Bristlecone Pine training info

Potawatomi13

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Visited Ryan Neil yesterday(saturday)largely to see Yamadori Bristlecone he has from Todd Schlafer(First Branch Bonsai). He has 3. Generously Ryan answered a few questions while watering and teaching 6 or 7 students. REALLY busy guy. Big question could I call and get some info how to handle these? Big surprise Ryan said he didn't know:eek:. BUT is doing a Live Feed on most established tree DECEMBER 19(this year). Merry Christmas present for all interested in these indeed. Should be most interesting:D!
 

M. Frary

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So are you asking for care?
I had one for 3 years until the super cold got it here.
35 degrees below zero. It got freezer burn.
I learned that they like a coarse dry soil mix.
Like Mugo pines they also like water.
Full sun. As much as possible all day long.
If stressed they will stay in a state of stasis. No growth just sit there.
Holds needles for up to 40 years.
Very flexible. Wire needs to stay on branches forever.
Slow growth.
Back buds like crazy.
If Ryan would like he can call and I'll fill him in on them.
 

Potawatomi13

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Training info. Know all the other already;). Ryan is Coloradan. Grew up around these. Training is new frontier.
 

Potawatomi13

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Interesting point. Todd Schlafer and Andy Smith likely could enlighten no doubt. Personal trees have dealt with some few 100-105 degree days fully exposed well enough;).
 

Bonsai Nut

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Interesting point. Todd Schlafer and Andy Smith likely could enlighten no doubt. Personal trees have dealt with some few 100-105 degree days fully exposed well enough;).

I have had an aristata for a year now. Last one I had burnt up in our summer heat. This one I kept under shade cloth during the summer, and it is looking good now with only a few burnt needle tips. I hear what people are saying about full sun, and perhaps it is our low humidity that they can't take?
 
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Potawatomi13

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Personally THINK natural habitat pretty dry summer and most of winter so perhaps is added aggravation of reflected heat from hot ground or wall/fence at lower altitude? Oldest Bristlecones live fully exposed with little humidity. high/thin altitude and wind. Perhaps high temps up there somewhat coolero_O? Good idea shade cloth. maybe block dessicating wind also.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Personally THINK natural habitat pretty dry summer and most of winter so perhaps is added aggravation of reflected heat from hot ground or wall/fence at lower altitude? Oldest Bristlecones live fully exposed with little humidity. high/thin altitude and wind. Perhaps high temps up there somewhat coolero_O? Good idea shade cloth. maybe block dessicating wind also.

I have a sugar pine as well (another high alpine five needle pine species) and the sugar pine, in the exact same location, soil mix, etc, did much more poorly. It is tough to draw any conclusions from two trees, particularly given that I obtained then a couple of months apart and neither has had a full season to acclimate to our conditions.
 

Potawatomi13

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One question for thought: Where did these come from or were raised? ie; from Oregon to OC maybe bad-- from OC to Oregon likely better;).
 

GGB

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So far (4years) they do remarkably well in wet zone 6b Pennsylvania. 2 flushes of growth reliably. One spring every single extending bud was knocked off by a late snow, it back budded and sent out 6 inch candles 3 weeks later like nothing happened. Zero training advice as mine is just a landscape tree. Possibly my favorite tree in the yard
 
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