每日吃瓜

Hi,

We have a young white pine planted in our small backyard - see pic.
This is a regular pine, not a bonsai species - they can grow fast and very tall. It is ~6 ft tall now.

We want to keep the tree at about 8-10 ft tall, so it will not overgrow our small space and can be pruned with a short ladder to stool.
The idea is to eventually end up with a beautiful bonsai type of tree, maybe umbrella type of canopy, providing shade and aesthetic "cozyness".

Looking for guidance on how to properly structurally prune it and maintain.
I.e., is it the time to trim the top leader? Which branches would lead growth? Form their growth with wires?

Can this be done? If not, what are the suggestions?

Thank you.

Alex.

First of all....There are no "bonsai species". All trees are "normal species" and can be turned into bonsai.

Other than that......The main task in creating dense pads on a pine is candle pruning. By the look of it, it seems like you are on the late side for that this year. But if you go in carefully inbetween the needles, I think it would be ok to do it now on such a well established tree. But, please do not take my word on it, do your own research on what works in your area.

Basically the task is about removing all but two candles and prune the two left back. In the lower part of the tree prune less and in the top prune more.

I do not think you would be happy with removing the apex. It is indeed done in bonsai and niwaki. But please understand that this is a method which make the tree ugly for a few years, even decades for bigger trees. It is done for the beauty in the future, not for the beauty today.

You will need to remove a few branches to open it up and get more sun into the canopy for better backbudding. Some basic design guidelines is:
Only one branch on each level of the tree.
The lowest branch should be the thickest and then every branch after should be thinner than the previous.
The space between first and second branch should be the longest and then it should be shorter the higher up you go.
Alternating pattern. Right, left, back, right, left front is possibly the easiest for beginners.
If there are any curves on the trunk the branches should be on the outcurve, not on the incurve.
Lowest branch should be horizontal and the further up you go they should go slightly more up than the previous.

Any pruning should be done in late winter to early spring. And I suggest to make a long term plan. Start from the bottom and take all levels not needed first year.? reduce every level on the trunk by one obviously not needed branch second year, one third year and so on until you have just one on every level you need. Lastly shorten the branches to the right silouette. Do not forget to keep on candle pruning every year.

Once you have the basic shape, follow the same rules for the branches but only keep an alternating pattern of left right, removing everything that is growing up or down from the branch.

During the process you will find new branches growing from old wood. Pay extra attention to those growing on the primary branches. They can become very useful in the future when pruning back for taper.

And yes, get the niwaki book by jake hobson. That will serve as a good guide.

Please come back and update us on the progress one time per year or so.

Thanks for your reply, Tropfrog .
Very helpful info - appreciate it.

Obviously, I am a newbie here - learned a new word today: "niwaki" . Did some quick research on in - yes, that's what I need to learn.? Quite an interesting subject.

Still not sure how to contain the tree height without clipping the apex leader - perhaps after the tree has reached the desired height.

Attached are a couple of pics of what I am hoping to achieve.

Thanks,
Alex

You should never grow a niwaki tree higher than the final vision for it. Candle pruning which I described in my post is the way to limit hight. Just prune back the candles very hard and it will ramify and create the kind of apex seen in your pictures. In a long time frame it will be too dense and needing to be thinned out. When that time come you know what to do. I have just provided the guidelines for the first ten plus years. Plenty of time to read up on things, you will know what to do when that time comes. The benefit of this slow hobby is just that. Plenty of time to learn and study.

Oh, yes....The trees in your pictures is both japanese black pines. In my opinion the best species for niwaki. I am growing a windswept JBP niwaki forest since 8 years ago. I think they will get the quality of the pictured trees by the time I am too old to take care of my house and garden and need to sell

Following up on my OP.
The tree is second year heere.
Last fall, I only trimmed some branches which are surely not needed.
Will trim leading candles soon, leaving side ones, to get some volume.
Will let it grow one more year to get one more set of branches at the top and then will cut the apex - don't want it too high.
2 pics attached.

Keep 'm growing
--
Alex
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No, do not cut the apex other than the candles on the apex. Pruning further down will leave you with an ugly looking tree for several year.

Now that the initial styling has started, I would work on branches angles and directions as well.

Tropfrog wrote:

No, do not cut the apex other than the candles on the apex. Pruning further down will leave you with an ugly looking tree for several year.
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Yes, I meant cutting leading candle of the apex, leaving some branching candles there.
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That sounds great! Althou you are late on it, it makes no harm to do it now. Just use scissors to get in between the needles. Any needles cut will slowly die and drop.

Now that there are photos both on your tree and what you want to achieve it is obvious that you need to do something to the trunk for mowement as well. I normally do any adjustments to trunk and branches at the same time as I take care of the candles.?