn Giga.

That trunk seemed to get fat as hell!

With a good low sacrifice to boot!

Very nice!

Sorce

I had a couple sacrifice branches on there and the lowest branch at the base is another one the will be allowed to thinken a few years yet. I fertilized a lot and let the run with the wind.
 

erb.75

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Slowly but surely taking shape, just did some fall work - I was able to cut back some this year as I got a lot of needle buds on last years growth. Needle length is not consistent but better this year and I'm hoping next couple years it will have better defined pads-Had to do a little creative wiring but as I get better ramification some branches will go and pads will form-at least that's the plan for this unruly species.


View attachment 85504 View attachment 85505
starting to look great! I plan to begin working on my pins strobus trees soon
 

erb.75

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i should post pictures of my 2 pines (very raw stock) and share opinions and findings with you
 

erb.75

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giga, do you have needles that turn brown? of the two p. s. I have (they are a dwarf "diggy" cultivar) the tops look brown, so mine might be basally dominant. Do you have this happen?

Also, I hacked the top off one of them to reduce the height back in the late winter, and now it's back budding quite well. Does yours back bud too? Is yours just a generic P.S.?
It looks healthy and good :)
 

erb.75

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what way are you going to explore to reduce internodes/needle length?

those candles that are extending and don't have needles growing from them yet, would you cut the candles in half?
 

Giga

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giga, do you have needles that turn brown? of the two p. s. I have (they are a dwarf "diggy" cultivar) the tops look brown, so mine might be basally dominant. Do you have this happen?

Also, I hacked the top off one of them to reduce the height back in the late winter, and now it's back budding quite well. Does yours back bud too? Is yours just a generic P.S.?
It looks healthy and good :)

No the needles just turn brown like normal and fall off like any other pine at the right time of year.
I got very little backbudding on it's own this year - only two spots

what way are you going to explore to reduce internodes/needle length?

those candles that are extending and don't have needles growing from them yet, would you cut the candles in half?

as the candles extend i'll will cut them back to 2-4 pairs depending on where things are strong/week
 

erb.75

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will post pictures of mine soon :)
No the needles just turn brown like normal and fall off like any other pine at the right time of year.
I got very little backbudding on it's own this year - only two spots



as the candles extend i'll will cut them back to 2-4 pairs depending on where things are strong/week
so if you see a cluster of candles you will remove whole candles down to 2-4, and leave some candles whole? these trees are actually my first pines, so I don't know a lot about pine care
 

Giga

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will post pictures of mine soon :)

so if you see a cluster of candles you will remove whole candles down to 2-4, and leave some candles whole? these trees are actually my first pines, so I don't know a lot about pine care

First off - pines are a step up in care level from normol bonsai and pinus strobus may be the most difficult/hardest to work with pine - just an fyi

Sorry let me clarify this- but when it's time to decandle - I select two candles I want to keep if there are more then 2, then remove the others.Then cut back those two candle down to 2-4 pairs of needles. All this is based on where energy needs to balanced out
 

Chad D

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I have to say that this is one of the better EWP that I have seen. You are doing quite well with this tree. Thanks for sharing.
Ditto!

Brent with evergreen gardenworks has/had some of these. You should send him those pictures of your strong work. I think he only occasionally visits the forum now.
 

Giga

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Growth is super strong this year and there are a ton of pine cones, Guess I fertilized well last fall. Almost every candle has one or two. Time to pinch them off0509161809a.jpg
 

Nybonsai12

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when will you remove all that growth you can't use? do you select and remove buds in the fall?
 

Nybonsai12

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Also from the pic at the top of the page, that first branch on the left that is upward. Do you plan to keep it, cut it back or bend it down?

I've had a tough time bending mine without snapping them off. I only have one, but it seems quite brittle in comparison to my other pines.
 

Giga

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when will you remove all that growth you can't use? do you select and remove buds in the fall?

Are you talking about branch removal? this can be done in late winter or fall, but I do all my work in fall. Yes when buds have hardened off in fall I remove them down to 2

Also from the pic at the top of the page, that first branch on the left that is upward. Do you plan to keep it, cut it back or bend it down?

I've had a tough time bending mine without snapping them off. I only have one, but it seems quite brittle in comparison to my other pines.

That branch is staying where it is - the tree has a few years yet to get it where I want it. I find that this guy should be named pinus bendus as it's very flexible and stays in place well. Also I wire in fall, I find this is the best time - as with most pines.

I'll take pictures of everything I do, as candle pruning season is soon to be upon us and I'll show you what I do.
 

Nybonsai12

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Are you talking about branch removal? this can be done in late winter or fall, but I do all my work in fall. Yes when buds have hardened off in fall I remove them down to 2

I could be misunderstanding but I was referring to those new shoots you show growing in the most recent pic. It appears a number of buds have opened at the same whorl. I would think if you selected and reduced new buds in the fall down to two you would not have so many emerging from one whorl? Mine back buds some, but not predictably and only half of those are even in usable spots.

That branch is staying where it is - the tree has a few years yet to get it where I want it. I find that this guy should be named pinus bendus as it's very flexible and stays in place well. Also I wire in fall, I find this is the best time - as with most pines.

Wow I'm surprised. Mine seems super brittle when i compare to other species of pines I've wired.

I'll take pictures of everything I do, as candle pruning season is soon to be upon us and I'll show you what I do.

Sounds good, thanks!
 

Giga

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Oh I c what you meant. That pic of all of them coming from one spot is the apex and it was just 2 buds, but the tree had other ideas and that will be addressed when I candle prune. While I could have pruned down to 2 this spring as they were elongating, I don't like to do that on white pine unless one candle is getting out of hand then I break it in half. Wait till the candles have hardened off before you do any work else you set the energy for the tree in a deficit for the year. You should be able to tell this by when the needle sheath starts to shed.

sure is getting fuzzy
0602161740~2.jpg
 

Giga

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Did some work and meant to take some better pictures but my dog passed away over the weekend and I devoted my time to that - I'll get some better picture with a solid background soon.

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