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Originally Posted by ekillians
I was not aware of a difference, other than preference, between cutting and plucking.
KC, you seem to be saying that cutting will encourage buds and new growth while plucking will encourage more backbudding and less new buds and growth at the tips.
Do I understand this correctly?
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No, I am just saying that there has been some controversy to this point. On a very young tree or branch where ramification is primarily needed, cutting the needles just above the fascicle will preserve all the needle buds, one in between each pair of needles. Some have advocated only cutting on young trees. I don't work with trees that young, and I think this tree is ready to move beyond that method to a true energy balancing set of techniques.
The tree still needs to develop, but there are portions that are too strong already, and these must be held back. There's no reason to worry with this tree about planting it in the ground for years to develop the trunk, etc. It already has a pleasing shape and can make a very nice bonsai from where it is today.
Plucking the needles removes needle buds but there are latent adventitious buds in the bark that can be stimulated by cutting the tree back. This is possible if the tree is very strong, well-fed, and the branch is question is less than about ten years old.
On really young branches, I still simply strip the needles I don't want, but don't even worry too much about tweezers: I just grab them by the handful and pull.