Ok so I have several j.b.p in development. I don’t think I should be candle pruning. My question is what should I do with the elongating branches and when . I am getting lots of new buds beginning to develop with all the vigor the trees have in them .I just don’t want them to run away. But perhaps I’m just being overly cautious about elongation.
Why don’t you want to candle prune? I have about 10 JBP and I am in the middle of pruning all the candles. One or two trees that I did two weeks ago is already starting to push new buds at the pruned sites.
Overall candle pruning resets the energy balance of the tree. Also, those elongated candles aren’t going to do you any good in terms of refining the tree - the internodes will be too long. Don’t forget to needle pluck while you are doing this - Ryan covers this technique in many videos.
Major branch pruning should wait until fall.
I thought the candle pruning was just for refinement.dont think I’m quite there yet but hers a quick photo it’s like 104 today and I’m so done with being outside lol.
“I thought the candle pruning was just for refinement”.
.I believe you are correct with this
On my developing JBP, I let them grow and then shoot select in the late fall, mainly to prevent reverse taper. Where there are three or more directions of shoots, I choose the two shoots I want and cut the rest, wire out the remaining shoots to horizontal. For example, your last pic your lowest node has two branches directly opposite each other, this will bulge the middle of the trunk. Going up you have 4 or so in a whirl. This will create bulge as well.
Around this time I may pluck some needles that shade the lower branches/ first year node where I want more buds and bend sacrifice branch so its not shading as well.
On the sacrifice branch (if using this method), I just let it go for the most part to build trunk, planning to cut off the whirls that are up high.
Generally, I let the tree give me what I want then I cut.
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I agree with you 100% on the tree you are talking about. I plan to eliminate all the whorl Branches but right now that’s most of the foliage. so I better wait. I have wired up the future leader so I’ll leave the big mess as a sacrifice for the moment hopefully all this energy will give me some back buddig to work with by next year and I can get on track removing structural flaws. Does this seam like a reasonable plan?
Yes I think that sounds like a reasonable plan. I make sure the node I want back buds to form is fully exposed to the sun. Remember buds can form between the needles.
The tree in the middle picture seems fairly full, you could consider decandle with the plan to wire out in the fall and do some more major cuts for the design.
But still, fall shoot selection can encourage back buds in the spring.