bonsaitonight "decandling"

evmibo

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I'm sure many of you have seen or read this already but to those that haven't it's a good read (with pictures!). I just started working with jbp this year so much of this is new to me still, I'm sure someone can benefit from this especially at this time of year.

http://bonsaitonight.com/page/3/

You start on page 3 with the link, just make your way to page 1. Enjoy.
 

0soyoung

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yenling83

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I really appreciate both Brian and Jonas's articles about de candling. I really like how Jonas explained the different methods for de candling and made them very simple to understand and follow. I also enjoy all the pictures that Brian added into his presentation, which greatly helps you to see what to expect next. Both were very kind, especially because I don’t think either make any money from sharing their knowledge.
 

evmibo

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I just like the way Jonas Dupuich (bonsaitonight author) brings the information to the table. He uses several trees as examples and talks about one-day approach and multi-day approach situations, pro's, con's etc... It's nothing against Brian's blog, I actively read that, enjoy and appreciate his efforts to teach us, I like how Jonas goes into the "why" more often, so does Ryan Neil.
 
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Adair M

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Both Brian's PDF and Jonas's blog are excellent.

Brian prefers the 3 step method.

I believe Jonas prefers the one step method.

Used properly, either method yields great results. As evidenced by their trees.
 

Eric Group

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Thanks for posting this! I always like to read how different people handle the decandling... It is interesting that so many different variations exist... Some say foot all atone time, sme say do it in stages from weakest branch to strongest... I guess the overall point is DO IT. This IS the only way to get the compact ramifications we all desire!

It has been helpful for me. I have a couple Black Pines- one is being trained from a nursery tree I bought at a Lowes years back. I got two JBP there andonedid not survive the first year or so that I had it, but the ther has beeni. Training for about 4-5 years now and I am finally starting to grasp how to work with it better, and I think last year and this year I have taken some real steps towards getting the kind of results I want with it. I did a full decandling this year... Perhaps a little early for my weather. After reading this article I thinks will wait until July instead of June next season, but the tree is reacting well so far! After less than a month I see numerous new buds popping out where I wanted them and I have finally been able to bend the apex to where I want it. I think without watching that Ryan Neil lecture above, I would not have had the confidence to complete the work I did this year!

The Bonsai tonight article is a good one and so is Bryan's!
 

Adair M

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I will agree with your "Just Do It" comment!

Brian and I will argue about whether it is better to decandle all in one day or use the 3 step method... and the difference is very minor. Likewise on the merits of selecting "keeper" buds early, or waiting until they have hardened off. Only when we have very refined trees does it really matter. For someone who has never decandled before, it's more important that they Just Do It, and see the results.

Everyone needs to determine their own timing schedule. Does it work well in June? Or is July better? Everyone's microclimate is different, and each year is different, too, so all we can do is try it and see if the results are pleasing.

Also, note that decandling develops ramification and short needles. If you are still growing out the trunk, don't decandle the leader if you want to build bulk.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Adair...lets call it debate...much friendlier ;-). Maybe we'll even have the chance to debate it over a pile of pine candles one day!

fwiw, I did phase 2 last night on my PDF pine. It's here: http://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/candle-cutting-continues/

And in the spirit of always learning, I did decandle my Peter Warren pine all at once last week. It will be interesting to compare results between the two, since they otherwise treated identically.
 

Paradox

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I got brave enough and decandled all of my pines except the one mugo that is going to get repotted in the next week or so.

I had removed some buds on a couple of select branches on my scots last year just to see what it would do. I was rewarded with about 8 back buds further up the branch this year that I was able to cut back to.
 

Adair M

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Brian, I agree. "Debate" is much friendlier!

I am organizationally challenged. The one step method is easier for me to do. Going back to each tree three times each summer and figuring out how many days have passed... Well, it's just too much for me to keep up with. For me, the one step method is easier to implement.

The tree in my avatar is at Boon's. It has to be done in one step. I can't go back to San Franciso every 10 days!

It will be interesting to see how your trees compare using the two methods.
 

Adair M

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I just went out and inspected my JBP.

I decandled on the 4th of July. Today, the 10th of July, I already see small adventitious buds forming at the base of the stubs where I decandled using the "one step" method. They do appear to forming earlier this year than last year. I used the one step method last year, too, and decandled on July 3 last year.

Thinking back to summer of 2012, we had an extraordinarily hot and dry summer. Perhaps the heat caused the trees to go into a summer dormancy. This year, it has been cool and rainy since I decandled. Perhaps the rain kept the trees active? Rain making the bark soft so it's easier for the adventitious buds to emerge?
 
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I was curious about what techniques I might use on a strobus. I know it not a favored species due to it's ramification and long needles, but I'd like to try a more regimented technique out on mine in order to address these issues. Do you think I should try parviflora techniques or is there another "bonsai common" species that may have more documented techniques for me to try?
 

0soyoung

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I decandled on the 4th of July. Today, the 10th of July, I already see small adventitious buds forming at the base of the stubs where I decandled ...

What a difference temperature makes! At my place, daily highs are just now hitting 70F. I decandled back in May and it took 3 to 4 weeks for my black pines to develop unmistakable adventitious buds. I am just now starting to see needle scales.
 

Adair M

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Osoyoung,

I think it's more than just temperature. Peter Tea was in town for a workshop, and I brought two of my JBP. He remarked how well my decanding worked, and how the new buds were pushing. He asked when I decandled. I told him July 4. (It was July20th, the day of the workshop.) He nodded, and said, "Just like in Japan." Here in the Southeast, we have humid summers, just like Japan.

Now, this summer has been extremely rainy. In fact, it has rained every day (except one) in July, and has been cooler than normal. Last year, when JBP were slow to grow summer candles, it was extremely hot and dry.

So...

Based upon the past two years, the weather appears to make a difference. I decandled on the same date both years, and used the same technique. EXCEPT, this year I also pulled some needles when I decandled. Another variable.
 
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