Ponderosa Pine Question

Hi everyone,
I'm trying my hand at ponderosa pines and have a question regarding pruning/styling.

I've seen many people wire the branches down and then curl the tip of the bud up at the very end like this:
I think it looks really good and want to do the same but I'm confused about how the tree is supposed to stay in this style given that it will continue to extend the tips and loose it's needles along the way. I'm strictly referring to a tree in refinement stage that you want to keep in a certain size/style. Since ponderosa is a single flush and I've read if you mess with candles or prune tips the branch can die off. So how does one keep the tree from eventually looking like this?:

ponderosas grow Uber slow, so any achieved design will likely stay ‘viable’ for a long time. Still, trees are always growing, and it will eventually outgrow its current styling, at which point, it’ll need another one initiated.

Dav4 said:

ponderosas grow Uber slow, so any achieved design will likely stay ‘viable’ for a long time. Still, trees are always growing, and it will eventually outgrow its current styling, at which point, it’ll need another one initiated.

Click to expand...

I understand, but in the above scenario, once you have achieved this branch setup and they keep extending what are your options?

If you just continue to wire the tips down then it'll look weird and be too low eventually.

If you let it grow up like in the 2nd Pic it doesn't look good either.

If you try to cut or pinch the buds to slow it down your nice branches could die.

If as you say, you need to initiate a new style because the previous one is outgrown, then you will be trying to style a tree that's had its thick branches set into this position and I don't see how you could make it look good a different way or even how you'd reposition old set thick branches.

Thanks!

Owlman said:

I understand, but in the above scenario, once you have achieved this branch setup and they keep extending what are your options?

If you just continue to wire the tips down then it'll look weird and be too low eventually.

If you let it grow up like in the 2nd Pic it doesn't look good either.

If you try to cut or pinch the buds to slow it down your nice branches could die.

If as you say, you need to initiate a new style because the previous one is outgrown, then you will be trying to style a tree that's had its thick branches set into this position and I don't see how you could make it look good a different way or even how you'd reposition old set thick branches.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I'm not qualified to answer, but as the pine grows and is pruned back (such as shortening candles or cutting back to old needles) these little hooks will ramify from back budding. These shoots are then also arranged to fan out and point up. It is easiest to see this by looking close at those stunning Zuisho or other parviflora pine specimen，in particular the "literati" styled trees.

Owlman said:

I understand, but in the above scenario, once you have achieved this branch setup and they keep extending what are your options?

If you just continue to wire the tips down then it'll look weird and be too low eventually.

If you let it grow up like in the 2nd Pic it doesn't look good either.

If you try to cut or pinch the buds to slow it down your nice branches could die.

If as you say, you need to initiate a new style because the previous one is outgrown, then you will be trying to style a tree that's had its thick branches set into this position and I don't see how you could make it look good a different way or even how you'd reposition old set thick branches.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

There's no magic to this. Trees grow and you've got to adjust the styling based on that growth (again, pondies are Uber slow and VERY bendy- even old branches can be moved with relative ease). Lot's and lot's of wiring spread over the seasons, with occasional cut backs/branch removals and changes in fronts and planting angles... that's it .

Owlman said:

I understand, but in the above scenario, once you have achieved this branch setup and they keep extending what are your options?

Click to expand...

The key to maintaining conifer style is to make very sure you have ramification on all branches. Maintaining shape is a matter of removing the longest main shoots and replace with one of the shorter/ further back side shoots.
I'm not familiar with ponderosa pine but other Single flush pines can still be pruned and will produce more buds as a result. It just takes a whole year for the new shoots to begin to grow. That only means they need less work than their more vigorous multi flush cousins.