A letter to Sifu

[Anthony]

@Adair M ,

Well Sifu,

as the J.B.pine information goes, Bonsai Today and what you have shared.
We have to stop.

We are experiencing something new, loss of small branches. Just a few, 3 but
never had that happen before.

So rather than lose anything, we have handed the research over to the younger
guys. They are being gifted with 25 to 40 J.B.pine seedlings and as they
gain experience growing the pines. They will be later gifted with rooted hardwood
cuttings.

Some sort of adaptation to a zone 13 takes place, as the pines age past 8 or so
years, candles become short, 1/2 inch to 1 inch in length [ as I mentioned to
you before a few years ago ] and the trees continue to grow well.
Just no needles getting shorter.
[ save for a set which achieved 1 inch accidentally ???]

So, Thank You very Much !!!
But we decided lush is better than dead.

Perhaps stick to 2 and 3 foot specimens.

Maybe one of the other guys will figure it out.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

I have never understood why you’re trying to grow JBP in the first place!

But, a couple of comments:

I get short needles by decandling the spring candles. Forcing the tree to send out a second set of shoots. The timing, decandling in mid summer, allows the new candles and needles to grow to “maturity”, but the shorter days and cooler weather causes the tree the go into dormancy. This stops the needles from growing back to full size. If I decandle earlier in the summer, the new needles have a longer growing season, and so they will grow longer before winter dormancy sets in. In fact, if I decandle really early, the second set could grow to virtually the same size as if I had never decandled in the first place!

So, I am using the genetics of the tree that responds to the seasonal changes the tree has evolved to expect to achieve the effect I want: short internodes and shorter needles. What I’m doing is effectively shortening the growing season for the tree.

Your climate, however, never really has a winter to trigger the winter dormancy response. I don’t know, but I suspect it’s triggered by temperature changes, and the shorter days and longer nights. As well as perhaps the angle of the sun. You being in the tropics, don’t have a “winter”, so no cooling the tree is prepared for. You being so close to the equator, your days and nights are pretty much the same length all year. 12 hours of day, and 12 hours of night. The length of our daylight varies a lot during the different seasons.

Shortening of the candles is not a problem, my highly refined tree produces very short candles. This is due to the relatively high number of growing tips relative to the amount of roots available to sustain them. Even so, if I don’t decandle, the needles will grow long because of the long growing season.



As you can see on my tree, my candles are all under 1 inch!

I also have a Ponderosa Pine. This tree does not tolerate decandling very well. It might not produce a second set of buds. So, I can’t use the “short growing season” to my benefit. Here in the southeast United States, our growing season is longer than its native habitats, so needles grow long! So, I have determined that the species just not suited to my climate. This is not a “failure”, it’s a realization of what’s practical. I suppose I could set up some kind of greenhouse and artificially try to mimic the climate of Colorado at my house. But that’s just silly. When JBP do so well for me.

Good luck to you in the future, I encourage you to grow what does well in your climate. After all, it’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature! Lol!!

 

[Anthony]

Thank you Sifu.

Why grow J.B.pines, because they are beautiful and they actually like the
Tropics. Grow well and lush.
Intend to plant 3 or 5 around the house being built in Toco.
Sandy and stony soil.

Now testing the Caribbean Pine [ this is the Honduran blend ]
This one however is a hardwood and doubt it will respond to the double
colander with the coarser heavier roots as the J.B.pine does.

But you do get nice fat trunks, branclets with graceful needles.
Also from seed.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

@Adair M ,

Sifu,
in response to this letter. I got a private letter, with warning,
that those shorter needle techniques are for exhibitions.

That continual application will weaken and can kill the tree or
shorten it's life.

For us, makes sense as preparation for exhibition is supposed to
be 3 to 5 years and then the tree is given a long rest.

Opinions ?
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M ,

Sifu,
in response to this letter. I got a private letter, with warning,
that those shorter needle techniques are for exhibitions.

That continual application will weaken and can kill the tree or
shorten it's life.

For us, makes sense as preparation for exhibition is supposed to
be 3 to 5 years and then the tree is given a long rest.

Opinions ?
Good Day
Anthony

Lol!!! Anthony, you’re too much!! Really!!!

It’s true what you say. Decandling stresses the tree. That’s why we fertilize heavily, use good soil, spray for bugs and diseases, etc.

Yes, exhibition quality trees go thru cycles. Where they are brought up to peak beauty, and then cut back and reduce, let grow strong again, then train for show again. It’s a 4 or 5 year cycle.

My particular tree is about 60 years old. Been a show tree for decades! It was looking kinda rough 5 years ago when I bought it. It got decandled, and wired. In fall, the old needles were removed, and the new shoots were reduced to two. This was repeated for 3 more years. In the 4th year, the tree was going to get shown at the National Shoyyhw. TWhen you show, you want it to be extra full, so I didn’t pull all the old needles. I left some.

After the Nationals, I took it to other shows in my area. After that, it’s time to cut back, and redevelop. It’s still in the show pot, so the roots are restricted, I cut away about 60% of the foliage! This was 60%!AFTER I pulled the old needles!



This opened the tree up! Shortened branches! Now the tree can get sunlight in the interior and backbud.

I won’t decandle this year. The candles will stop extending as soon as it starts growing needles. Most of the candles are 1/2 to 3/4 inch. I’ll wire this fall. And next spring return it to its everyday pot. Which is a little oversized. So the roots will grow strong again. And then, I’ll start decandling again. And after 3 years, it should be ready to show again!

This process is standard procedure for highly refined show trees!