Egroup

OK I have 3 Japanese Black Pines. 1 in the ground, one in a large pot and one that is a little farther along in the training process and potted down some.
The one that is still in its large nursery pot that it was in when purchased about 5 months back has been throwing out some odd looking "candles". not the pollen cones that perplexed me the first time Is aw them on one of my other pines- and I noticed a guy asking about those on here recently with his pine- but more like Juniper looking candles??

I will attach pics, but as you will see- the tree is throwing out these odd looking ones and regular looking candles with needles already popping off them. In some instances the SAME BRANCH will have both on it??? I do not think this is a "Warning sign", but I am confused as to why it is doing this. I pruned all 3 about the same time, but this guy got the most heavy pruning I guess because he was just started and I removed a large amount of foliage to expose the trunk and begin working him into the shape I want. I can go into more detail of how I treated these guys if needed, but I was hoping someone with a little more Pine experience than myself could clue me in as to why these "candles" look so different, and if there is some particular way I should treat them. (IE: should I remove all the strange ones, let them grow...??) I have already started working on this guy as his trunk is pretty thick and mature looking and in the next year or two (depending on his health) I will start reducing the roots and trying to find the right vessel for him...

As you can see from the pics- the first shows the odd candle, the second a regular looking one and the third shows a branch that has both!

BTW- this is a different pine from the one I did my "white growth at base of Pine" thread about...

Attached Images

	resize odd candle 1.jpg (83.1 KB, 26 views)
	resize reg.jpg (76.7 KB, 23 views)
	resize combo branch 1.jpg (76.5 KB, 27 views)

JTGJr25

Those odd looking candles are actually just the secondary buds that form either after pinching, pruning, or they just pop up from receiving added sunlight. My reasoning may not be all right but that is how I see it. I chopped my seedling back last year because I noticed low buds on the trunk. When they elongated, that is what came out.



Tom

Dav4

I agree. I was going to call them dormant buds that became active but your description sounds better.

Dave

Brent

Actually, the term you are looking for is juvenile growth. This is what appears from dormant buds on pines. In two years or so, it will change to the mature growth that you are used to seeing with distinct nodes/internodes and normal candles.

Brent
EvergreenGardenworks.com
see our blog on http://BonsaiNurseryman.typepad.com

Egroup

So, I will take it that this juevenille growth is perfectly healthy/normal, and I should treat it like any growth?? I am just starting to really work on this guy so I was going to let him be for a while, but I have sooo many new buds popping out, I think I may have to be somewhat selective and remove a few more this season. I want to avoid the pom pom look you know??