Their robust winter hardiness, good-natured tolerance for pruning and long lifespan qualify the black pine as the ideal outdoor bonsai. You can find out here how to properly care for a Pinus nigra in the sense of Japanese tree art.

The black pine can be trained well as a bonsai

What should the location be like for a black pine bonsai?

Pinus nigra are among the light-hungry trees. Therefore assign a black pine to a sunny location on the balcony or in the garden. In areas with little light, a bonsai tends to shed its needles. Please place the bowl elevated so that the sunlight can easily reach the lower parts of the branches. During the frosty winter time, the conifer stays in a bright room at temperatures of 0 to 10 degrees Celsius.

How to water the black pine as a bonsai?

The black pine has a low water requirement. The wood copes with short-term drought better than waterlogging. How to water the mini tree correctly:

  • Water only when the substrate has dried on the surface
  • Ideally, shower the entire tree with soft water
  • In winter, water only enough to keep the soil from drying out

If the soil accidentally dries out completely, repair the damage by submerging the shell in water up to the rim.

How do I properly prune a black pine bonsai?

Since a black pine constantly strives for its natural height as it grows, regular pruning plays a key role in care. How to do it:

  • In May, shorten the new candles (shoots) to 1 cm
  • From August to November, use tweezers to pinch off any buds that are superfluous for branching
  • From October, clean out excess shoots from the previous year and old needles
  • Thin out fresh needles this year to 4 or 5 pairs of needles, so that the sun's rays reach sleeping eyes

Stronger branches can be pruned in winter, since less resin escapes from the cut wounds during the dormant period of growth.

tips

Are you flirting with a black pine as a bonsai for indoor culture? Then the Asian subspecies Pinus thunbergii comes into focus. For centuries, the Japanese black pine has been one of the most popular objects for cultivation as a mini tree, as it is considered to be just as tolerant of pruning as the Pinus nigra. However, this pine species lacks frost hardiness, as it only tolerates slightly below zero temperatures.

Category:

Trees