In contrast to the spring Black Pine technique of decandling, the fall work is less aggressive. We end with the tree still looking full.

In the fall we make shoot selections and pull old needles.

• The shoots are the regrowth—the summer growth—from spring decandling. Multiple shoots are thinned to two (or for a very dense tree, one) shoot.
• Old needles are last year’s needles. These needles are pulled, except perhaps for a small or weak shoot where it can be advantageous to leave old needles.
• Weak shoots that were not decandled in spring now have long needles, as the GIF shows. These needles may be cut to match the length of the shorter needles. 

A note on long needles:

• Whether to cut long needles at this time of year or not is often a subject of debate. What I notice is that if the needles are left long into the next year, the bud associated with that shoot gets even larger, when it is already larger than a decandled shoot’s bud. In one growing season that undecandled shoot can go from being too weak to decandle to having the strongest bud on the tree. To counteract that, cutting the needles short in the fall not only makes the tree look a bit better but keeps the big bud in check. 

After all this cutting and pulling we have reduced the foliage mass of the tree, but it doesn’t look like the plucked chicken pine of spring decandling where we frighten the tree into regrowing. And it is in fall, after this fall work, when we might best display a Black Pine in a show.

Footnote: this tree is a Japanese Black Pine grafted onto a Ponderosa Pine trunk. It is 10” high. 

Bulletin Board October 2024

• Join me at the Pacific Bonsai Expo! If you don’t yet have a copy of Bonsai Heresy or Post-Dated, please find my vendor table. I’ll be signing books. Two years ago I had a great time visiting with folks I’d not seen in years. It was, as organizer Jonas Dupuich said, like a family reunion. I was a juror this time and have to say, this show is terrific. Really looking forward to seeing all the bonsai in person. Hope to see you there! October 26-27, 2024, Oakland, CA