|
Japanese Black Pine - Pinus thunbergii |
 |
 |
| Common Name: |
Japanese Black Pine |
| Scientific Name: |
Pinus thunbergii |
| Hardiness Zone: |
5a through 10, Needs moderate winter protection - medium sized bonsai will survive 0-10 degrees F if temperatures are steady and there is complete protection from wind and sun. Will do well in warmer areas too. Protect roots from freezing. |
| Family: |
Pinaceae |
General Information
A 2 needle pine. Needles naturally around 5" but reduce dramatically in bonsai culture. Excellent response to pruning and needle reduction techniques. Back buds modestly well.
Basic Care
| Bark Characteristics: |
Fissured bark. |
| Leaf/Foliage Characteristics: |
Leaf shape: needle-like (filiform). Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches. Leaf color: green. |
| Growth Characteristics |
Height: 25 to 30 feet. Spread: 20-30 feet. |
| Flower/Fruit Characteristics: |
Flower color: yellow. Fruit shape: oval, cone. Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches. Fruit covering: dry or hard. Fruit color: brown. |
| Lighting: |
Full sun. |
| Watering: |
Daily in summer with free draining soil. Make sure tree does not dry out in Winter as this can be detrimental to the tree. |
| Feeding: |
Feed heavily in Spring until candle removal. Resume fertilizer routine once second flush has developed (6-8 weeks for shohin). They prefer a slightly acid soil, so adding Iron or feeding with an acid fertilizer will be beneficial. |
| Pruning/Wiring: |
Wiring, heavy bending, and major cuts should be done in late Winter or early Spring. Wiring can be done a week or two after candle removal or in the Fall if newly wired trees are protected from freezing weather. Marked needle reduction and multiple generations of stimulated new growth can occur in a single season in response to pruning and pinching. Candle work is usually done over a two to three week period starting with the lowest/weakest branches, and ending with the upper/strongest. This gives the weaker candles a head start. Most of the major styling manipulations are best done in the winter. Major branch removal should always be done during dormancy. Also create jinn and Shari. Wiring should be carried out any time between mid-September and March. Wiring in the later spring causes slippage of cambium (not good!), and Spring/Summer branch removal can cause sap leakage for months! |
| Propagation: |
Seed or seedling cuttings make the best bonsai. Some cork bark varieties (Fuji or Kyokko) can be taken from cuttings or grafted to seedling understock. |
| Potting: |
Repotting should be done every other year in very young pines, and about every five years in mature specimens. Be sure all field soil is removed. This can be done immediately with young black pines, but spread over at least two repottings with others. Miccorhiza should be added or saved and spread back into the lower soil layers. |
| Pests: |
Maskell scale, some adelgids, Bark beetles, Sawfly larvae, Pine needle miner larvae, Pine needle scale, Pine spittle bug, Pine wilt nematode, Zimmerman Pine moth larvae, larvae of Pine weevils, European pine shoot moth, Aphids, mealy bug & red spider. Scale, shoot-tip moths and beetles. |
| Diseases: |
New growth turning yellow usually indicates diplodia, a fungal disease. Last years needles turning yellow in bands or in entirety usually indicates needlecast, another fungal disease. Borers, Needle rust, Brown spot needle blight. |
| Bibliography: |
USDA Fact Sheet PITH2 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PITH2, Japanese Black Pine - Steve Pilacik, Pines - Stone Lantern, mababonsai.org |
|
