Plucking Vs cutting

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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Bonsai Barry

"Our talent lies in our choices."

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Vance Wood

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.

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The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Attila

Needle plucking and cutting achieves the same purpose, namely: promotes backbudding, redistributes energy, increases ramification, reduces needle lenght, improves the shape and overall look of the tree.

The reason why we perform plucking on one pine species and cutting on other is that some species have more sensitive needles then others. Generally, on black pines we can perform plucking without damaging the latent bud at the base of its needle. With other pines, such as certain cultivars of the white pine (p. parviflora) plucking can damage the latend bud, so cutting and leaving a small stub at the base of the needle is preferable (the stub will fall off shortly after). Proper plucking also depends on the skill of the person. Some can pluck without doing any damage, others are not so skilled.

If in doubt, it is always safer to cut.

007

So what about deciduous trees? Is there a difference in effect from cutting vs. pinching?

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soonami

I personally cut with one of those leaf cutting tools that looks like overgrown tweezers because its a lot faster and cleaner than pinching. I just cut midway on the petiole and when the stem dries it will fall off on its own. This is for large scale defoliation or pruning, but for little jobs pinching is fine.