Yashu’s another JBP progression thread.

[Deep Sea Diver]

I’ll have to agree to disagree on some of the technique on the previous post.

Perhaps it’s a matter of interpretation.

Good luck with your tree @yashu !

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[WavyGaby]

One follow up question on this one... have similar situation as one of my pines was in another place last year and was not decandled. Is it still ok to reduce the buds now in spring before they really push... or rather leave it to decandling timing in July?

If you are trying to refine, spring is considered the time to pump up energy through photosynthesis.

Yes, you should be ok the remove them now. You can do it really any time after bud set in fall up to the spring when they really start pushing growth.

Adam,

Do you have pics? If you are looking to balance energy / start refinement, then you can pinch candles now to get them to equal vigor. This is removing 1/2 to 1/3 of the candle to get it to match others in the area. Then, those candles turn to shoots and you can shoot/candle cut in late June/July to double up branches.

Spring growth is regarded as the time to build energy and then candle cutting refines and balances the growth and provides another flush of growth that is less vigorous as it has fewer resources and fewer hours in the day compared to the spring cycle.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

If you are trying to refine, spring is considered the time to pump up energy through photosynthesis.

Adam,

Do you have pics? If you are looking to balance energy / start refinement, then you can pinch candles now to get them to equal vigor. This is removing 1/2 to 1/3 of the candle to get it to match others in the area. Then, those candles turn to shoots and you can shoot/candle cut in late June/July to double up branches.

Spring growth is regarded as the time to build energy and then candle cutting refines and balances the growth and provides another flush of growth that is less vigorous as it has fewer resources and fewer hours in the day compared to the spring cycle.

This is a photo of a tree in spring of 2019 notice how leggy the branches are. I bought the tree in fall of 2020 and have decandled it for the past few years. Here is the same tree this month

It is young in its bonsai journey and has a long way to go but notice the improvement in ramification and needle density in a few short years. It will fill in more with additional decandling and back budding. Also notice the bud size in the first picture and the size of the buds now. Notice the relatively consistent needle length. This is energy balance and refinement.

As for breaking candles in spring, it’s generally not necessary and arguably counterproductive. As you mentioned, spring is the time to build energy so it is best to let the candles elongate for hormonal cross talk to occur. Once you break the candle in spring you are decapitating the auxin in the buds and slowing root growth as the auxins are no longer traveling into the roots. I am of the opinion to let the candles elongate and strengthen the roots as you will be cutting them in mid summer anyways during decandling time.

 

[WavyGaby]

View attachment 479143
This is a photo of a tree in spring of 2019 notice how leggy the branches are. I bought the tree in fall of 2020 and have decandled it for the past few years. Here is the same tree this month
View attachment 479144
It is young in its bonsai journey and has a long way to go but notice the improvement in ramification and needle density in a few short years. It will fill in more with additional decandling and back budding. Also notice the bud size in the first picture and the size of the buds now. Notice the relatively consistent needle length. This is energy balance and refinement.

As for breaking candles in spring, it’s generally not necessary and arguably counterproductive. As you mentioned, spring is the time to build energy so it is best to let the candles elongate for hormonal cross talk to occur. Once you break the candle in spring you are decapitating the auxin in the buds and slowing root growth as the auxins are no longer traveling into the roots. I am of the opinion to let the candles elongate and strengthen the roots as you will be cutting them in mid summer anyways during decandling time.

Heck yea, man. I agree with you. I was just making it more confusing by bringing in another option, and term with specific timing, I read about to slow down the growth, haha.
That one looks good btw. I love how double flush pine can basically double branches in a year with this technique.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

Heck yea, man. I agree with you. I was just making it more confusing by bringing in another option, and term with specific timing, I read about to slow down the growth, haha.
That one looks good btw. I love how double flush pine can basically double branches in a year with this technique.

For sure. There is so much information out there on JBP/JRP its hard to know what techniques are valid.
Thank you, its coming along nicely and turning into a pretty sweet little tree. I plan on putting it in a nice pot next year.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

…perhaps a taking venture to Bonsai Mirai Pinching episode will clear up this issue… shedding a bit of cutting edge professional light on the topic?

Best
DSD sends

 

[yashu]

Probably a good idea. It’s been a hot minute since I watched his double flush pine video.