bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Getting my Juniper to Bud Back?

You have to work back conifers to get foliage in the branch interiors. If you just cut off the branch to the desired length and leave no foliage, the branch will die. If you want to shorten the branch of a juniper, cut it back to the inner most branch. Before cutting it back, make sure the tree is well fertilized and the branch is growing strongly. A strong juniper will bud back, but weak trees don't respond well at all. Then develop the new shoots. Once the branch and new shoots regain enough strength, cut the branch back again to shorten it further if necessary. It may take several cut and regrow cycles to bring foliage back to the interior of a branch. An alternative is to graft on interior branches in the spring which is extremely effective and a whole different matter. Good luck.

22-Aug-2002	#2
matsu bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Feb-2002 Country: USA USDA Zone: 9A AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 46	You have to work back conifers to get foliage in the branch interiors. If you just cut off the branch to the desired length and leave no foliage, the branch will die. If you want to shorten the branch of a juniper, cut it back to the inner most branch. Before cutting it back, make sure the tree is well fertilized and the branch is growing strongly. A strong juniper will bud back, but weak trees don't respond well at all. Then develop the new shoots. Once the branch and new shoots regain enough strength, cut the branch back again to shorten it further if necessary. It may take several cut and regrow cycles to bring foliage back to the interior of a branch. An alternative is to graft on interior branches in the spring which is extremely effective and a whole different matter. Good luck.