Species · Conifers like juniper and pine
Japanese red pine
Pinus densiflora
Japanese red pine carries orange-red bark on its upper trunk and branches, similar in spirit to Scots pine but with finer, softer needles and a naturally more elegant, less rugged silhouette. It responds to the same candle-cutting and needle-pulling technique as black pine, at a gentler pace.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Check daily, water when the top centimetre is dry. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 3 in autumn and 7 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun, six hours or more.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; check the specific species for exact limits. Protect it when the forecast drops below -10 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 21 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 3 to 4 years, as buds swell, in Apr.
- Growth
- Moderate growth. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Mar | Apr | Sep | Oct | ||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Mar | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | ||||||||||
| Needle pull | Oct | Nov |
Styles that suit it
MoyogiChokkanBunjinFukinagashi