Advise on pinching Mugo Pine Candles

[Nishant]

Hello Friends,

I need some advise on pinching Mugo pine candles, which is in full flush at present. I understand that I should cut the central needle to help the side candles strengthen up. I am attaching the picture of my Mugo Pine of which I cut one of the central candle leaving the last whorl of needles.

Please advise if this is the right way to handles. Also is it right time to fertilise the plant so as to make the new growths strong.

 

[just.wing.it]

Don't do it.

 

[Nishant]

Am I late or too early?

 

[Nishant]

I will really appreciate if there can be some more advise on this. Just FYI, I live in London.

 

[sorce]

Am I late or too early?

Both!

I like to clean branches when the branches are just buds, like in fall, this way thru going to sleep and winter the tree gets to KNOW where it's energy will go in spring.

Mugo are a single flush pine....this is why we wait until the new growth has a chance to gather its energy before we cut back July/August.

Your Action may be Ill-timed but I did some like that last year to see what it would do..
Didn't change much.

Doesn't matter much it seems you have about 2 or 3 forks behind here you could end up cutting back to....
Though now you will be doing it with a bit less stored energy to backbud.

Not a big deal though....as you still have a lot to whack!

Sorce

 

[Kurt Parker]

I have /do pinched mughu pine buds. To MAINTAIN a very small tree. Usually i remove excess buds now back to two. Pop back to base.
The above photo needles are almost out of the sheath. WAY past bud stage.
Like Rascal says, wait to fall and trim back to 3-5 needles for bud setup next spring.

 

[my nellie]

I think that a photo of the whole tree would help people to understand better what your tree needs...

 

[Nishant]

I will attach today evening. Thanks for all the suggestions to all.