When to cut sacrifice/create new sacrifice on JBP

[Skinnygoomba]

Afternoon Gents.

I'm wondering how do you guys go about determining when it's time to cut a sacrifice. I have two pines in development stage, they both have sacrificial apexes and I'm wondering when to cut that apex and determine a new apex.

Since my pines are still developing I assume I will still need a major sacrificial brand on the main truck in order help bulk things up.

 

[JudyB]

I can't speak specifically to JBP, but with sacrifice branches in general, you want to cut them off before they cause any taper issues, or will leave you a huge scar to heal. Then you start up another, to continue the process.

 

[Cypress187]

Sounds like a spring thing then, but i'm the least pine experienced there so you shouldn't listen to my advice.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

I can't speak specifically to JBP, but with sacrifice branches in general, you want to cut them off before they cause any taper issues, or will leave you a huge scar to heal. Then you start up another, to continue the process.

Sounds good, I have one that is between a forked pair of branches that I think is going to be done this year. Do you generally cut them with in the fall or very early spring? It's a good portion of the trees foliage, so I dont want to risk the tree's health.

 

[Vance Wood]

Between you and me I would wait for someone with more expertise with JBP's to chime in on the issue, I am not one of those. One thing I have learned about Pines over the years many of the things that sound reasonable and make sense do not always work the way you think they should.

 

[Eric Group]

Check out Eric Schrader's blog: phutu.com
He just did a post about reducing apex sacrifice branches on JBP. Very timely for your question. He talked about doing it progressively to keep from stressing the tree as much if the sacrifice contains a majority of the tree's foliage.

 

[barrosinc]

Check out Eric Schrader's blog: phutu.com
He just did a post about reducing apex sacrifice branches on JBP. Very timely for your question. He talked about doing it progressively to keep from stressing the tree as much if the sacrifice contains a majority of the tree's foliage.

He also mentions that it will backbud like crazy and risk reverse taper if done in one go.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks! That is a great article on it! Mine are no where near that size, so that gives a good idea that maybe I need to spend much more time letting it go.

 

[Eric Group]

I think often we do not let our sacrifice branches grow long (more accurately WIDE) enough!

To truly add a lot of wood to the area below it, The sacrifice must basically get to be almost as large as the trunk was prior to growing out the sacrifice branch... By that point, if the sacrifice is high on the tree, we basically will HAVE TO chop low and grow a new leader. I think growing a sacrifice lower on the tree is a good idea, especially for pines, so you can widen the base of the trunk faster than the rest of the tree without losing all taper as you progress up the tree! I have one on a JBP in the ground now that I am in the process of trying to air layer.. I won't completely remove the branch, just reduce by about half letter this year if it takes- next year if I have to keep waiting.. Then I plan to let it grow another couple years to really balloon the base of the trunk...

 

[Eric Schrader]

Afternoon Gents.

I'm wondering how do you guys go about determining when it's time to cut a sacrifice. I have two pines in development stage, they both have sacrificial apexes and I'm wondering when to cut that apex and determine a new apex.

Since my pines are still developing I assume I will still need a major sacrificial brand on the main truck in order help bulk things up.

You should start reducing the primary sacrifice when the trunk is at least 2/3 the size of your final design, but there are probably other ways to measure it. Once you start reducing it if you don't simultaneously allow another sacrifice to start going (which can take 2 or 3 years to really get going) then the tree is going to slow wood production to almost nothing.

That said, you should be determining the new apex long before you eliminate the sacrifice branch because you need to control it to keep the node length short while the sacrifice fattens the trunk. Ideally, you should trim your young stock with plans for one sacrifice branch taking over for another. When the first is eliminated the second is already on its way to being the new one.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

Thanks Eric(s).

I have pretty much every major branch that I want, in the places I want them, so I'm working on filling them out and letting the trunk and nebari develop. So I will certainly be mindful of where the next sacrifice lands on this tree, as the next one might be tricky to place or may have to be part of a lower branch to get better taper.