Next course of action for JBP?

[Walther]

Hello all,

I acquired this JBP this year for a reasonable price.
It seems quite healthy but I know it needs it a repot which I will do next season.

For now, I am wondering if I should cut the candles or just let it grow?
I am already pleased with the trunk thickness and development and wouldnt mind and I think I would prefer for it to start ramifying now so the current branches dont get too much longer.

I am concerned however with the amount of needles it has at the base of the candles. It seems it doesnt have enough but I am not experienced enough to tell that. So should I go for it and cut the candles or should I let it run for this season?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I would consider this type of growth moderately weak, not strong. Instead of decandling, you can consider cutting those candles in half. The effect would be the same. Less effective, but I'm sure it'll double flush and do some backbudding for ramification.

It looks like in some places the branches are in pairs of three or more, I'd reduce those to two's.

Other than that there's not much advice I can give. But I'm sure someone will chime in with other ideas.

 

[Walther]

I would consider this type of growth moderately weak, not strong. Instead of decandling, you can consider cutting those candles in half. The effect would be the same. Less effective, but I'm sure it'll double flush and do some backbudding for ramification.

It looks like in some places the branches are in pairs of three or more, I'd reduce those to two's.

Other than that there's not much advice I can give. But I'm sure someone will chime in with other ideas.

Thank you for the advice.
What do you mean by cutting them in half? Like below the new leaves or cut where the new leaves are in half?

Thank you!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

My opinion is to let it gather strength and don’t trim at all, especially if repotting this coming Spring.
Depending on how vigorous it responds to the repotting, it could be decandled next Summer, or the Summer after if it is still weak.

Nice bones, so it should be a nice tree after some strong growth.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Oh, and work some sacrifice growth in by leaving a few candles to grow out, when you do decandle.. this will let you decandle harder in future iterations.

 

[Walther]

Oh, and work some sacrifice growth in by leaving a few candles to grow out, when you do decandle.. this will let you decandle harder in future iterations.

Awesome
Thank you for all the advice
I am going to follow it
Thank you very much

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

What do you mean by cutting them in half? Like below the new leaves or cut where the new leaves are in half?

Similar to scots pines and mugo, you should be able to cut half of the shoot off, leaving six to eight needle pairs on this years shoots.
It doesn't set the plant back as hard as full decandling and it is effective in triggering backbudding and sometimes a second flush.

But maybe stick with doing nothing but fertilizing and watering. That is always the safest option.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Thank you for the advice.
What do you mean by cutting them in half? Like below the new leaves or cut where the new leaves are in half?

Thank you!

Hello all,

I acquired this JBP this year for a reasonable price.
It seems quite healthy but I know it needs it a repot which I will do next season.

For now, I am wondering if I should cut the candles or just let it grow?
I am already pleased with the trunk thickness and development and wouldnt mind and I think I would prefer for it to start ramifying now so the current branches dont get too much longer.

I am concerned however with the amount of needles it has at the base of the candles. It seems it doesnt have enough but I am not experienced enough to tell that. So should I go for it and cut the candles or should I let it run for this season?

Wonderful tree. Great unusual beginning for some fantastically interesting tree. Personal inclination would be to develop long branch into semi cascade. Must agree to let grow at least one year to develop more foliage mass and strength before repot. Would also agree to shorten this years growth

 

[Walther]

Wonderful tree. Great unusual beginning for some fantastically interesting tree. Personal inclination would be to develop long branch into semi cascade. Must agree to let grow at least one year to develop more foliage mass and strength before repot. Would also agree to shorten this years growth

Thank you! It is somewhat pot bound so I was going to remove %50 of the dirt and repot that way next season. I do think it could have more foliage mass and more strength before doing any type of work. But I think the %50 soil replacement is needed as roots are already growing out the bottom and the soil is pretty hard when it drys at the top. What do you think?

 

[Walther]

Similar to scots pines and mugo, you should be able to cut half of the shoot off, leaving six to eight needle pairs on this years shoots.
It doesn't set the plant back as hard as full decandling and it is effective in triggering backbudding and sometimes a second flush.

But maybe stick with doing nothing but fertilizing and watering. That is always the safest option.

Interesting. Ill have to look into that. Do you have an example of what you mean exactly? Sorry to ask for more specifics I just dont want to assume nor do I want to find something that is not what you mean and do it on accident.
As an example are you saying that I should cut it where the red line is or the blue line is in the attached image? or am I completely misunderstanding and youre saying cut the bud within the new needle mass?

 

[vancehanna]

Put it in a larger pot or better yet plant in the ground and let it grow unabated for 2 yrs.....(be sure to have an "inground soil mix and not parent clay"
Way to small to bother with. If you want a "bonsai" then do what growers do. Plant in ground and don't cut a thing except sharp shoot the roots each fall.
After a bit of a year or so cut back the branches a bit to encourage back budding...

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Interesting. Ill have to look into that. Do you have an example of what you mean exactly? Sorry to ask for more specifics I just dont want to assume nor do I want to find something that is not what you mean and do it on accident.
As an example are you saying that I should cut it where the red line is or the blue line is in the attached image? or am I completely misunderstanding and youre saying cut the bud within the new needle mass?

I have a pinus sylvestris guide in the resources page of the forum that shows the technique with pictures. But the consensus here is to let it grow, so maybe look at that later and don't perform the operation this year.
If you plan on repotting, it's best to save some strength in the plant for that repot.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I think HBR is a great way to go. If it were my tree, I’d put it in a colander or pond basket or Anderson flat, for a year or two to really get things pumping. Be sure not to needle pluck or cut. With the sacrifice growth blossoming, you’ll be able to cut back to old needles when you do decandle.

Do take my advice with a grain of salt as I am no expert, but I have used similar technique to generate density and back budding for my JBP.

 

[Walther]

I think HBR is a great way to go. If it were my tree, I’d put it in a colander or pond basket or Anderson flat, for a year or two to really get things pumping. Be sure not to needle pluck or cut. With the sacrifice growth blossoming, you’ll be able to cut back to old needles when you do decandle.

Do take my advice with a grain of salt as I am no expert, but I have used similar technique to generate density and back budding for my JBP.
View attachment 599682

Wow those are wonderful trees.
Yes I am going to HBR into a large pond basket with a pumice based soil.
I think that will be the best approach

 

[Walther]

I think HBR is a great way to go. If it were my tree, I’d put it in a colander or pond basket or Anderson flat, for a year or two to really get things pumping. Be sure not to needle pluck or cut. With the sacrifice growth blossoming, you’ll be able to cut back to old needles when you do decandle.

Do take my advice with a grain of salt as I am no expert, but I have used similar technique to generate density and back budding for my JBP.
View attachment 599682

Something Id like to ask you and everyone else is should I fertilize heavy this season. I was thinking fertilizing heavy through to the end of june. But I am not really looking for any more trunk thickness more so just foliage mass, however I dont want the branches to get much much longer than they already are.. what would be the best course of action in this regard?

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I would say yes fertilize. I use a high nitrogen fertilizer (Agriform), although I am generally still thickening trunks, and I’ll shift over to organic when I get closer. But high N, does give the trees lots of energy for backbudding. I remove fertilizer a few weeks before decandling and can decandle a little later in the season w all that energy stored up.

 

[Walther]

I would say yes fertilize. I use a high nitrogen fertilizer (Agriform), although I am generally still thickening trunks, and I’ll shift over to organic when I get closer. But high N, does give the trees lots of energy for backbudding. I remove fertilizer a few weeks before decandling and can decandle a little later in the season w all that energy stored up.

Excellent
Thank you

 

[Potawatomi13]

Thank you! It is somewhat pot bound so I was going to remove %50 of the dirt and repot that way next season. I do think it could have more foliage mass and more strength before doing any type of work. But I think the %50 soil replacement is needed as roots are already growing out the bottom and the soil is pretty hard when it drys at the top. What do you think?

If done during Summer rest period as some do and followed by exemplary after care should be OK. However be aware of not using new filler substrate with drastically different drainage character or remaining substrate may not be getting enough H2O.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Unanswered question of blue line, red line I will answer. Blue line is just cutting needles and is only ugly and useless. Red line is cutting bare neck of sprout and generally will give dead neck but back budding at its base as in de candling. Bare stem usually does not bud out. Shortening the sprout means the part that has needles where latent buds may lurk.

 

[Walther]

Unanswered question of blue line, red line I will answer. Blue line is just cutting needles and is only ugly and useless. Red line is cutting bare neck of sprout and generally will give dead neck but back budding at its base as in de candling. Bare stem usually does not bud out. Shortening the sprout means the part that has needles where latent buds may lurk.

Thank you for he clarification. I appreciate it.