Pine identification and beginners help

jrhop

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Hello, I have inherited a pine bonsai, however unsure exactly which type, any help would be much appreciated. Some of the candles are brown, can anyone advise why this may be and what to do with them? Cut off the branch or the candle?
Could anyone also advise some initial steps to prune or cut back some of the candles or needles? I think where it was located was quite shady, in my garden it is more open with more sun available.

Thanks in advance.

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sorce

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Brown part looks to been dead.

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Sorce
 

jrhop

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Thanks for the reply, would you recommend cutting the tip/candle or the whole branch?
 

Forsoothe!

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Growing seasons around the world vary widely and it is difficult to get a perspective on what someone says when we don't know where in the world they are. If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you, and you might connect with another local.




<<<<< It will show here.
 

jrhop

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Thanks I have updated that, Im based in the UK. Anyone have any ideas on the type of pine it could be?
 

PA_Penjing

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The second photo down looks like a pine cone more than a dead growing tip to me. And 97% sure it's Japanese black pine
 

Potawatomi13

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Personal guess is Bosnian Pine. Are needles very stiff/sharp? Small cone is big question???? Is tree grafted? Pics of trunk would be good.
 

Shibui

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The growth is relatively tight in bunches which suggests one of the yatubusa varieties of Japanese black pine.
Some pictures of the lower trunk may show if it is grafted and what sort of bark it is developing.

The branches with brown needles are definitely dead. Pines branches do not recover from that. Cut them back to the closest fork to remove. The rest of the tree looks healthy.
 

jrhop

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Thanks for all the replies, really appreciated. I have removed the dead branches back to the nearest fork. Below are some new pictures, where I have removed a lot of needles to thin it out. I think it looks much better. A picture of the bark too, hopefully make it clearer, it is wet in the picture.
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jrhop

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I have done a lot of reading but still not sure what type it is. There is quite a lot of sap on the branches. and yes there are some small pine cones on it.
 

Potawatomi13

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Reverse taper just below branches appears to be graft. Still curious if needles stiff/sharp?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Could be Pinus thunbergii, ‘Thunderhead’ or a Yatsabusa of some kind, as mentioned.
The graft is going to be problematic, as they don’t usually improve with time. It may make this tree not worth the effort in the end.
When it is strong enough, maybe next spring, reduce whorls of branches down to 1-2 branches emerging from one spot. One should be a branch with foliage close to the trunk, and the other is either a spare or what becomes the next section of trunk.
 

Shibui

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That is definitely grafted which almost certainly means a variety of some sort grafted onto a rootstock.
The bark appears to be smoother than I would expect for JBP though it does take a few years for JBP to start making mature bark.
Would mugho of some sort be possible? Smooth bark, relatively short needles, shorter internodes and clusters of shoots would fit for mugho. I only have one so not really familiar with mugho characteristics.
@Potawatomi13 has suggested Bosnian pine. A quick search shows some similar characteristics but it is a species I have never come across so can't confirm or deny that possibility.
 

Forsoothe!

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It appears to be a two-needle Pine?
 

jrhop

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That is definitely grafted which almost certainly means a variety of some sort grafted onto a rootstock.
The bark appears to be smoother than I would expect for JBP though it does take a few years for JBP to start making mature bark.
Would mugho of some sort be possible? Smooth bark, relatively short needles, shorter internodes and clusters of shoots would fit for mugho. I only have one so not really familiar with mugho characteristics.
@Potawatomi13 has suggested Bosnian pine. A quick search shows some similar characteristics but it is a species I have never come across so can't confirm or deny that possibility.
Thanks for your reply, I think Mugo/Mountain pine is definitely possible, I think I read somewhere that Mugo can have quite a bit of sap, which this one certainly does, whereas a JBP doesn't so much?
 
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