Pinching two-needle Pines

Pinus sylvestris

Two-needle Pine

1) If a young candle is pinched back to a third or half of its size, about three to five new buds will emerge at the break.

This technique is attended to be used at fully developed Pines, which are in no need of extended growth, but with main focus on keeping the current design.

Is best performed during the months of April, May or June, depending of the specimen.

2) If a one year old branch is pruned where there are one year old needles behind the cut, the branch will develop new needles between the top and the back on the one year old branch. But not on the older part.

Newer cut where there are no needles left on a branch, because it will die immediately.

This technique is performed during May and until August.

3) If the candle is broken of as in example 1), or the branch is cut like in example 2), in between these periods, both results will happen at the same time.

Time: June –July.

4) This method is especially focused on developing new buds back on branches like in example 2).

When the candles have opened, and the needles are fully developed, it is cut of at its base.

In the same growing season new shorter needles will develop, and new buds will sprout back on the branches.

Always start cutting the weak candles, and two weeks later cut the strongest on two-needle Pines. This will develop shorter needles.

Time for this operation is approximately between May and June.

Plucking old needles on Two-needle Pines

The old needles can be removed after the candles have developed fully. The old candles are the ones that have been sitting from last (and older).

The needles are plugged with either your fingers, one at the time. If a needle pair is pulled of in one go, it will damage the sleeping bud at the base. So gently break one needle at the time.

The sleeping bud will then develop during autumn, and new growth back on the branches will be provoked when candles also has been treated as described earlier.

Best time to plug candles is during August until September.

Pinching five-needle Pines

Pinus parviflora

Five-needle Pine with five needles from the same base.

This part will describe the differences in care according to the five-needle Pines compared with the two-needle Pine.

Five-needle Pines are in general treated like two needle Pines, except for these special techniques:

Old needles are not plucked, but are instead cutted with a sharp scissor about one or two millimetres above the base. If pinched the sleeping bud will be damaged.

The old needles can be shortened when the new candles are fully developed.