rnlabarnes 6yr JBP Contest Thread Entry

[RobertB]

Im really liking the bark on this one. I also placed the grow basket inside this larger ceramic container this year cause i didnt have time to repot.

 

[RobertB]

some more shots.

 

[RobertB]

future leader i would like to cut back too.

 

[RobertB]

Here is the other one. also overpotted this year. going to need to reduce some when i repot this coming year. Going to probably have to do a multi year reduction back to one of these leaders.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Wow! The amount of growth you have had, especially in the first 2 years, is amazing! Great progression!

 

[RobertB]

any tips on how i should reduce these sacrifice branches which are literally the main trunk at this point? i stripped needles this weekend on the leader to try and weekend some (or redirect energy to other buds).. not sure if i remember all this very well as i basically took a 4 yr break.

will probably cut off the leaders (when i repot. have not repotted in 4 yrs either on these) but still leave at least 3 high wirls, then hopefully that will push foliage to the bottom. then next summer, i will reduce and have a new leader and backup selected by that point. and a sacrifice ready. already have an idea on the next sacrifice.

 

[RobertB]

sort of where i guess i might be going in the coming 2 years. obviously to late for contest but these were meant to be for me anyways.,

 

[RobertB]

Telperion’s advice would be to remove a lot of the upper needle mass (red marks) and to reduce the upper branches (blue).

The removal of extra needles would cause the trees to elongate even more (since they still had the auxin but the sugar/starch production was decreased). Reducing the apical dominance would allow the low buds to remain vigorous.

Or at least that’s how they described it.

this is basically what i have been doing for 4 years now. its just i havent repotted. my watering during july and aug has sucked and i haven't been fertilizing. so i can confirm that at least my version of this worked. Im sure it works much better when the other steps are followed.

 

[RobertB]

I time the trunk reduction for the beginning of full extension of the spring candles. This is when the highest amount of auxin is present. Cutting at this time causes the strongest reaction for back budding. By full extension I mean when the needles have hardened off just after standing out from the candle extension. Wit for them to open and turn to a darker color this signals full photosynthesis and auxin production. Reducing that dominance with a reduction triggers the side shoots and bud production on the lower portion of the trunk.

Frank, looking back through these. These are great and are helping me a lot right now. Hopefully your still around here as i really valued your insight.