Cryptomeria "Black Dragon" Pruning

[Paulpash]

I have a few.. This how I develop them..

I pinch mine when the first flush has been completed in early June. Use scissors as sparingly as possible and cut between needles, browning occurs even with spraying and shade. Part foliage masses and clear out any dead or weak shoots. "Fish out" shoots not growing straight up. Always water from above they like damp foliage and a moist root run.

 

[p_anova]

I have a few.. This how I develop them..

I pinch mine when the first flush has been completed in early June. Use scissors as sparingly as possible and cut between needles, browning occurs even with spraying and shade. Part foliage masses and clear out any dead or weak shoots. "Fish out" shoots not growing straight up. Always water from above they like damp foliage and a moist root run.

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OMG, those are killer. Welp, guess I got a couple of years ahead of me. Do you think I should cut back to the healthy growth in Fall?

 

[Paulpash]

OMG, those are killer. Welp, guess I got a couple of years ahead of me. Do you think I should cut back to the healthy growth in Fall?

I think you should let it grow for a season or two, the extension growth should be 3 or 4 inches with a healthy tree. Get it growing stronger and it'll develop faster.

 

[p_anova]

I think you should let it grow for a season or two, the extension growth should be 3 or 4 inches with a healthy tree. Get it growing stronger and it'll develop faster.

Thanks for the info! Glad to see there is hope for this tree yet.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

This is my other crypto. The foliage is different. I guess my question is, do I handle the foliage the same way for both varietiesView attachment 445941?View attachment 445942

Yours is a question I’ve been thinking about too.

Some of the literature I’ve been sifting through says to only prune (avoiding pinching). Others say only pinching, no pruning. It seems to me the issue is pruning carefully as to not cross or shear the scales and cause die back.

One of the dozen or so nurseries around here had 4 of these beauties.

 

[p_anova]

Yours is a question I’ve been thinking about too.

Some of the literature I’ve been sifting through says to only prune (avoiding pinching). Others say only pinching, no pruning. It seems to me the issue is pruning carefully as to not cross or shear the scales and cause die back.

One of the dozen or so nurseries around here had 4 of these beauties.

Both dead, dead, dead. They both took a beating from last winter along with several of my other trees. The "black dragon" sputtered along all season and finally browned out this week.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

Both dead, dead, dead. They both took a beating from last winter along with several of my other trees. The "black dragon" sputtered along all season and finally browned out this week.

Oh no, I’m sorry. I have not experienced that (being new) but I suppose that’s how it goes and is to be expected.

I’m concerned about seeing conflicting literature on proper winter care for Crypto BD, even among the same zones/regions. Keep it outside, but don’t keep it outside. Keep it in a garage, but use a cold greenhouse instead. Build a cold frame outside. Leave it outside above 0 degrees F, but bring it inside instead. Development vs. Refinement?

Being conifers, I would think to just leave my 3 juniper Procumbens and BD outside in 7b and have no problem in winter.