Buddhist pine bonsai

Placement

In the wild, this evergreen conifer of tropical mountains can grow into a large tree. Its narrow, lance-shaped, glossy dark green leaves resemble yew needles, and its bark turns dark brown and furrowed with age. Dwarf cultivars with shorter leaves are available for bonsai; they suit small sizes but grow even more slowly.

Buddhist pine can stay indoors all year, but it grows better if it spends the warm season outside, in partial shade or in full light shielded from the midday sun. It survives in low light, but clearly prefers good brightness.

It does, however, need protection from frost. Although it can survive light frosts, it prefers to stay above 50 °F. Bring it in during fall as soon as temperatures drop, and do not move it back outside in spring until all risk of night frost has passed. In winter you have two options: a room at about 68 °F, provided the tree gets plenty of light by a very bright window; or a cooler spot at 50–59 °F if light is limited.

A healthy, well-grown tree is rarely attacked. Scale insects and spider mites mostly settle on trees weakened by poor conditions, especially indoors. Overwatering makes the leaves drop and rots the roots; yellowing foliage can also point to a mix or water that is too alkaline. Note that the seeds are toxic to animals and people; the Buddhist pine plant profile covers this in detail, along with growing it in the ground.

Soil mix

What Buddhist pine fears most is root rot, which sets in when the mix drains poorly. Choose a very free-draining, slightly acidic mix with a pH between 5 and 6. For a conifer, a common blend uses equal parts akadama, pumice and lava rock. Akadama is sifted before use to remove dust, and it breaks down in about two years; pumice holds water and nutrients, while lava rock adds structure and aeration. The mix must hold water, drain well and let air in, all at once.

Watering

Water when the mix starts to dry, then soak the whole root ball. Keep it slightly moist but never waterlogged: excess water, far more than a brief dry spell, is the real threat to a potted Buddhist pine. That is why there is no fixed schedule. Feel the mix before each watering. Avoid very hard, lime-rich water.

Fertilizer: during the growing season, from spring to fall, apply a solid organic fertilizer once a month or a liquid fertilizer every one to two weeks. In winter, if the tree stays warm, keep giving liquid fertilizer every two weeks; if it overwinters somewhere cool, once a month is enough. It likes a slightly acidic mix: an occasional feed with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants helps keep the foliage deep green.

Pruning

Buddhist pine responds very well to pruning. Let new shoots extend to about 4 in, then shorten them carefully, without cutting through the leaves. Pinch back new growth as needed as well. Hard pruning triggers abundant new buds on old wood.

Styles: it suits the formal upright and informal upright styles, with a single trunk or several, and all sizes. It also lends itself to deadwood features, with stripped, bleached sections of trunk like those on the tree in the photo.

Wiring

Wire young wood once the current year’s shoots have hardened; this can be done at any time of year. Old wood, by contrast, is very hard to bend, so set the tree’s structure while the branches are still young. Use wire about one third the thickness of the branch, wound at roughly 45°, and wrap thick branches in damp raffia before bending them. For a branch that is too thick or brittle, use a guy wire anchored to a sturdy point instead.

Leave the wire on for several months, but check it regularly so it does not cut into the bark. Remove it by cutting it at every turn rather than unwinding it.

Repotting

Buddhist pine roots grow slowly. Repot a young tree every two or three years and an older one every four or five years, in spring. Trim the roots only lightly. If the tree was imported in heavy, loamy soil, remove that soil gradually and gently without damaging the roots, and replace it with the free-draining mix described above.

Propagation: in late summer, take semi-ripe cuttings from upright shoots and root them in warm soil. Seed is also possible.