When and how to trim Pine tree ?

[Brian Van Fleet]

The soil looks like native soil from the ground, which will become very solid in a pot, and eventually kill the tree.

How long ago did you put this tree in this pot? You should replace the soil when the tree starts growing in the spring.

If you do not have access to Bonsai soil, go sift some gravel to obtain 1/4” size pieces and add about 25% pine bark. Be sure to secure it in the pot with wire so the roots cannot move.

When it is growing strong, maybe next fall you can begin to reduce the height.

 

[Shibui]

In general, pines do not bud on bare wood very well so never cut below the lowest green parts. In some of these trees the lowest branches are still way up on a skinny trunk. Not my idea of a great bonsai starter. Not every tree in the field is a good subject for bonsai. When collecting look at many and take just a few. Having said that, these will give great experience and develop techniques so you can collect better bonsai specimens in future.
You can cut these down and cross fingers hope for some buds to grow lower on the trunk.
It is possible to graft new shoots lower on the trunk and eventually grow a tree from there - long term project.

In general don't cut new collected trees too hard. Leaves are needed to help new roots grow. How to tell the difference between too much, just right and not enough???? Probably experience and how much will probably depend a lot on the species, your climate and your aftercare.

Also I don't like the look of your potting mix Way to much clay or soil IMHO but maybe you can make it work where you are.

 

[August44]

I think that those, because of size and lack of branches are going to be about impossible to work with, at least they would for me. Can you find much smaller ones with more branches down lower to the base? Luck

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I was confused as to which species of pine is the Afghan pine. I did a little digging. Found this in Wikipedia.

• Pinus brutia subsp. eldarica (Eldar pine; Azerbaijan; Georgia; needles 8–14 cm, cones 5–9 cm). Also in Central Asia including Afghanistan and Pakistan and mountainous areas to the north in Central Asia.

The Eldar pine is treated as a species (Pinus eldarica) by some authors; it is adapted to a drier climate with a summer rainfall peak, whereas subsp. brutia is adapted to a climate with mainly winter rainfall.

they also mentioned it is related to the Aleppo pine, P. halepensis. Given that fact, and that it has a good chance of surviving in your climate, I would hang on to it and see if after a few years settling in, that it will start back budding on old wood similar to the way P. halepensis can do. Keep it growing, get it vigorous and in time it should start to back bud. Your future tree is in one or two of the first branches coming off the trunk.

 

[Coppersdad]

Pinus roxburghii is two flush pine, while afghan pine is single flush pine

Ali Raza, I viewed the pictures and began thinking what I might do if I had the "problem" of owning this tree.
What happens to this species when they are "chopped"? Do they back bud at all? Are the branches flexible enough to wire? Is the trunk very flexible now?
I see what looks like an organic soil in the container. Will you rest the tree a year or so? What kind of soil mix has been successful for you?
Thanks

 

[Ali Raza]

Ali Raza, I viewed the pictures and began thinking what I might do if I had the "problem" of owning this tree.
What happens to this species when they are "chopped"? Do they back bud at all? Are the branches flexible enough to wire? Is the trunk very flexible now?
I see what looks like an organic soil in the container. Will you rest the tree a year or so? What kind of soil mix has been successful for you?
Thanks

Thank you for your concern and time. I had experimented on small plant that when chopped the trunk, i didn't observe any type of new growth from or below the cut. But they responded well for branch growth during summer pruning. Trunk became rigid (which i guess formal straight style will be the only option left). I had repotted this tree and pruned some very large roots growing out of the pots. For soil, I had mixed pumice, crushed granite, crushed bricks and less than 20% organic (peat moss + Compost). I left around 30% of native soil intact with roots (for mycorrhizae). My plan is to reduce little height around 1 foot as an experimental and observe the tree.