Austrian black pine find.

[Eckhoffw]

Went to Gerten’s garden center today to redeem my 10$ coupon.
I thought I would just grab up a under 10$ clearance plant.
However, the clearance section was picked over, with nothing much worthwhile.
Couldn’t go home empty handed!!

I strolled the grounds a bit and this pine caught my eye.
# 6 container @69$
Yep. -10$ Pretty much covered the tax
Put a bit of guy wires on.

I will likely just plant this up in the yard in a month or 2.

My question is, can I do any branch pruning now? The whorls obviously have never been reduced back, so I would like to thin it out.

Should I just wait for candle pruning time next spring?
I guess my question is about timing.

thank you. !!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Do not prune, wire, and repot all at the same time—one insult per year! Since you didn’t do much more than reduce the whorls and put on a few guy wires you are probably OK to do limited pruning. With these you need to get the whorls under control as they will develop oversized knuckles and reverse gradient otherwise. When I got mine I just did selective pruning the first fall, then repotted it the following spring. I have since done more selective pruning but only limited wiring and never more than one insult per year. Last spring it had tons of back buds and is developing nicely now so my next step will be heavy wiring next spring.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Do not prune, wire, and repot all at the same time—one insult per year! Since you didn’t do much more than reduce the whorls and put on a few guy wires you are probably OK to do limited pruning. With these you need to get the whorls under control as they will develop oversized knuckles and reverse gradient otherwise. When I got mine I just did selective pruning the first fall, then repotted it the following spring. I have since done more selective pruning but only limited wiring and never more than one insult per year. Last spring it had tons of back buds and is developing nicely now so my next step will be heavy wiring next spring.

Yeah. That’s what I figured. I haven’t done any pruning yet. I’ll wait till next year.

 

[Srt8madness]

Looks very similar to the one I got (size), but I like the bark and bark color on yours.

Are you looking to thicken the trunk more? I'm happy with the girth on mine so doing a half bare root come spring.
Word is this will need to be a bigger Bonsai, thick branches

 

[Potawatomi13]

Cut back to 1st branch, can develop good tree from there.

 

[Shibui]

I would not consider a couple of wires as insult. I'd be happy to prune off excess branches now.

 

[Srt8madness]

Chop and regrow is a very common theme here, but after looking at some specimen pines in shows, a slight bend/twist in the trunk with some branches wired down to create the bottom of the pyramid, wouldn't be impossible. Basically the 1/3 height for first branch "rule" doesn't necessarily have to be followed to make a nice tree.

 

[Paradox]

Went to Gerten’s garden center today to redeem my 10$ coupon. View attachment 455148
I thought I would just grab up a under 10$ clearance plant.
However, the clearance section was picked over, with nothing much worthwhile.
Couldn’t go home empty handed!!

I strolled the grounds a bit and this pine caught my eye.
# 6 container @69$
Yep. -10$ Pretty much covered the tax View attachment 455149
Put a bit of guy wires on.
View attachment 455151
I will likely just plant this up in the yard in a month or 2.

My question is, can I do any branch pruning now? The whorls obviously have never been reduced back, so I would like to thin it out.

Should I just wait for candle pruning time next spring?
I guess my question is about timing.

thank you. !!

This is an Austrian black pine (Pinus nigra). Are you sure it is a 2 flush pine?

If it is, I wouldn't cut the candles now. It's too late in the year to get new growth.

I recommend you research the species to see if it is a 2 flush pine or not because that will determine how you treat this tree

 

[Shogun610]

# 6 container @69$

nice …

that straight section … try a wedge cut to put some interest in trunk with a big bend .. then do nothing until spring to get it out of the nursery soil.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Some say to treat these like JBP but in my experience they are a single flush pine.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Thanks everyone for their feedback!
Like I mentioned, this on is going in the ground in a couple months.

I want to enjoy this in the ground for nowbut set it up to be removed maybe 3-5 years from now.
I was thinking of planting on a large tile.

I thought that maybe reducing some of the whorls may be beneficial if I can do it at this time.
thanks.

 

[namnhi]

Thanks everyone for their feedback!
Like I mentioned, this on is going in the ground in a couple months.

I want to enjoy this in the ground for nowbut set it up to be removed maybe 3-5 years from now.
I was thinking of planting on a large tile.

I thought that maybe reducing some of the whorls may be beneficial if I can do it at this time.
thanks.

I don't see how planting on a tile will help this tree as it is in a nursery can. Are you going to tease out the roots to make them flat before planting? If not then I see no reason that will help.

 

[Eckhoffw]

I don't see how planting on a tile will help this tree as it is in a nursery can. Are you going to tease out the roots to make them flat before planting? If not then I see no reason that will help.

You’re right, probably not necessary.
Perhaps removal would be easier later on though.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Well I put this in the ground a couple weeks ago. Placed it along with my other smaller Austrian black pine.

I plan to continue training them. I may or may not dig them out years down the road.