blackpine candle pruning

[Matthew]

Just wondering if you guys in melbourne and canberra have candle pruned your pines yet (re japanese black and red pines)?, ivw let mine elongate and open more than usual this year to restore some rigor into ones from rocky that lost some. ive been experimenting optimal times in ne vic since moving here and i find about now into xmas a good time which allows new buds to form and selected and the new candles not to extend much b4 autumn. I was gonna do most of mine today except the pines i repotted this spring which will get a light candle snap. Just would like others input

[alpineart]

Hi Mathew, mate can you post up a pic of your pines in reference to your question ? . I pinched and pruned all my pines months ago some need a touch up , except for the young JBP trainers which i want to grow this season for the purpose of having some serious growth to play with . I would bring a couple over but I'm still legless and on crutches for another 4 weeks .

Mind you all mine are European species "Noxious Weeds". Up here i repot and prune my pines before the Deciduous Tree's .I also have to re-pot vigorous pines every 1-2 years as they grow some serious roots in a season . .You might have to come over for a play one day , plenty of pines to hack into that's for sure , plenty of different species to look at as well .

Cheers Alpine

[bodhidharma]

I am a bit erratic with mine, although it seems to work. While i am watering or walking around my nursery during spring and early Summer i candle snap the trees in bits and pieces. I do the same with bud pinching, taking out the longer ones as i see them extending. My trees are VERY healthy and grow furiously so i get to them in stages.

[Matthew]

some pics up some.Bodhi i usually do simular but have left some to gain vigor. some of these pines are 20 plus years old and were in a ordinary way when i got them but great potential was there. they have done great this season so i think i can cut all strong candles off at once and await for new buds. i use to do it in 3 stages but found i get better results this way. ill include a pic of my nishiki which i did this way and you can see candle elongation is about the same all over the tree.

[Scott Roxburgh]

Matt,

I've done my larger pines but yet to do my shohin ones, probably next weekend for the shohin.

I have one medium pine that is a little weak so may just fertilse and let grow this year.

[Matthew]

some pics again the nishiki was pruned last year and come back even and quire small in its new growth, funny cause i did the others at the same time as well.

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[alpineart]

Hi Mathew , thanks for the pics .That's typical of the N.E Victoria growth , they certainly are healthy. Looks like you had best get into them , i should talk . You may find a re-pot and root prune is required more frequently as well .

Cheers Alpine

[bodhidharma]

Will get you some piccy's soon Matthew

[LLK]

Matthew, what strikes me is that candling isn't the only job you should concentrate on. The foliage of e.g. your "oldest pine" is too dense, you need to bring some light in there, open it up. Here and there you might think of doing some more wiring.

Lisa

[Matthew]

Lisa
the pine was pruned today and should form new buds in about 10 days. this tree was not real healthy 12 months ago so ive been letting it grow freely and fertilising every 10 days or so. i have thinned it out and i do cut needles at this stage to allow more light and air in. pics during the week. it will be wired next winter.
cheers
matt

[LLK]

Sounds good! You did a top job getting your pines in a healthy state. Good luck.

[Bretts]

Not sure if you have seen Jarrod's thread showing Boon's preferred method of decandling in Victoria.
viewtopic.php?f=131&t=3868
Early december is also about the time I start now.

One thing Jarrod may not have mentioned is that the smaller trees should be left later before decandling. Then you will end up with smaller needles.

Matt,

I've done my larger pines but yet to do my shohin ones, probably next weekend for the shohin.

[Jarrod]

Matt, did the larger trees today, cept those growing out for vigor. Will do shohin next week or week after. (when I get around to it)

[Matthew]

some recent photos of a few of my pines candle pruned and bud selection a few months ago. the cascade in the black pot always produces longer needles than the rest eventhough technique is the same? the informal upright in the black pot i think will be a very good tree in a few years as it is always strong and the bark is starting to mature nicely. grown by myself from 6 inch pot. the slanting in the black pot was lifted from the ground last winter when i went back to cambewarra i have about 20 left in the ground there. it was prunied and is looking fine. might be ok in years to come.

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[Scott Martin]

Matthew that informal upright looks great! Really got some appeal to it.