Larch - Pruning Back to a Bud

[Fabledabel]

My larch is elongating and I'm preparing myself for a prune in the coming weeks. I want to prune new growth back to a bud but I'm not sure how to identify one in a larch. Anyone have any info or pics?

I've attached a pic of some elongating growth

 

[leatherback]

You will have to wait longer to see buds.

If you just gentle pull the tufts as they are now, as you have it there, it will snap at a weak spot. And form a bud below. At least, that is my experience in my climate with european / Japanese larch.

 

[Fabledabel]

Gotcha. What do the buds look like when they are visible? And when abouts do they become visible?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Gotcha. What do the buds look like when they are visible? And when abouts do they become visible?

They look like tiny peas, but a little more whitish green. You can't miss them!
I pruned my larches last week like Leatherback advised you to do too, and the buds popped up this week.

But I only prune extended shoots. The ones on the ends of your branches don't look very strong, so you might want to skip those. They'll get more energy after you're done pruning the stronger ones, and they'll be back up to speed with the rest in two or three weeks.
By doing this, you keep all buds equally strong so that when winter arrives, you have less chance of losing parts of a branch. Larches love dropping weak parts, but we usually don't love that trait in larches.

 

[Fabledabel]

They look like tiny peas, but a little more whitish green. You can't miss them!
I pruned my larches last week like Leatherback advised you to do too, and the buds popped up this week.

But I only prune extended shoots. The ones on the ends of your branches don't look very strong, so you might want to skip those. They'll get more energy after you're done pruning the stronger ones, and they'll be back up to speed with the rest in two or three weeks.
By doing this, you keep all buds equally strong so that when winter arrives, you have less chance of losing parts of a branch. Larches love dropping weak parts, but we usually don't love that trait in larches.

Great! Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately due to our late spring the pictured growth is actually one of the strongest shoots. I'll keep your advice on mind going forward though.

 

[Fabledabel]

They look like tiny peas, but a little more whitish green. You can't miss them!
I pruned my larches last week like Leatherback advised you to do too, and the buds popped up this week.

But I only prune extended shoots. The ones on the ends of your branches don't look very strong, so you might want to skip those. They'll get more energy after you're done pruning the stronger ones, and they'll be back up to speed with the rest in two or three weeks.
By doing this, you keep all buds equally strong so that when winter arrives, you have less chance of losing parts of a branch. Larches love dropping weak parts, but we usually don't love that trait in larches.

In the interest of rounding out the info on this thread, I've attached an image. Is this a bud on a larch?

 

[coltranem]

Yep

 

[Gustavo Martins]

Bonsai4me has a nice description of what to do and how to manage larch growth

 

[Jorgens86]

Bonsai4me has a nice description of what to do and how to manage larch growth

Can you post a link?!

 

[leatherback]

Larix/Larch Bonsai – Bonsai4Me

www.bonsai4me.com

 

[AlainK]

Bonsai4me has to be bookmarked if you live in Europe - and beyond.

Lots of very good tips.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Basically a new bud will form at the bse of each needle once you prune back to it.

 

[Fabledabel]

Basically a new bud will form at the bse of each needle once you prune back to it.

This isn't true. You have to specifically prune back to buds

 

[WNC Bonsai]

This isn't true. You have to specifically prune back to buds

Have you tried it, I have.

 

[Fabledabel]

Have you tried it, I have.

Nope. But every larch resource says otherwise. This site, Mirai larch development, local club, etc.

It's possible you just happened to snip back to areas with buds.

 

[leatherback]

Nope. But every larch resource says otherwise. This site, Mirai larch development, local club, etc.

It's possible you just happened to snip back to areas with buds.

If you prune when still young, so before they really extent, you get a terminal bud, is my experience too. If you prune after extending with your buds starting to show you pay a gambling game.

 

[Fabledabel]

If you prune when still young, so before they really extent, you get a terminal bud, is my experience too. If you prune after extending with your buds starting to show you pay a gambling game.

Hmm interesting. Cofga suggested you get a bud at the base of *every* needle. Is that your experience, or do just just get a single bud?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Budding varies depending in are pruning old rowth or new. On the lignified wood you do prune back to existing buds a d thanis what Ryan is talking about in his various videos when he starts his prune back to two mantra. However with green extending new growth like you showed in our photo they will pop buds at the base of almost all needles which is why pinching the growing tips works.

 

[Fabledabel]

Budding varies depending in are pruning old rowth or new. On the lignified wood you do prune back to existing buds a d thanis what Ryan is talking about in his various videos when he starts his prune back to two mantra. However with green extending new growth like you showed in our photo they will pop buds at the base of almost all needles which is why pinching the growing tips works.

Interesting. Ryan's newest larch video goes through pruning for the whole stream. He is only dealing with new growth and always cut a back to a bud. He even states that if the buds are too far apart to cut back to the base maybe the next flush will produce buds closer together. So kind of the opposite of what you're saying. But he could be wrong too. I guess it's time to do some experiments!

So In your experience, ramifying a larch is as simple as cutting new grown back to wherever you want a branch to split?

 

[crust]

Interesting. Ryan's newest larch video goes through pruning for the whole stream. He is only dealing with new growth and always cut a back to a bud. He even states that if the buds are too far apart to cut back to the base maybe the next flush will produce buds closer together. So kind of the opposite of what you're saying. But he could be wrong too. I guess it's time to do some experiments!

So In your experience, ramifying a larch is as simple as cutting new grown back to wherever you want a branch to split?

My opinion is Ryans modality with larch do not seamlessly apply to most of us because of his growing techniques and climate. Larch grows like ditch weed there. It is like giving advice on growing house plants in your yard in NY city as opposed to southern Florida, the amount of growth he gets from larch is nearly unmanageable--they grow like wild weeds in this environment and under his regiment--other techniques that are used would not work for him. I grow larch very well controlling there growth by plucking the new tufts back, in general, taking about 2/3/ of the tuft, which leaves a few buds. I let these ponytails (tufts) grow a bit longer and for a long time if I am trying to strengthen or regrow roots, I pluck them deeper and more uniformly also where they are thick and energetic, such as the tops, otherwise, I puck mine thoroughly as they appear. This keeps my larch from going crazy and keeps them dividing and fine. One can cut back hardened growth but then you have to go back to soft ponytail plucking to get the internodes short--its a developmental technique not for containerized bonzo IMO. I also withhold fertilizer until early fall unless they are weak. If one tried this in the Willamette Valley it would be a full-time job and you'd end up with knucked-up topiary broccoli.