Their robust winter hardiness, good-natured pruning tolerance and long lifespan make the black pine the ideal outdoor bonsai. You can find out here how to properly care for a Pinus nigra in the spirit of Japanese tree art.
How do you properly care for a black pine bonsai?
A black pine bonsai needs a sunny location, sparing watering and regular pruning. Shorten shoots to 1 cm in May, remove old needles in autumn and thin out fresh needles. Place brightly in winter at 0-10°C.
What should the location be like for a black pine bonsai?
Pinus nigra are among the light-hungry trees. Therefore, assign a black pine tree a sunny location on the balcony or in the garden. In locations with little light, a bonsai tends to shed its needles. Please place the bowl elevated so that sunlight can easily reach the lower 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 tree can cope with short-term drought better than waterlogging. How to water the mini tree correctly:
- Only water when the substrate has dried on the surface
- Ideally, spray the entire tree with soft water
- In winter, water only enough to prevent the soil from drying out
If the soil accidentally dries out completely, repair the damage by immersing the bowl in water up to the edge.
How do I properly prune a black pine bonsai?
Since a black pine constantly strives to reach its natural height when growing, regular pruning plays a key role in care. This is how it works:
- In May, shorten the new candles (shoots) to 1 cm
- From August to November, pinch out unnecessary buds with tweezers for branching
- From October, clean out excess shoots from the previous year and old needles
- Thin out this year's fresh needles down to 4 or 5 pairs of needles so that the sun's rays reach sleeping eyes
Stronger branches can be thinned out in winter, as less resin flows out of the cuts during dormant growth.
Tip
Are you toying with a black pine as a bonsai for indoor cultivation? 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 type of pine lacks frost hardiness as it can only tolerate slightly sub-zero temperatures.
