White pine (Pinus pentaphylla)
White pine bonsai (Pinus parviflora or Pinus pentaphylla) mostly comes from Japan and are one of the species that can be found in almost every bonsai collection. These species has a number of advantages that make it very suitable for bonsai styling.
What are the advantages of the Japanese white pine for bonsai styling ?
- Japanese White pines are hardy bonsai. We hibernate our White pines in an unheated foil tent without problems
- This evergreen 5-needle pine has a very soft graceful appearance as a bonsai tree
- Little annual growth = little effort when pruning a white pine bonsai
- White pine bonsai trees are hardly affected by pests, which simplifies bonsai care
- The branches remain flexible for a long time making this bonsai species easy to style
We import all of our White pine bonsai directly from Japan. This enables us to offer you a large selection on favorable prices. Here you can buy your bonsai. Have fun choosing.
Forest style with rocks
Care in a nutshell
Wiring: The application of the bonsai wire is easy. Since the branches of the White pine, like all pine tree bonsai, are flexible for a long time, the bonsai can be shaped well after being wired. The bark in older Japanese bonsai trees is not very sensitive so that the wire leaves little traces. The ends of the shoots should be wired upwards.
Fertilisation: In the vegetation period from March to September fertilize the trees with a common, commercial available bonsai fertilizers such as Biogold, Hanagokoro or liquid bonsai fertilizer. In spring, older trees should not be fertilized too nitrogen-rich, otherwise the new shoots in the upper part of the crown will grow too strongly.
Irrigation: You should keep White pines evenly moist. It is important that they have been potted in a well drained substrate and that there is no waterlogging. On a sunny place they often have to be watered twice per day in hot midsummer. If this is not possible, the White pine may be placed on a partially shaded location in midsummer.
Pruning: When pruning the controlling the growth vigor is important. For this purpose, in the rapidly growing areas of the bonsai, buds are partially removed before the buds sprout, candles are shortened or completely cut away or the needles can also be trimmed. For a fine branching the new shoot should be pinched regularly. Stronger branches are removed with pliers for bonsai. Otherwise a sharp bonsai scissors is sufficient. Wound closure agents can be applied to larger cuts to support wound healing.
Overwintering: We hibernate the White pine bonsai trees in an unheated foil tent. There we found no problems even at low temperatures. In the plastic tent with high humidity there is only little needs to be watered in winter.
Repotting: At the beginning of March, you can repot White pine bonsai into a well drained bonsai soil. The Kiryuzuna soil and Akadama are particularly suitable here. A root cut should not be made too drastically. White pines are repotted every 4-5 years.
Import
We import all White pine bonsai directly from Japan. For this purpose, the goods are selected by hand in various Japanese export nurseries in the autumn. The trees are then transported to Germany by ship container.
The container usually reaches us at the end of February. Unfortunately the bonsai cannot be sold immediately. They must first be quarantined for approx. 3 months to prevent the introduction of plant diseases and pests. During the quarantine period we are regularly inspected by German plant protection.
Pictures
