Carl,
Here's a link to an informative article. Good luck. And the entire site is good as well.
zube

Here is a link that might be useful: Evergreen Gardenworks, pines

That is a good article but a little vague for the beginner. In a nut shell here is what I would do. Repot now in good bonsai soil. Using your fingers break the smallest candle in half, this is the one you will keep for your new apex. Let the other two open, then in late June remove them. If you remove them now the tree will not have a chance to regain strength from the winter months. The candles give a pine strength. By about mid June in your area the tree has gained enough strength that you can remove them and still have enough time for new buds to start forming for next year. If any get longer than 1" by fall break them in half. Do the same next year, spring and fall. Just remember to do your total removal of candles in June starting with the lower or weaker candles first, then two weeks later your stronger candles.

"The diameter at the base of the tree is .25".

Given the above, why are we suggesting candle pinching?

Regards,

Fish.

To start low branching. Left alone it may not form a branch for 18 inches.

Steve Pilacik in his book "Japanese Black Pine" recomends top pruning two year old seedlings "to induce low and multiple branches."

randy

I start candle work sometimes sooner than two years. I'll post a picture in the gallery of a JB pine I just chopped and potted at age 5.

All of these suggestions except Fish's slow down the growth of the tree. I suggest wiring the trunk with 3 mm wire to put exaggerated movement into it. Wire it tightly so it bites in this year. After the trunk has swollen but before the wire is buried, remove the wire. Allow the tree to grow all out of proportion. In later years grafting can put branches anywhere you care to place them.

Chris

Chris,
Please post a picture of some that you have worked. Not to say my work is better, I just would like to learn from you if you can show me faster results from two year olds. See the gallery.

Tim

Tim, I started with one year old seedlings which were bare-rooted and potted in 4" pots. That was 2003. It's hard to believe it's only been that long. The trees were fertilized and many put on two year's growth with Boon's soil mix and BioGold fertilizer. In spring 2004 I wired them and continued heavy feeding and watering. As the wire cut in, I watched until it was almost buried, then removed it carefully, and rewired for more movement. They are not stirring yet this spring but it won't be long.

So right now they still look like my final photos in the article. However, some of the trunks are over 3/4 inch, and the wire scars will definitely not show in the future, simply adding to the roughness of the bark. And they are only three years old from seed, remember.

This is my first batch of these trees. Some are better than others, some have better growth habits and are more vigorous. I wired some better than others and learned a lot from the practice. About 85 of the original 100 have survived, and perhaps 12 to 15 may be nice trees in the future, but who knows? After I pot them in the mesh pots (I am also going to put a couple in the ground) more of them may take off.

My point was that one needn't restrain the growth of the tree at such an early stage just to get low branching. Push new growth with heavy feeding and worry about branching later. Grafting is actually quite easy with just a little help. I plan on adding an article on grafting this spring, hopefully with good enough photographs and videos that anyone can learn from it.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's my article

Chris

ThatÂs a very nice article. Look forward to seeing updates.

ItÂs always nice to see other ways of doing things

randy

Chris,
I don't care for the look that wire marks give a trunk and I like to start branches early so I don't have to graft. No chop marks on my trees except for the one in the gallery that I cut down to shohin size. Both ways work just fine for making good stock. You are right... you only get about one really fine tree out of 10. I just wired the trunks for shape on 20 new Mikawa two year olds. Can't wait for them to take off! I'm only working on about 60 total at present.

Good Luck,
Tim

Chris,
Have you done any work with red pine? Anyone else?

TimZ8 is close to where I live so the climate should be similar, therefore I am running with your recommendation. I have pinched the smallest of the top candles in half, repotted them into gallon plastic pots and will, this weekend, wire the trunk for an exagerated movement. Luckily the the seedlings both have a few low branches just sprouted low on the trunk. Really do appreciate all of the input generated in this thread.

Tim

I'm also interested in answers on the Japanese Red Pine because I have winter sown a bunch this year. Do you have some already started?

I fear it may be too hot here, but I wanted to give them a try.

randy

Randy,
You should be OK. They are zone 4-7a from what I've seen. I may try some that's why I was asking? I'm a little far south for five needle also but I know of some nice trees that survive down here. I talked to Shane Carey last year about five needles and he said they will do OK but he was talking about "finished trees". It's too hot to hope for much development down here. I've also talked to Mike Hanson in Auston about Five needle "KOKONOE" that is much better for the south. The only deal is they are hard to find. I've been on Brents waiting list for two years for one.