Keep a pine tree as a bonsai

Keep a pine tree as a bonsai

The type of jaw is crucial

In order to apply the correct care measures, it is important that you analyze whether your pine is a single or double leaf conifer. The type plays a decisive role, especially when cutting the jaw. While pines with two shoots per season can easily be cut with one candle cut, conifers with only one shoot are damaged by this intervention. How to determine the type of jaw:

also read

  • Keep the jaw in the bucket
  • This will turn your seedling into a well-grown pine
  • Shorten the jaw correctly

The pine with one shoot

Pine trees of this type are often exposed to storms that regularly tear their candles off. The trees have adapted to these conditions with a second shoot per season. The following varieties fall into this category:

  • Japanese black pine
  • Japanese red pine

The jaws with two shoots

Pines with only one shoot come from the mountains, where there is also a harsh climate. However, their location does not require any adaptation. These include:

  • Girl's jaw
  • European black pine
  • Scots pine
  • and mountain pine

Care instructions

Location

Pine trees are used to harsh climates, but they always need a lot of light. Place your garden bonsai directly in the sun away from walls and buildings.

to water

Drought is not a problem for pines, but it is beneficial to keep the substrate moist at all times. However, you should avoid waterlogging.

Fertilize

The best time to enrich the substrate of your garden bonsai with fertilizer is after the shoot. Fertilize every two weeks from April to August with a special bonsai liquid fertilizer from specialist shops. You only need to stop the fertilizer application during sprouting.

To cut

Important aspects to consider when cutting your bonsai pine:

  • a radical cut is best done in winter to keep resin leakage as low as possible
  • in July and August you can cut the needles back to 1 cm or completely
  • in autumn remove the buds with tweezers
  • repeat the procedure the following spring (March-April)
  • in May, adjust the size of the candles and young shoots of your pine. As a rule, these are cut back to two thirds
  • in October pluck or cut off old needles from the previous year

Repot

In order for your pine to develop well, it makes sense to repot the conifer every two to three years. The best time to do this is from February to May or from September to October. At the same time, a root cut is recommended.