Fall Work for Pines

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Fall Work for Pines

• Needle-plucking is a starting point for fall work
  of Japanese Black pines. Im still working on
  the best format to show this work.
• The goal is to continually push growth back
  toward the trunk, while the pine naturally sheds
  this growth in favor of exterior growth, which
  has more exposure to sunlight. For bonsai, this
  will create a pom-pom effect if it isnt
  controlled. Here is the fall work for
  controlling this growth trait.
• The tree used is a corkbark black pine, Kyokko
  Yatsubusa, which buds back readily. The same
  technique can be used for all Japanese Black
  Pines.

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Before.
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After.
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In late November, when the smaller buds have
strengthened. Prune stronger growth at the
orange hash-marks, leaving the 5 numbered shoots.
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5
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The same branch after pruning on 11/26/09. Buds
remain at the tip of each shoot, and the goal is
to promote back-budding into bare areas of the
branch. This will increase foliar density and
ramification. Yatsabusa pines do this with ease.
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5
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Cork Bark Japanese Black Pine, Kyokko
Yatsabusa Height, 36 Pot Shigiraki
14 Shortened and Potted 3/09.
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Mid-April and Mid-September