The Spruce for Real thread is going to happen, these will be pieces.
I noticed new buds on new growth today, I was busy the last 2 days so it's possible they have been visible for a couple days.
I believe there is a direct correlation between the time these buds are visible, and the Actual health and capabilities of a tree.
I believe the earlier these buds are present, the more "sitting correctly timed in the cycle", the tree has become. It already knows the health it will have, so it already preps for the continuation. This is what allows us to know what will happen when we do something. No wishing, Knowing.
I think it's also important to note that this is "abundance". Abundance is what we need to remove to keep the tree at its best. Not regular growth.
I hate to pull apart B4me again, because I love Harry and his excellent information. It is because I ingested it so deeply that it is what I dissect.
I fear the teaching of counting tip buds to gauge health is incomplete.
I believe it is actually opposite of our goals.
I believe it is telling us, well, exactly what it is telling us...that the TIP of that branch wants health, because the interior is less capable of growth.
So we end up actually cutting branches that Aren't prepared to grow further in. Granted, that strength removed from the tips will cause shoots to pop further in. But these are then desperation shoots, not the "regular growth", that just grows "without skipping a beat".
We should be paying attention to "towing along" that good interior growth. Just begining the cycle with one more year.
It is with this regular growth that we can build good branching, to any size, taper, and ramification requirements. We are then in control of how long it takes, and can choose to build slow, or fast.
See....it is not that all these things we've been taught aren't true cause and effects, it's just trying to be one year ahead, makes every year just half as good as it could be.
There is no way to quantify this, but how can the result not be trees that are only half as good?
Half as good trees isn't really the issue though, it's subjective.
What isn't subjective is our health and what we gain in the persuit.
Fuck Backbuds, backbudding....
We've become so obsessed with it, that we can't see we are working directly against actually getting them.
Sorce