Japanese White Pine | Ash | Sycamore | Oak - Some Essential Care Tips!

[@guywatson-bognorregisbonsa7370]

Really informative video Xav. Thanks. I think that you're right with 'Oak Wilt' but I'll keep everything crossed for you ! 👍👍

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It really looked like that but in one of my last videos I showed an update and all the new growth was doing brilliantly. That wouldn't have been the case if it was wilt?

[@guywatson-bognorregisbonsa7370]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat True. I hate it when a problem occurs, rights itself and you don't know why. Let's hope it doesn't return.

[@bobmenz1719]

Hi Xav. If you have time, Sir, could you please do an update video on your white pines

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

The needles are just opening up and I am just tryign to decide if I just leave them both alone for another year. I shall do an update on one of my next Bonsai for Breakfast episodes :)

[@potreliefbonsaibatu5035]

👍❤👍💚education video about tree characteric & caring it

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Hi, thank you for the kind words. i'm just sorry the tree was not recovered enough to do any actual pruning or wiring work on it. i am hoping that in Autumn there will be things to do on both of them.

[@dawnisaac4496]

Promise I did not impregnate the clay with a weed killer!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I only did that to see if you are watching😁

[@dawnisaac4496]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat very productive on video front - maybe that’s why you haven’t been rotating and watering as much as normal!!!

[@andrewbeattie6760]

I don't get pines!!!! when to prune, what to prune, watering, feeding, styling, what species they are, i just don't get them and everyone seems to have them looking so nice. I have had several from local garden centres but they have not always been well labelled. I have killed all the Mugo pines i have touched and only have one scotty left. i tend to end up with a literati style which eventually says " ive had enough" and then dies. I too have sycamore which i do roughly the same as you with. Keep them in small pots and regularly prune off large leaves back to buds, never going to be highly ramified i guess but quite nice to look at anyway. With your tea reference, my thoughts went straight to Father Ted and the housekeeper always asking if people want "a lovely cup of tea" usually followed by ahh go on, go on, go on. Thanks for the Ash info, my neighbour has ash trees so i am sure i will get some suckers turning up or i could just prune the bits that come over my fence and try cuttings.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

A lot to consider. I feel that way about junipers yet they are supposed to be easy too! I think it is because they dont like me. 😣 Wrong on the film you need to go way back and think musical and perhaps a bit of Rex...

[@andrewbeattie6760]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat i'll get my thinking cap on while i'm doing the chores :)

[@andrewbeattie6760]

got it, My Fair Lady. How kind of you to post these vids.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@andrewbeattie6760 Ho Ho ho - I think I will need to be less generous on my hints. Was it Audrey Hepburn who played the lead?

[@andrewbeattie6760]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Indeed it was.

[@JackC1961]

Good info on the pine, thanks Xav. Does the Black Pine ever sprout its own buds whilst it supports the White Pine? As for the Oak I wish it and you well, I did have a thought that it should go back into the ground and see if it recovers that way, but maybe the snaggy roots might pollute the ground so no scrub round that idea.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

No I think the Black Pine stock is root related only although i have no idea if in some way black pine magic growing juice flows!! Oh and great to see you on Nigel's livestream today.

[@janethowell9048]

Does your method of pruning the compound leaves of ash apply to rowan too as they have a similar leaf.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I would suggest it would be the same but I can't say with knowledge as I have not dealt with Rowan. If you are uncertain trial it on some of the leaves and see how it responds.

[@jona6088]

Thanks Xavier for the information, I have 1 x 18 month old white pine which is sprouting buds, I pinched the candles early on, resulted in buds around the base of where the candle was pinched. I too am totally perplexed, do I just leave the whole thing and do nothing until it's a little older, leaving it to go berserk ? I am totally confuse with these. I also have 2 x 18 month old black pine, do I just leave these also to do their own thing. The more I watch KZbin vids on these, the more confused and perplexed I get.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

This confusion sounds very familiar to me. I have formalised all of my techniques after several years of online tutorials from Bonsai Mirai. (It is not free) The young white pine I would leave to flush out so it gains strength in the roots - is it still in a plastic pot? You could send me a few pictures via my website so I could advise better? Black Pine is treated different entirely and I think it is multi-flush as well. I have never dealt with them but I do know you needle pluck and prune at different times of the year.

[@jona6088]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat thanks Xavier, I recently watched a video from Bonsaify which cleared my main confusion, what I now realise is that the candles are either trunk or branch extensions and that buds at base of removed candles are or will become branches which you choose and reduce to to 2 in the direction of where you want a branch to grow.It also was useful to watch videos from bonsai works, there are 2 main times of year late summer for candle removal/reduction and then autumn for bud selection.Hope this is of use for you and others.Kind regards

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@jona6088 im glad you have that clear. My video on the reductions and candle selection will be in early sept. Thanks for the info.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@jona6088 I just had a good look through his stuff and I like his approach. He is clearly a Black Pine expert which is multi-flush. i watched his white pine video and that is fine. The issue with spring candle reduction is on a refined tree it will cause large needles until those sheathes drop in early summer. On a developing tree you want all of that candle growth to develop the tree and help improve and build the roots. This is what seperates the White Pine from all the others. Ultimately I have found holding back until sheath drop gives me the best results. Best regards Xavier.