Larch - Pruning Back to a Bud

[Fabledabel]

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.

Gotcha. That's a very good point. I'm not noticing nearly as excessive growth as he described up here in Toronto. Whereabouts are you located? Do you pluck back before the new buds are visible?

 

[crust]

Gotcha. That's a very good point. I'm not noticing nearly as excessive growth as he described up here in Toronto. Whereabouts are you located? Do you pluck back before the new buds are visible?

Zone 3 Minnesota. The fresh and young ponytails show small specs where the buds are but I usually I don't look--I just remove 2/3, which leaves a couple of buds usually but often I don't care as long as there is one bud. The intent is site bifurcation but also pushing energy back to interiors and holding back ebullience. If I have delayed plucking I can usually see the buds clearly.

 

[leatherback]

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?

Nope. I think this might be a miscommunication issue. Each base of the needle CAN produce a bud. I notice I get a terminal bud. And in some cases if I leave some extention, one or two more. But no, not nearly "at every needle"

 

[coltranem]

I am just speculating here but the advice I have seen most often is what @crust said. When you pinch that early the new growth is very young and buds can easily form at the end. Once the growth elongates more it ages and starts setting buds even when green. When I look at mine I can see buds and they are not at every needle. My guess is once those have set it is hard for the tree to make more regardless of stem color. So timing of the cut is probably everything which makes Ryan's method, @Cofga, and @crust all work.

Again I am a noob too and just speculating. My larch is in grow out mode but I do pinch like @crust to keep the lower branches tight while the top grows.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Over the years, I've seen photos and occasionally in person many more of the latches @crust has produced. There is photo documentation that in the frigid wastelands of far northeastern Minnesota, David's techniques WORK.

The photos of Ryan's trees look great, but it is often unclear just how long they have been at Mirai. His inventory is constantly changing, many trees spend only a year or two at Mirai, before being sold. That is fine, Ryan needs to pay a mortgage, and staff, his set up is different.

So where there is conflicting information, I will follow Crust's lead.

Although, there is only a few areas of conflict. And these areas could be explained by climate. There is a reason the largest temperate trees in the world are in the Pacific Northwest, trees grow very, very well there.