Those are most likely pollen cones, not the "pinecones" that are typically associated with pines.

I get them every year on my black pine. They produced clouds of pollen once they ripen off and burst open. Pruning back the tree even further since it's shaky transplanting might not be the best thing to do...

Japanese black pine is a fascinating species to use, one that takes years of patient work and study to truly understand. I love these trees for their potential. They are my favorite of all the species.

I emailed Boon concerning this on one of my black pines. The whole tree wasn't doing it, just about half, and the buds at those points were small.

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Boon suggested I wait until they turn brown, then remove them. Slowly start adding fertilizer every couple of weeks, and then see how the candles respond before you decided to decandle or not this year.

Good luck with your tree!

Chris Johnston

Here is a link that might be useful: Several JBP articles

Chris, pollen cones. I just leave them alone. Budding isn't especially weak --They're all over my JBP--where they are. The candles begin their extension where these stop. It's weird and annoying.

Yeah, Boon says an older tree will do this, especially if it has not been pruned. Renewal pruning for fresh growth will mostly make it stop, but of course you can't do that every year. Just a great reason to show our trees in January.

Chris

Chris,

Yeah, my JBP has been improperly pruned for quite some time now ;-) I have no talent for them.

Hi Guys,

Personally, I just always remove them when that happens to my old JBP's...just because I think it takes energy that the tree could use in other places (bud development and root growth). But maybe taking them off is not good for the trees health? What do you think?

Matt Ouwinga

I remove them from my old pine as soon as they are big enough to get a hold of. I have left them on in the past but it slows down that candle. It all depends on what you want from that candle. This is the cone that I'm talking about as seen in Chris's picture. The flower like Mark was talking about does not seen to slow down the trees at all.

I don't think leaving them or removing them makes much difference at all. I've done both. Didn't seem to affect the tree much.

Mark, you know very well that training Japanese black pines doesn't require talent, it requires learning and practice. STYLING them effectively.... now that's something entirely different.

Chris Johnston

Chris, I've found that like "dog people" and "cat people" there are "deciduous people" and "pine people."

I am not a "pine people." ;-)It does take talent to produce a nice BP

I have found that there are pruning people and non-pruning people. I am definitely one of the former! As a result, I have multiple bonsai and a Japanese NW landscape affliction. I transplanted a 12 foot JBP at about a 20 degree angle to help create my new yard. That was pretty traumatic for me for me and proably the tree! I wantt o help it as much as I can, so the cone discussion is important to me.