Japanese Red Pine - How to progress

[Ozz80]

I got this JRP recently from a nursery. Considering the trunk movement, I plan to assign the front as it is in the first picture. But it seems that, I will have to remove thick branches growing perpendicular to the front, which I marked with red lines. At this level of expertise, I don't feel confident about creating deadwood, so healing the wounds will be my first preference. Since I am planning to change the angle of the tree as it is in the picture, extra rootwork and repotting is also to be done. The tree looks pretty healthy at the moment.

I understand that sacrifice branches help not only to thickening the trunk but healing the wounds as well. So;

1. How quick and well do JRP's close their wounds? Would you leave a sacrifice branch at the apex for healing the wounds that will be formed after removal of the branches at the front that I marked with red in the first picture?

2. Can I start styling the tree in October, at least by removing the branches at the front and wiring primary branches and then repot with the new angle in spring. If it is possible to do so, can I decandle before at this June and thin the needles at fall as well?

3. If it is OK to thin the needles, how many pairs should I leave on each shoot?

 

[roberthu]

Looks like it’s in mud or some sort of organic soil?

 

[Nera]

From your first photo, I would probably remove the inner branch as well, coming out just below the first red line you made (branches coming from the inside of a bend are less appealing). Also, I would leave that shorter dead branch on the left side for consideration at a later point in time - there is no rush to remove it, you might decide to make Jin later on when you feel more confident.

 

[Ozz80]

Looks like it’s in mud or some sort of organic soil?

Usual muddy nursery soil. But the tree looks pretty happy with that for the moment. I will repot it asap though.

 

[Adamski77]

Wouldn't rush with repotting... especially this time of the year... the tree, even in this soil, can easily make it to next spring. There is zero signs of distress so why rushing. I would cut some major offending branches this autumn and maybe repot next spring.

 

[Ozz80]

From your first photo, I would probably remove the inner branch as well, coming out just below the first red line you made (branches coming from the inside of a bend are less appealing). Also, I would leave that shorter dead branch on the left side for consideration at a later point in time - there is no rush to remove it, you might decide to make Jin later on when you feel more confident.

Thanks for your suggestions! I will Jin or remove the short dead one definitely. The inner branch will go as well most probably, which I will decide after removing frontal branches and thinning. I am not in hurry though. I will start with removing certain no-no's first and limit myself to removing 30 - 50 percent of the foliage at most in initial styling.

 

[Ozz80]

Wouldn't rush with repotting... especially this time of the year... the tree, even in this soil, can easily make it to next spring. There is zero signs of distress so why rushing. I would cut some major offending branches this autumn and maybe repot next spring.

Of course!! By asap, I meant next February or March. Repotting this time at hot weather of Turkey will most probably kill the tree. My English is not so good and I might be using wrong words sometimes, sorry for creating misunderstandings.

 

[Shibui]

No problem removing those 2 branches whenever you like as that's a minor part of the overall foliage.
JRP close wounds as well as any other trees. Those branches appear to be reasonably thin so should heal over the cuts in a couple of years. Extra growth and/or sacrifice branch should speed that up even more.
The tree looks healthy so should have no problem wire and place branches this year.
I also believe that decandling is also possible this Summer. Note that initial decandling often involves pruning harder, back to older needles, in order to get shoots lower on the branches.
Don't get too carried away ripping off all older needles until you have assessed whether you want/need new buds back along the branches. If back buds are wanted then leave some needles in those places and/or prune back to just above those spots.
Needles are usually thinned to 6-8 pairs on each shoot.

Repot next Spring IF the tree responds well to the previous work. Fingers crossed you can manage soil moisture through Summer and Winter so it grows well after the pruning and you can do a full repot come Spring to get the roots into good soil mixture.

 

[Ozz80]

No problem removing those 2 branches whenever you like as that's a minor part of the overall foliage.
JRP close wounds as well as any other trees. Those branches appear to be reasonably thin so should heal over the cuts in a couple of years. Extra growth and/or sacrifice branch should speed that up even more.
The tree looks healthy so should have no problem wire and place branches this year.
I also believe that decandling is also possible this Summer. Note that initial decandling often involves pruning harder, back to older needles, in order to get shoots lower on the branches.
Don't get too carried away ripping off all older needles until you have assessed whether you want/need new buds back along the branches. If back buds are wanted then leave some needles in those places and/or prune back to just above those spots.
Needles are usually thinned to 6-8 pairs on each shoot.

Repot next Spring IF the tree responds well to the previous work. Fingers crossed you can manage soil moisture through Summer and Winter so it grows well after the pruning and you can do a full repot come Spring to get the roots into good soil mixture.

Thanks for your reply! I will create sacrifice branches while decandling and thinning the rest of the tree, which also suggests that the tree will go to a growing pot and not to a bonsai pot at spring repotting. I did not grow pines or repotted something with an angle change before, but by logic I assess that changing the angle of a tree may require removal of more surface roots and those connected under them at the repotting angle . So keeping the rest of the roots on a large container may be safer. And if a large container is to be used, why not leave a few sacrifices and keep improving the tree while the tree is there?

The rootwork may (or may not) be the major issue for this tree, so I will not hurry doing things off season, no need to add even a little stress to the tree.