Japanese White Pine

[AndyJ]

Hi folks.

Am I right in thinking that a yellowing of needles on a JWP in spring is a sign of over wet substrate? I got hold of a JWP grafted on to a JBP root a few weeks ago, it wasn't in great soil but as it was early spring, I thought I'd better not do a repot. Instead, I've done a slip pot into a bigger pot with much better draining substrate - my thinking being that I water the outside part of the pot and stop the inner compost from becoming water logged and when the roots are ready, they'll grow out of the compost and into my new bet substrate.

The tree is only young, it has a few branches and is putting out quite a few candles but this morning I noticed a particular yellowing of the needles. What should I do? Is it already too late? Will the tree inevitably die once the needles start turning yellow?

Many thanks,

Andy

 

[0soyoung]

I agree that yellowing needles is indicative of possible root problems - over wet is one possibility. Another possibility is that the compost has broken down. Regardless, you've done the logical thing and being careful with watering is about the only additional action of which I can think.

As long as the buds keep moving, there is hope. If they stop ...


Oops, I just thought of one further action: keep it in full sun if you aren't doing so already.

 

[Japonicus]

How much bigger a pot did you use Andy?
Thing here is, as logical as it sounds, to keep the new feeder roots alive with enough moisture
in the new more free draining soil, the centre of the root ball, or most of the old soil, will remain more wet than you want.

Yes full Sun will help but there's a contrast going on underneath the surface. Your weather just got a bit more crucial.

Next Spring would be a good time to move forward with more root work/soil replacement setting back one more year, but being young
as it is, I think you'll be comfortable with that scenario. However, if you've only just now done this, this week, perhaps a proper repot is in line
without another year set back on root work?
You said it is putting on quite a few candles, making me think it's still Spring there. We just don't know WHEN you slip potted...

Did you see any moosh or black damp roots when you slipped it out and handled the root ball any?

 

[AndyJ]

How much bigger a pot did you use Andy?
Thing here is, as logical as it sounds, to keep the new feeder roots alive with enough moisture
in the new more free draining soil, the centre of the root ball, or most of the old soil, will remain more wet than you want.

Yes full Sun will help but there's a contrast going on underneath the surface. Your weather just got a bit more crucial.

Next Spring would be a good time to move forward with more root work/soil replacement setting back one more year, but being young
as it is, I think you'll be comfortable with that scenario. However, if you've only just now done this, this week, perhaps a proper repot is in line
without another year set back on root work?
You said it is putting on quite a few candles, making me think it's still Spring there. We just don't know WHEN you slip potted...

Did you see any moosh or black damp roots when you slipped it out and handled the root ball any?

Thanks for your reply. I got the tree in the middle of March - was in a 9cm (3.5") pot and I felt straight away it might be too damp. I thought I knew what I was doing and thought I needed to try and draw some of the moisture out of the rootball so put it into this 6" terracotta pot and it now sits in full sun. I didn't dig around with the roots at all as I understood repotting JWP should be done in August? Am I wrong?

Here's some pictures....

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[0soyoung]

thought I needed to try and draw some of the moisture out of the rootball so put it into this 6" terracotta pot and it now sits in full sun. I didn't dig around with the roots at all as I understood repotting JWP should be done in August? Am I wrong?

For the next time you do something like this, loosen the roots from the outside of the 'ball'/plug or soil. Then they can grow into the new/fresh substrate. Otherwise the roots tend to stay locked onto/into the plug.

The sheaths around white pine fascicles (needle bundles) flake off when the new foliage is all hardened -->a time to repot (the one I prefer). White pines are really nice in this way. No other pines tell you when their foliage is hardened; one must figure it out by the color of the needles, how strong they are, and how strongly they are attached.

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks for your reply. I got the tree in the middle of March - was in a 9cm (3.5") pot and I felt straight away it might be too damp. I thought I knew what I was doing and thought I needed to try and draw some of the moisture out of the rootball so put it into this 6" terracotta pot and it now sits in full sun. I didn't dig around with the roots at all as I understood repotting JWP should be done in August? Am I wrong?

Here's some pictures....

JSJ8K7[/MEDIA]]
26WFStb[/MEDIA]]
271BqXe[/MEDIA]]
25D6yzM[/MEDIA]]
25D6BcR[/MEDIA]]
https://flic.kr/p/24fVRud]

[/url]

It would appear that you have also wired the tree recently, perhaps just after the slip potting. I believe it would be best to wait for a later time to do any further repotting.

 

[AndyJ]

Thanks gents. All points noted.

What is your opinion on the health of the tree? Can you see enough from the photos? Should it be ok? Or do you think it's probably going to die?

If you think it will live, should I be thinning out those whorls of new candles? Or should I just leave it alone?

 

[River's Edge]

Thanks gents. All points noted.

What is your opinion on the health of the tree? Can you see enough from the photos? Should it be ok? Or do you think it's probably going to die?

If you think it will live, should I be thinning out those whorls of new candles? Or should I just leave it alone?

Removing foliage will weaken the tree. The recovery is based on the photosynthesis that takes place in the needles. The more needles the more photosynthesis. I would leave it alone at this point.

 

[AndyJ]

Okey doke. Thanks River

 

[AndyJ]

Hi folks,

I'm pleased to say that my JWP has recovered somewhat since my original post - I've got some of the more normal needles now and the treee has put on some decent growth - I had to remove the wire as it had just started to mark the bark!

I've just spent an enjoyable couple hours reading BVF's post on his Zuisho JWP - thanks for sharing Brian - and have a question about the internodes. I don't know if my tree is a Zuisho, but it already has a fair gap between the lowest branch and the next so I have an internode that is bigger thank ideal. Will my JWP backbud in here? Or will that section always be bare trunk now? What should I do to prevent long internodes over the coming seasons? I want decent growth but not long internodes.

Thanks all.

Andy