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Originally Posted by Bonsai Barry
I've read a variety of sources regarding needle removal on pines. Some say to pluck, some say to cut. Does it depend on the desired outcome? Species? Or personal preference?
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Both. I have found with Mugos it is better to cut needles off rather than pull them off. The reason being that with Mugo Pines the latent buds reside seated between the two needles. If you pluck off the needles then you are dependent on the latent buds that reside below the bark and are not as likely to bud predictably as those that are within the needle bundles.
Some cultivars of JWP will also bleed profusely if the needles are plucked as opposed to clipped. It is also possible to tear the bark through plucking on some trees. So there are the reasons, take them for what they are worth and determine your path with what you have.