Shimpaku seasonal activities?

[MrFancyPlants]

I repotted the one on the right this past spring and recently did some clean up pruning. I started by thinning branches that had back buds, but figured I’d let some more sun in by thinning out the top section over the past couple weeks.

I was wondering if I should be saving the cutbacks until winter for more active back buds? I head let it get a years worth of shaggy going into the repot, so I am ok with what I did, but maybe I save pruning the lower branch’s for winter and next year save the top for winter?

For the blue rug on the left, I’m not as concerned about back buds so I was going to do some cleanup and branch removal soon. It was repotted and styled the winter before last. And has frankly never looked so healthy before.

 

[bwaynef]

I'd caution against pruning the lower branches months before pruning the upper branches. That will sap the energy from the lower branches and they may not recover. I'd recommend doing it in the other order.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I did the upper branches first on the shimpaku. And might take a little off the bottom on the blue rug.

The cascade branches are to the back on the rug.. although the back is usually the front so that the cascade branches can get some sun there. I am not crazy about the big cascade branch. It is the thickest branch on the tree. And the side branches are too 90 degrees for me, but it would be real long and straight without them.