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Bonsai Doer
Join Date: Aug-2001
Location: Fresno, CA
Country: USA
Posts: 5,465
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Each tuft of needles are turned up to reciev the morning sunlight. The branches have been pruned and the needles from the previous years have been plucked. As long as the needles are pulled from the sheath, it will bud there. If you cut the branch back, it may not bud there. It's the empty sheaths that release the auxins that stimultae new buds.
Thisa is a close up of a black pine that I needle plucked last fall, and is just now sending out all kinds of buds from older wood. This is what makes the branches"fill out". You can't get this if you dont pluck!
A lot of people shy away from pines and say that they are hard to keep alive. They are easy to keep alive, they are hard to shape them the way you want them. With just a few hints and tips, pines are one of the easiest trees to keep full and shape. They bud very hard and will fill out in no time. Timing is critical, but hey, thats even critical on a first date!
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I been kidding the last seven years.
no.... really!
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