Austrian Black Pine Sheath

[Johnathan]

So I was given an Austrian Black Pine, some parts are in pretty bad shape. In this picture you can see some small green needles, and a lot of brown needles.



I want to remove these dead needles, but I wasn't sure if I should be just pulling the needles from the sheath, or trying to remove the entire sheath.

I've been told sometimes there can be hidden buds inside the sheaths, is this true?

 

[bonsaichile]

I'd just pull them. For what is worth, i have found that these dont backbud as I would like them to.

 

[plant_dr]

The dead brown ones you should be able to pull right out and not risk any damage. They'll probably fall right off without much persuasion.

 

[River's Edge]

So I was given an Austrian Black Pine, some parts are in pretty bad shape. In this picture you can see some small green needles, and a lot of brown needles.

View attachment 217709

I want to remove these dead needles, but I wasn't sure if I should be just pulling the needles from the sheath, or trying to remove the entire sheath.

I've been told sometimes there can be hidden buds inside the sheaths, is this true?

It is true that future needle buds can be damaged by removing the needles carelessly. There is no harm in taking the time to cut the dead needles off close to the base leaving a small amount to drop off later on its own. As you noted the tree is not in the best of condition, any future buds saved will simply improve its chances down the road.

 

[0soyoung]

This devils advocate says, it doesn't matter because those nearly dead needles aren't shading a thing - they will fall off on their own pretty soon. On the other hand, you can cut off the brown needles at/in the sheath - the sheath remnants will then be easily knocked off in a few weeks time (btw, you can also do this to green needles instead of pulling them).

P. nigra will grow every bit as vigorously as p. thunbergii and can be treated in the same ways. But AFAIK so far, their budding response is not as strong as JBP and like JBP in slow motion. I suggest that you get a sacrifice growing very vigorously over the next couple of years, then strongly reduce the needle count on it (say fall 2020 or spring 2021) - you should get lots of budding down low within a year thereafter. If you can and want to bend the trunk into some shape, now would be the time.

 

[plant_dr]

These aren't as vigorous as JBP, but they will back bud. In fact I see a small one further up the branch before the needles start. Up on top there...see it?

 

[River's Edge]

Agreed, there is no difficulty with backbudding on Pinus Nigra. The main difference is the type of bark and the less vigorous growth pattern as compared to JBP and JRP. I suspect poor results it is often a matter of condition and the amount of care to optimize the health of a tree before applying aggressive cutback and selective needle reduction to promote budback and location of new shoots! People newer to the hobby are often unaware of the beneficial steps that can be included and taken before the actual Bonsai technique is applied. Each aspect of regular maintenance from pot size to watering to soil mix and sun location has an accumulative effect on results. Not to mention fertiliser, maintaining free draining soil. It depends on the attention to detail