I started decandling some of my 9-year old pines this year. A number of them lack the interior branches I’ll need for styling. Typical decandling – removing the spring shoots – would produce dense summer growth and likely trigger some, but not all of the interior shoots that I need. By cutting back further, I hope to stimulate lots of interior shoots – branches that I can work with as I start to establish the trees’ primary branches.
Some of the new shoots may be needle buds, others may be adventitious – both, in this case, will be welcome. My main worry is that by cutting back so hard I’ll get too much summer growth. As a hedge against removing too much foliage, I left some escape branches in place (see the first tree below). These I’ll remove in fall or winter.
Before decandling
After
Before decandling
After
Before decandling
After
Before decandling
After
This approach is similar to the cutback-decandling technique I noted last year, but I’m cutting back quite a bit further this time. Am looking forward to seeing the results!
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Juan says
July 19, 2013 at 7:25 amSenor Jonas,
This techique works very, very, well. Please See Senor Jeffries’ Pine (I think he purchased from you perhaps), where he did this last year. It also slows the tree down a bit, which can be good. Juan Carlos
Jeremiah Lee says
July 19, 2013 at 8:59 amSome nice Black Pine starts, I really like the second tree the exposed roots! Thanks for the Before and Afters
Dick van dreven says
July 20, 2013 at 5:14 amJonas,
Great material to start with!
I wondered if you have a plan were thes trees are goiing to. Or do you just let it grow and see what develops?
Dick
Jonas Dupuich says
July 20, 2013 at 9:00 amHi Dick – good question. In short, mostly the latter. Beyond setting some initial bends in the trunk, I pretty much work with what I have at any given time rather than guide the trees toward given ends. Based on the size and shape of the trunk, the branch structure usually falls into place – given I have enough branches to work with. I’ll try to say more about the process going forward.
chris says
July 21, 2013 at 9:49 pmIt would be useful and instructive to date these posts. It’s frustrating to wish to follow your lead and be unsure if the post is old and the advice comes too late for this cycle…