Colorado’s Literati Ponderosa Pine

[Shogun610]

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Yo dog I heard you like ponderosas so we customized your ponderosa with ponderosa

 

[clem]

My ponderosa produce relatively small needles with one simple trick:
Clip off all the existing buds in spring, just before growth starts.
All new growth that follows in july with stay 1/3-1/4th the size of the original needle size.

I worked well for my EWP as well.

It looks like a very early mekiri which forces the tree to re-grow, isn't it ?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It looks like a very early mekiri which forces the tree to re-grow, isn't it ?

It depends on how you look at it.
Shoot and candle cutting rely on growth that was already active, shutting it down and rebooting it.
This is removing dormant buds to force the plant to remake them first, before flushing out later in the year.
It diminished the initial influx of auxins and should therefore lead to less elongation in the new needles. On top of that, their growing season shortens, and there is just simply less time to elongate.

 

[clem]

Ok, It seems less tiring for the tree than a mekiri since we then cut its candles which cost it reserves to produce.

 

[tanlu]

Since the discussion of needle reduction on pondos in Colorado came up, I thought I'd share this one I saw at the RMBS convention this Sunday by Mike Britten.
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I'm sure there's some genetics at play, but it seems that you can reduce ponderosa needles quite a bit, and Mike is in your area!

A few years late here, but I’m just wondering why most representations of ponderosa pine bonsai have long needles, unlike this photo. Anyone know why that is?

 

[Daniel son STL]

A few years late here, but I’m just wondering why most representations of ponderosa pine bonsai have long needles, unlike this photo. Anyone know why that is?

I believe it’s just the nature of ponderosa. Not as easily reduced as say a Japanese red or black pine in my opinion.

I’ve got one I’ve been trying to reduce the needles on every year. It’s like right when the needles get to the size you want, they grow another 2-3 inches!

 

[Colorado]

A few years late here, but I’m just wondering why most representations of ponderosa pine bonsai have long needles, unlike this photo. Anyone know why that is?

Yes. It is because ponderosa pine is a species that genetically tends to have long needles.

The tree in that photo, I don’t know for sure but I suspect that tree is actually a lodgepole pine, not a ponderosa.

 

[pandacular]

The tree in that photo, I don’t know for sure but I suspect that tree is actually a lodgepole pine, not a ponderosa.

You’re totally correct, I had the trees mixed up thinking that lodgepole and pondo was the same! I’ve also learned a great deal about pine ID since then.