I have a Jack Pine seedling which is about 2 1/2 years old. It's 5-inches
tall and has a trunk which is about 5 mm thick. It sports needles which are 4
inches long. The bonsai book I own advises thattwo-needle pines should have
all their needles removed in the Autumn (with the exception of 6 pairs at the
end of each limb.) This seemsto make sense in my case since the needles are so
*long* and their sheer weight is making my seedling lean to one side. Should I
go ahead with this procedure on such a young specimen?

Would you put a 2 year old toddler on a weight-loss diet & send him to Gold's
Gym? Put your baby seedling in the ground and feed it heavily for several
years. It needs all the needles it can hold, as long as it wants them to grow,
until the trunk is fat enough to start training it as a bonsai. I don't know
exactly how long it will take, but in Japan, the bonsai growers plant pine
seedlings for their grandchildren to work on. Meanwhile, buy yourself a 3-5
gallon Scots pine in a garden center, or dig one up in the woods.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)