And one other thing. It wants to 6-8 feet in diameter some day and unless you want to be a slave to pruning, it is too close to the porch.

tj

tsugajunkie has given you great advice. The only thing I would add has to do with the burlap wrapping. Properly done, the burlap should not actually touch the plant. Wet burlap and sub freezing temperatures can easily damage the needles. If you put the burlap on some sort of frame around the pine rather than against it, great. That's the way to do it for protection from winter sun and wind.

Thanks a lot!! Really glad to hear that the buds look good, I am not expert in trees.. I am still learning. You guys are very helpful! I think you are right, it is a bit too close to the porch but it is a bit too late to move it, I guess I have no choice and will be slave to pruning. LOL.. Btw, last year I actually wrapped the pine like a lollipop... arrgg.. so I guess it was wrong. Let me try it this year as you suggested - not touching it. I wrapped other trees with close contact like Japanese maple and it worked.. I guess Pine is different since it is evergreen. Good to know.

to maintain size .. you will need to tip prune the new shoots at a very specific time ...

i dont know the term .. and i have never done it ... see if you can find te info at the link

ken

http://conifersociety.org/conifers/designing-with-conifers/

the important part: Take more care with pines. When pruning pines, be aware that
pines lack buds along the stem. Buds are only present at the tip of the
current season’s growth, so the time to prune pines is in the spring.
Soft new growth, called a “candle,” can be cut or pinched before the
needles are fully elongated, and buds will develop from needle fascicles
below the cut. This type of spring pruning or “candling” will produce a
compact plant. During the rest of the year, prune carefully or you may
damage the plant’s shape.

btw .. its a conifer ... and there is a conifer forum ... not all those peeps visit the shrub forum ... might find candle pruners there ... or here ... who knows ..

ken

OOh.. Thanks! I am new here.. is there a way to move the thread to conifer forum?

nope ... you start a new one.. about candle pruning ... dont forget.. timing is imperative ....

it doesnt hurt to link in the new post.. to this post here ....

ken

Want to save you some work next fall...neither Japanese Red Pine or Japanese Maple require any wrapping Toronto. Unless you are trying to protect it from something specifically like salt spray, don't bother. As has been stated above, the needle browning is likely a result of the wrapping, not winter burn.

Seriously? browning is the result of wrapping? Oh My God... I was trying to protect it..... I guess I just learned a lesson.