AusBonsai

For black pines of about 10 to 15 years old, in Melbourne later winter and early spring weather,
if they are dying, how before we know for certain that they will die?

I am asking this because I have just dugged a gorgeous black pine about two weeks ago -- but I
have a bad feeling that it will not make it. Althought all needles still look healthy presently.

Thank you and best regards.

Hi Daiviet, conifers take ages to tell if they are alive or dead its way too soon for your pine, just make sure it doesn't get too wet.
Craig

Hi Craig,

Thank you for your advice. I will keep that in mind.

For "soil", I am using pine barks, Maidenwell and scoria. The smallest particle is about 2 mm.

So I think I am safe with drainage. When I know for certain it is alive. I will post it up

Best regards.

Is this the same for Radiata?
As i just dug some yesterday, and thought the same thing. Because you see old christmas trees discarded on the side of the road, mid to late January that still look green.

Hi Mick, in my experience its the same for all conifers.
Craig

These pictures were taken on 24th/November/2010:


View 1 - 1


View 1 - 2


View 1 - 3


View 1 - 4

This tree has made it. It has been putting new growth through out. I have cut off half a dozen strongest
candles already. Immediately above the soil, the trunk is 10 cm thick, 45 cm tall (in a straight line.)

Please excuse the pot. I know it is wrong. But it was the only one available at the time. Apart from balancing
the growth, I am going to rest this tree till at least winter 2011 before carrying out any work on it. And
possibly repot it in season 2012 or 2013.

I purchased this tree as a young seedling years ago from a Victorian annual exhibition. One died. The other
one is still very little (and equally old ). After several years going nowhere in the pot. I put this
down onto the ground for about three years. And dug it up in mid July, 2010.

craigw60 wrote:Hi Daiviet, conifers take ages to tell if they are alive or dead its way too soon for your pine, just make sure it doesn't get too wet.
Craig

Hi Craig
Have one decent black pine in a plastic pot undisturbed from a bonsai nursery.
Are you advising don't get the whole shebang too wet or just the soil - and in a pot that drains well ?
Thanks
Cheers
David

This pine has been developing well. This photo was taken on 26/04/2011:


View 2 - 3

Around July/August (I cannot remember) 2011, I wired some lower branches. I shortened a few, but I did not cut off any branch. The following photos were taken on the 21/10/2011:


View 3 - 1


View 3 - 2


View 3 - 3


View 3 - 4


View 3 - 5


View 3 - 6

I will wait till July 2012 to bend the rest of the main trunk, from the angle (on View 3 - 6) upward. Then I will cut off some of the lowest branches or all; and possibly the big second branch on top of the angle point will go too, hard to see from the photo, but there are two other smaller branches just slightly above the big branch.

On 17/June/2012, I split and bended the top a little bit, effectively shortened the tree a bit too.

From thence on, I just let it grew unchecked. These photos were taken on the 21/May/2013 -- nearly a year later.


View 4 - 1


View 4 - 2


View 4 - 3


View 4 - 4

It has been growing very well. What was done to it did not seem to harm it one little bit.

These photos were taken before wires removal and etc, the bending at the top cannot be seen.

On the 22/May/2013, I removed all the wires and pruned it quite significantly. I have not taken any photos yet. I am still contemplating removing two more branches.

Ant time I have collected pines i give it a small drink then for the first 2-3 weeks I only mist the leaves with a seasol solution. Usually most 2-3 times a day.biggest thing with collecting is the tree struggles to draw water cause the roots have been cut so misting the leaves helps to keep the tree moist and not loose anymore moisture.

Josh.

Very good tree Daiviet and it is continuing to develop well. Might be time for some serious styling???? Please keep us posted.

Watto wrote:Very good tree Daiviet and it is continuing to develop well. Might be time for some serious styling????

Yep, a seriously good tree of the future and a perfect time to work it now Re wiring and styling, needle thinning etc

Hi Josh,

Thank you for the info. If anybody who plans ground grow, this is an important area that need to be managed, otherwise our efforts will just go wasted. This certainly happened to me. Last 2012 Winter, I dug another black pine up, the trunk was just about the size of this one. It took a few months to die. I was gutted. I still have some more on the ground, and plan some more.

So this is really important for me at the moment as my record is 50% success! And this one was almost certainly first time luck

Regards.

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Hi Watto,

Thank you for reading. I have completed this season styling. I am updating real soon.

Regards.

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Hi Bodhidharma,

Thank you for the timing confirmation. I have completed it for this season. I think I am okay with the outcome.

Regards.

These photos were taken on 01/June/2013, more than a week after some significant trimming on 22/May/2013. In these photos, the tree was wires freed.


View 5 - 1


View 5 - 2


View 5 - 3


View 5 - 4


View Split and Bended Top -- I think it has been healing quite gracefully. I might put some grafting plastic around it again on Spring.

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I was still planning on cutting off one lower branch and one upper branch.

These photos were also taken on 01/June/2013: after removing a lower branch and an upper one.


View 6 - 1 -- An upper branch removed. I am actually glad that I was able to make this decision. It was not actually a secondary branch, there was two main leaders, I cut off one sometimes ago, and retained a secondary branch on its ( the removed leader ) remaining. It looked out of proportion.


View 6 - 2


View 6 - 3 -- A lower branch removed.


View 6 - 4

Taking a few mintues to think about what I just did: I did not feel I have a significantly changed tree yet. I felt right.

So started putting on wires.