My Main Tree Purchase for the Year....JBP Advice Needed Please

[just.wing.it]

If your not "de-candling" removing some older, downwards hanging needles and a rudimentary wiring would do well. As mentioned, maybe leave some older needles where you might like some back-budding.

If it was mine, I might be tempted to wait until next spring to cut back into THIS years needles as opposed to a fall pruning. Can't really hurt to have a full season of building vigor to ensure an exuberant response to spring/summer work?

Don't get greedy, ensure this tree is vigorous and ready to work. You've already re-potted, no need to rush along until it's fully re-potted and humming.

Good potential in this JBP. Take your time.

Thanks Lance, that sounds like a good plan, I did all of that last night. I like the idea of not cutting back until next spring, when I do the second half of the hbr job.

 

[River's Edge]

wait until next spring to cut back into THIS years needles as opposed to a fall pruning. Can't really hurt to have a full season of building vigor to ensure an exuberant response to spring/summer work?

This is good advice, particularly for those who live in cooler climates. The extra strength over the fall/winter is a valuable asset to the tree rather than being weakened just prior to dormancy! It may slow the response but ensures a healthier tree overall.

 

[just.wing.it]

Of all my trees.....this one is the one I feel the least confident with.
Here it is today.
I see small buds at the end of each branch...some have 2 or more buds.
Is there anything I should be doing this autumn/winter?
I still haven't totally decided if I'm going to HBR the other half in the spring....considering waiting another year.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Tree looks SO much better than #1 picture. Good job! Much Sun is good.

 

[just.wing.it]

Tree looks SO much better than #1 picture. Good job! Much Sun is good.

Thanks!
Yeah, I keep it in the sunniest part of my benches.

 

[just.wing.it]

Just a repeat of my last question....what should I be doing here?
I see some people thinning needles and selecting buds and such in the autumn.

I generally like the bones I have here, and I need to HBR the other half in the spring.
I think I'll be ready to start working on backbudding in the branches to make it more dense, next year.

What would you do now??? Nothing at all?
My basic quandary is this, I need to HBR the second half in spring, so that tells me that I should not touch it at all until after that.
But I also don't want the branches to get leggy, I want to start making the branches more dense.
@Brian Van Fleet, @Adair M, can I ask for some solid advice?

 

[YukiShiro]

Hi @just.wing.it ,

read the whole thread, really like the plan you've got for it.

It's autumn where you are, right?
- you can reduce branches 3 to 2 at whorls
- also can cut back to a previous year's whorl if that whorl has got needles (and you want branches there)
this will cause adventitious buds to pop at that whorl and below it needle buds will pop in spring, depending on the vigor (plant looks nice and healthy!)
- very good time to wire

will follow this thread!

best regards
Herman

 

[just.wing.it]

Hi @just.wing.it ,

read the whole thread, really like the plan you've got for it.

It's autumn where you are, right?
- you can reduce branches 3 to 2 at whorls
- also can cut back to a previous year's whorl if that whorl has got needles (and you want branches there)
this will cause adventitious buds to pop at that whorl and below it needle buds will pop in spring, depending on the vigor (plant looks nice and healthy!)
- very good time to wire

will follow this thread!

best regards
Herman

Thanks!

I think the branches are already cut back to 2 currently. ....I'll have to look again.
I appreciate the input!

 

[Japonicus]

Hi Mike
In respect to your upcoming repot
two things I would do given what foliage you have
is to 1, decide what you’re going to do with the top left
branch in competition with the apex. Both are going upwards
2nd I would wire now as well. Still I would want Brian or Adair’s input
as these other Fall methods you mention are done for refinement And balance.

 

[just.wing.it]

Hi Mike
In respect to your upcoming repot
two things I would do given what foliage you have
is to 1, decide what you’re going to do with the top left
branch in competition with the apex. Both are going upwards
2nd I would wire now as well. Still I would want Brian or Adair’s input
as these other Fall methods you mention are done for refinement And balance.

Yeah, I should wire it more to figure out the apex.
I think I can use one as a sacrifice branch while it recovers from repotting. Though, when I did the first half, the tree didn't seem to realize. So hopefully it won't skip a beat on the second half too.

 

[Adair M]

If this were my tree, I’d wire it out, and try to set the primary branches and secondary branches so that they will start to develop “pads”. It’s always hard to tell from pictures exactly what is going on, but it seems that branches are going every which way…. I see some sections where the heavy part of a branch is not wired, but it is wired up near the tips, but the wiring “doesn’t make sense” to me as I can’t see how it’s building a pad.

You have to “splay them out” to create a horizontal surface for the pad. This allows the sunlight to pierce into the interior and will help the tree to backbud new twigs closer to the trunk.

Since you didn’t decandle last summer, you will have to contend with long needles while you are wiring. Just take your time, and try to wrap the branch and avoid trapping any needles. Yes, it’s a pain! After you have set the branch, then you can selectively remove the needles that hang straight down. This will make the tree look tidier. And it will also discourage the tree from making buds on the bottoms of the branch. If it does, you will just have to remove them in the future.

JBP go thru an awkward “ugly duckling” stage where the foliage is long. Once you start decandling, you’ll get shorter needles, and the whole thing starts to resemble a tree rather than a porcupine!

For reference, here are several of my JBP under development. I did decandle them last summer, and i have pulled the old needles, but hopefully you can see how I’ve splayed out the branches using wire.







When wiring JBP, you don’t have to make the tips point up at the end. When the new candles form, they’ll grow up. You can see from my trees all the new shoots that developed after decandling grew straight up.

 

[just.wing.it]

If this were my tree, I’d wire it out, and try to set the primary branches and secondary branches so that they will start to develop “pads”. It’s always hard to tell from pictures exactly what is going on, but it seems that branches are going every which way…. I see some sections where the heavy part of a branch is not wired, but it is wired up near the tips, but the wiring “doesn’t make sense” to me as I can’t see how it’s building a pad.

You have to “splay them out” to create a horizontal surface for the pad. This allows the sunlight to pierce into the interior and will help the tree to backbud new twigs closer to the trunk.

Since you didn’t decandle last summer, you will have to contend with long needles while you are wiring. Just take your time, and try to wrap the branch and avoid trapping any needles. Yes, it’s a pain! After you have set the branch, then you can selectively remove the needles that hang straight down. This will make the tree look tidier. And it will also discourage the tree from making buds on the bottoms of the branch. If it does, you will just have to remove them in the future.

JBP go thru an awkward “ugly duckling” stage where the foliage is long. Once you start decandling, you’ll get shorter needles, and the whole thing starts to resemble a tree rather than a porcupine!

For reference, here are several of my JBP under development. I did decandle them last summer, and i have pulled the old needles, but hopefully you can see how I’ve splayed out the branches using wire.

View attachment 407560

View attachment 407561

View attachment 407562

When wiring JBP, you don’t have to make the tips point up at the end. When the new candles form, they’ll grow up. You can see from my trees all the new shoots that developed after decandling grew straight up.

Indeed, thanks for chiming in!
The bit of wire you see is there because those branches where laying on top of and shading out other branches in the summer, so I moved them a bit to get more sun to everything.
I will take my time and wire it out over the next couple of days, as I'm home recovering from a small outpatient surgery this week. But its the perfect kind of work for passing the time.

I will check back in after that with some better pictures.
Thanks!

 

[YukiShiro]

Thanks!

I think the branches are already cut back to 2 currently

1 job less (ps. I listed things that could be done in general)

I will take my time and wire it out over the next couple of days, as I'm home recovering from a small outpatient surgery this week. But its the perfect kind of work for passing the time.

I will check back in after that with some better pictures.
Thanks!

can't wait to see how she looks all bright eyed and bushy tailed

ps hope the opp recovery goes without issues

best regards
Herman

 

[just.wing.it]

1 job less (ps. I listed things that could be done in general)


can't wait to see how she looks all bright eyed and bushy tailed

ps hope the opp recovery goes without issues

best regards
Herman

Thank you sir!

 

[Adair M]

Hi @just.wing.it ,

read the whole thread, really like the plan you've got for it.

It's autumn where you are, right?
- you can reduce branches 3 to 2 at whorls
- also can cut back to a previous year's whorl if that whorl has got needles (and you want branches there)
this will cause adventitious buds to pop at that whorl and below it needle buds will pop in spring, depending on the vigor (plant looks nice and healthy!)
- very good time to wire

will follow this thread!

best regards
Herman

Hi, Herman! I haven’t seen you posting in a while… I hope things are well with you!

 

[hinmo24t]

good looking tree. looks like photos from in a sauna

 

[YukiShiro]

Hi, Herman! I haven’t seen you posting in a while… I hope things are well with you!

Hi Adair! long time no read!

I am well yes, thanks!

how are you?

nice vat trunk on that black pine! how many do you have now? if you've any to spare....post some fat trunks my way just kidding!

Best regards
Herman

 

[just.wing.it]

Well, it didn't take a couple of days, but a couple hours with a break to replace the drum drive belt on the clothes drier....always something breaking....a guy can't even recover from surgery and wire a little pine tree in peace around here, sheesh! Anyway....I digress....


I found that thicker upper portion too straight and thick, so I cut it off, left a stub.
The apex looks weird now, but I think after it fills in and I have more options in the future, it'll be fine.
Sorry about the crappy wiring work ...but it all holds.

 

[Japonicus]

I found that thicker upper portion too straight and thick, so I cut it off, left a stub.
The apex looks weird now, but I think after it fills in and I have more options in the future, it'll be fine.

I think you're right. Had that branch been cared for properly before you got this
of course it would have been a good throw off branch at the curve.
This was the competition branch I referred to earlier today I think.

Now you can...

After you have set the branch, then you can selectively remove the needles that hang straight down.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I think you're right. Had that branch been cared for properly before you got this
of course it would have been a good throw off branch at the curve.
This was the competition branch I referred to earlier today I think.

Now you can...

Would any consideration be given to picking upper sacrifice branch/apex developing visibly bigger trunk? Seems badly needed personally.