Hi folks
I've asked about thickening trunks recently and was given some great advice which I've read up on. Just looking for some clarification on the nuance of when to start applying certain techniques.
I'm thinking broadly coniferous ie black or scots pine and deciduous, maple,, beech, oak, elm etc.
I've taken on board the message that a good base is critical and that the base and trunk are key, branches can come later once the foundations of nebari, healthy shin and trunk are on the way.
I'm beginning to understand the trade offs - thicken in the ground with no pruning, let it run and you'll get a thick trunk - but potentially a large chop scar to heal. Regular small chops means smaller scars but very slow thickening, whereas somewhere in the middle means smaller scars but slower thickening. In pines, not balancing means probably losing weaker lower branches.
I'm starting to understand some of the techniques to increase ramification, back budding, the species that won't back bud, or won't bud from old wood etc.
What I'm trying to piece together is when to start that transition away from just focusing on trunk thickeness to building the primary branches and inducing budding to have buds to select from ?
Scots pines I can see post flush harden pruning can stimulate back buds. Maples will produce buds from trunk chops. Elms will throw up buds all the time. Hinoki won't back bud. Japanese black pine can seemingly back bud if vigorous etc.
I guess what I'm getting at is how to avoid just building a trunk then having to induce budding, vs overlapping trunk thickening, and moving to increase the number of Buds and branches to begin to select from if that makes sense ?
At what stage do you start to use techniques like leaf cutting to stimulate interior budding, candle pruning, bud selection, etc rather than just letting all branches run to build up a big photosynthetic mass.
Thanks !
I've asked about thickening trunks recently and was given some great advice which I've read up on. Just looking for some clarification on the nuance of when to start applying certain techniques.
I'm thinking broadly coniferous ie black or scots pine and deciduous, maple,, beech, oak, elm etc.
I've taken on board the message that a good base is critical and that the base and trunk are key, branches can come later once the foundations of nebari, healthy shin and trunk are on the way.
I'm beginning to understand the trade offs - thicken in the ground with no pruning, let it run and you'll get a thick trunk - but potentially a large chop scar to heal. Regular small chops means smaller scars but very slow thickening, whereas somewhere in the middle means smaller scars but slower thickening. In pines, not balancing means probably losing weaker lower branches.
I'm starting to understand some of the techniques to increase ramification, back budding, the species that won't back bud, or won't bud from old wood etc.
What I'm trying to piece together is when to start that transition away from just focusing on trunk thickeness to building the primary branches and inducing budding to have buds to select from ?
Scots pines I can see post flush harden pruning can stimulate back buds. Maples will produce buds from trunk chops. Elms will throw up buds all the time. Hinoki won't back bud. Japanese black pine can seemingly back bud if vigorous etc.
I guess what I'm getting at is how to avoid just building a trunk then having to induce budding, vs overlapping trunk thickening, and moving to increase the number of Buds and branches to begin to select from if that makes sense ?
At what stage do you start to use techniques like leaf cutting to stimulate interior budding, candle pruning, bud selection, etc rather than just letting all branches run to build up a big photosynthetic mass.
Thanks !