Chloe Adams
Japanese Black Pine is a popular species for bonsai trees. The process of propagating Japanese Black Pine cuttings is known as decandling, and it involves removing the candles (new growths) from the tree to reset it back to the beginning of the growing season. This technique is used to control the size of the tree, promote denser foliage, and encourage back budding. The success rate of propagation is often low, and the ideal time for propagation is during late winter or early spring, using immature shoots from the previous year's growth.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of pine | Japanese Black Pine is a double flush pine |
| Type of cutting | Seedling cuttings |
| Timing | Late winter, early spring cuttings using last year's growth |
| Fertilising | Start heavy fertilisation early in the season, a few weeks before candle harvest |
| Candle removal | Cut proximally, leaving a short stub of residual tissue (2-4mm) |
| Rooting | Dip cuttings in rooting hormone and place in a propagating mix under automatic misting until roots form |
| Potting | Pot rooted cuttings with roots intact or cut roots short to produce more roots |
| Scissors | Use bonsai scissors with a narrow tip and two cutting blades |
| Alternative techniques | Reduce older needles to reduce density, cut off only half of each new candle, or remove shoots to promote buds |
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What You'll Learn
The best time to propagate is late winter/early spring
The best time to propagate Japanese black pine candles from cuttings is during late winter or early spring. This is because pines look their best when shown in mid-winter, with fresh and healthy growth from the late season.
Propagation is best done when the tree is young, as younger trees have a higher survival rate. Fertilising before decandling can also improve the chances of success. Begin heavy fertilisation for smaller pines around five weeks before candle harvesting, in early December.
The timing of candle removal is crucial. It should be done before new needles expand. If the needles have already expanded, it is better to wait until winter dormancy. Removing the candles earlier than June 1 will result in a new set of candles that have more time to grow and will be bigger and longer. If you cut the candles in July or later, they will have less time to grow and will be shorter.
One method for propagating Japanese black pine cuttings is to cut the candles above the bare neck, strip the needles, dip them in clonex red, and place them under mist. This method has seen some success, with four rooted from fourteen cuttings.
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Use cuttings from younger trees for higher survival rates
When propagating Japanese Black Pine cuttings, it is recommended to use cuttings from younger trees for higher survival rates. This is because younger trees have more vigorous growth that is better able to withstand the stress of being cut and transplanted. Additionally, younger trees have more flexible and less woody stems, which makes them easier to propagate.
One successful method for propagating Japanese Black Pine cuttings is to use stem cuttings from seedlings, rather than traditional cuttings. This involves chopping through the stem of a seedling and throwing away the roots, then treating the upper stem as a cutting and getting it to root. This technique has been shown to result in a good success rate due to the juvenile growth of the seedling.
Another key to success when propagating Japanese Black Pine cuttings is to use juvenile growth for the cuttings. This can be achieved by pruning stock trees to force a flush of juvenile growth that can then be set as cuttings. By using juvenile growth, you can improve the root structure of the resulting plant.
When taking cuttings from younger trees, it is important to use a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears to make clean cuts. The cuttings can then be treated with a rooting hormone to promote root growth. Clonex gel is a popular choice for this purpose, but any rooting hormone should give good results. The cuttings are then potted in a standard propagating mix and kept under automatic misting until roots form.
Overall, using cuttings from younger Japanese Black Pine trees can lead to higher survival rates due to the vigorous and flexible nature of their growth. By using stem cuttings from seedlings and promoting juvenile growth, you can improve your chances of successfully propagating new trees.
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Fertilise before decandling
Fertilisation is a key component in maintaining the health of your Japanese black pine. During developmental phases, Japanese black pines can take heavy fertilisation when their candles begin to elongate in spring until they go into total dormancy in late summer to early autumn. It is recommended to withhold fertiliser during the hottest months—mid-July through August.
When decandling and seeking refinement, timing is everything. Apply your last round of fertilisation one month before decandling, starting in April and ending in May. If you live in a warmer climate, you may even decide to fertilise as early as the first of March. In the spring months leading up to decandling, use a system for fertilisation that is both regular and aggressive. Weather plays a big role in the way that pines grow; make up for less-than-ideal conditions by fertilising more and optimising light. Japanese black pines can do okay with as little as 4-6 hours of direct sun but they do much better with 10-12 hours during the growing season.
Traditional wisdom states that after decandling, you should stop fertilising for 4-6 weeks. This is meant to shorten the summer growth, but take it only as a suggestion and make individual decisions based on the strength of the tree and the summer weather. With cooler weather or weaker trees, consider fertilising straight through; strong trees or hot weather likely means that it would be best to hold off on fertiliser for a few weeks.
Decandling is a technique used to contain the growth of the tree, force more compact growth, and create back-budding. It involves removing all of the new growth from the pine, which, like any tree, is built to react to foliage removal by replacing the foliage, normally with more compact foliage. Decandling is only used when you are trying to grow shorter needles and produce tighter and denser foliage. If you want bigger trunks or longer branches, do not cut the candles.
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Remove shoots to promote buds
To propagate Japanese black pine candles from cuttings, one of the key techniques is decandling, which involves removing the current year's growth, including the shoots. This technique is typically performed in June in the northern hemisphere, as it aligns with the middle of the growing season. By removing the shoots, you stimulate the growth of adventitious buds, which emerge from the remaining stub.
Decandling is a powerful tool for promoting buds and shaping the tree's appearance. It is essential to time the decandling process carefully. If performed too early, the new candles will have more time to grow and will be longer. Conversely, if decandling is done in July or later, the new candles will have less time to develop and will be shorter. Therefore, the desired aesthetic and growth goals influence the timing of decandling.
Additionally, it is crucial to differentiate between healthy and weak branches when removing shoots to promote buds. Strong branches near the apex are more likely to produce needle buds than weaker branches in the tree's interior. This consideration ensures that the tree's energy is channelled effectively, promoting bud growth where it is most viable.
The removal of shoots through decandling can also be combined with other techniques such as needle pulling, which involves removing the pine needles to allow more light and air to reach the interior of the tree. This combination of techniques can enhance the stimulation of bud growth and improve the overall health of the tree.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that decandling should be approached with caution. While it is an effective method for promoting buds, it can also reduce the vigour of the branches. Therefore, it is generally recommended only for healthy, well-fertilised pines, and it is essential to leave some older needles on branches to support the development of young pines.
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Dip cuttings in rooting hormone
Rooting Hormone
Once you have cut the candles, you can dip the cuttings in rooting hormone. One source recommends Clonex gel, but notes that any form of rooting hormone should give good results. If you don't want to use rooting hormone, you could try honey or other alternative root-promoting substances.
After dipping the cuttings in rooting hormone, they are potted in a standard propagating mix. If you have a misting bed, place the cuttings under it until roots form. If you don't have a misting setup, you can still get good results by covering the cuttings with a plastic bag, PET bottle, or any standard humidity control option.
Roots should start to emerge from the drain holes in the pots within a few weeks. At this point, the cuttings are still healthy and can be transplanted into fresh propagating mix and placed back in the misting bed.
New root development varies, with some cuttings producing lots of roots and others only a few. Some roots will be longer than others. New roots are fragile, so handle with care to avoid breaking them. To enhance the future nebari, you can cut the new roots short. This will produce more root ramification from the cut ends and stimulate more roots from the stem.
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Frequently asked questions
Late winter or early spring cuttings using last year's growth tend to have the highest success rate.
Cut the candles above the bare neck, then strip the needles, dip them in rooting hormone, and place them under mist.
The cuttings should be potted in a standard propagating mix and kept under automatic misting until roots form.
