Before I cut on my WP today...

Japonicus

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...My advice, stop, no pruning or wire until closer to spring...
Guess I missed the part about not wiring :eek:
I had already decided with your input to do no repot, candle pinching, or needle cutting this year.
I did some wiring I now wish I had not. Will lose a couple secondary branch ends, hopefully no branches.
 

Japonicus

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Well this has been discouraging, the Irish moss. This morning became this afternoon and I'm still on
the same tree. I have many other chores that are time demanding that don't involve pulling weeds.
This tree desperately needs repotting. The akadama is now more like cat litter (that is supposed to clump)
which is more like mud when wet. I have proper soil but, last year I lost a JBP to needle cast, and I must assume
all pines in my collection are targeted. Walking a shaky fine line if I repot, and the tree is fighting disease already.
Walking a shaky line if I do not repot, but perhaps not as fine a line. IDK.
DSC_2836.JPG DSC_2834.JPG
The bottom half of this larger root that broke off when pulled is at least 1.5" long (~4 cm)
if you look to the left of that, there's hair roots fine as any cat hair I've ever got stuck in my eye
that remains afloat in the air a very long time. They get finer than you can see in that pic, the further down the root you go.
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^ after an hour of pulling in an area = to half a quadrant.

The tree is not strong enough for a bare rooting, but perhaps the tree should be lifted soon and the
top of the soil addressed. It will not get at many of the roots as the entire nebari is encapsulated with the roots
of the Irish moss, but the soil does need attention one way or another.

I hardly touched the tree last year per @Leo in N E Illinois advice other than to remove obviously dead needles
most of which I got at just today. There was not enough vigorous growth from the previous 2 years to hinder air flow
with the 3 year old yellowed and brown needles left on over Winter.

The needles on much of the tree show some invasion of needle cast or other disease I believe.
Some back budding, and good terminal buds 2-7 buds per terminal give me some confidence that
this may be a good year to do a good soil exchange.
DSC_2839.JPG DSC_2838.JPG

I'll get a couple more pics up of the terminal buds and the overall tree as well. The memory card is in the pc
and didn't take those pics yet. Hopefully Phyton 27will keep the disease at bay, and I see no black tar in the needles bases
like the JBP I lost last year. My neighbor has fruit trees apple and pear or peach, and I bet that's a disease source for my pines.
 

Japonicus

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There's a couple areas that appear more yellow and is due no doubt to my wiring, and result was no terminal budding there.
I think there's 2 or 3 small branches this occurred on. They are getting pruned out mid branch and sealed but in the pics now.

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Below are some pics of the terminal buds. All three zones of the tree have 2-6 terminal buds
but are more confined to the top and bottom thirds of the tree. Last year I mostly only had 2 terminal buds
so there is evidence of gained vigour, as well as I believe some disease.
DSC_2845.JPG DSC_2842.JPG
Apical
DSC_2844.JPG
Mid section
...and I failed to get the bottom, but quite similar with 2-6 buds

I feel better soil will aid in recovery at this point.
 
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