Yeah, definitely sarcasm
I grow most of what I do for either the memories associated with that species or the adventure of doing something a little odd. It's about the journey for me...not the destination.
This ponderosa is for the adventure
I would like to put it in a bonsai pot some day...perhaps in a decade or so. But for now I like to watch it grow.
Which is the point of this post.
I now have 4 back buds that are showing some extension and possible 2-3 more just starting. Is that normal on a pine? I thought pine didn't back bud readily and I've done nothing but lots of fertilizer and water to try and trigger these. Certainly I'm not complaining...but I've got basically no experience with pines in general. Is this just something that young-uns can do but it'll grow out of?
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Also, I thought ponderosa was a single flush pine. In this picture
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it looks to me like the candles are active? I don't have a good picture from before, but the candles are definitely longer than they were just a week ago.
I bought this pine as a tube back in March. The top candle the buds are coming off was the little bit of spring growth I got this year since I've had this tree. So this would definitely be a second flush if it is growing. Maybe this isn't a ponderosa as advertised??
Anyway, I know it's a stupid little tree. I'm just trying to understand what it's doing!
FIrst it is a Ponderosa pine, it looks like a Ponderosa. Don't need to doubt identity unnecessarily
Second, most of what is written about Ponderosa growth patterns has been written about old collected trees. Ponderosa do not develop attractive bark until well over 30 years old. Most of the Ponderosa used for bonsai are collected trees, real Yamadori, from real mountains, and generally are from 75 to 150 years old. Trees around 100 years old are not that expensive, usually under $500, I got one that was about 100 years old for $90 at a show, just before the vendor was packing up to drive home. Some of the vendors are Andy Smith of Golden Arrow Bonsai, Todd Schlafer of First Branch, there also is Cho bonsai - I'm blanking on his name. And then you have the Pacific Northwest suppliers. I'm rambling. Older trees have a different, a slower, more predictable growth pattern than young seedlings.
Trees do not read the books, articles or internet, they don't know what we think they are supposed to do. They do what they do based on health, nutrition, and microclimate effects. The growth you are seeing is typical of a healthy vigorous seedling. Bud extension late in summer is common, and indicates which buds are most likely to grow the following spring. The buds will be fully winter hardy. Don't worry.
THis late summer spurt of growth should NOT be considered SECOND FLUSH. Ponderosa are strictly a single flush pine. Even if they do have some late season growth, it will not be over the whole tree (in an older tree) and it will not be reliable or predictable. If you remove all the new growth from a Ponderosa in June or July, a young seedling will simply sit there, make new buds that will not grow until the following spring. A mature Ponderosa will be severely weakened by candle removal in June or July, and will decline or die on you.
For winter don't "baby" the tree. Setting the tree on the ground, in the shade from winter sun, possibly with a little windbreak and mulch only as deep as the top rim of the pot will be fine for the winter. Ponderosa do poorly if they are treated with too much winter "kindness". That new growth will be fine.
I would begin wiring some bends and curves into the young trunk, if not this year next autumn or winter. THey stay flexible for a very long time, so no rush.
Ponderosa are usually purchased, as yamadori for their incredible bark on gnarly trunks. If you are going raise one from seed, be certain to wire or prune or both to create a gnarly trunk. Then when it does begin forming rough bark at 25+ years, you will have the gnarly already there. They might start bark as young as 10 years, but I've not seen that many Ponderosa from seed yet.
As your confidence with Ponderosa goes up, save up for a Yamadori Ponderosa. They are pretty easy to grow, and mostly involve leaving them alone. You only prune or repot an old Ponderosa very infrequently, say once every 5 years. Otherwise all you need to do is wire - adjust wire and re-wire, keep it watered and fertilized. They will back bud with vigorous growth. Once every 5 years you can prune back to interior shoots that are 3 years old or older. Younger branches or shoots are not always able to support a branch if they are cut back to, while still too young. For example your little buds down low on your seedling, if you were to behead your Ponderosa to their level this year, it probably won't survive, but in 2022 you could cut back to those then older branches.