oops on the date. yeah, i already started fertilizing. they got fertilizer all last year too from when the middle needles started pushing up.Have you started fertilizing yet?
And I assume the last pic was 5/8 instead of 3/8?
yeah, this is pretty much what i was thinking. i figured it would be easier keeping the main sacrifice branch and only one secondary sacrifice branch from shading the lower buds too much. if i just bud thinned now i wouldn't have to worry about a big whorl later.What is your development plan?
I would consider just keeping the main bud and let that shoot for the stars for a few years.
If you do not have a low bud, keep one or two side-buds and the main bud. Wire the trunk to get some movement. Then let the main leader shoot for the stars, and keep the 2 small branches that develop out of the side-buts. These branches you keep as short as viably possible over the years to later build your tree from.
For now you are fine. Also if you decide to leave the buds, wait to see which one are alive come spring. And thin the whorl in spring. Certainly if yu let the leader grow a few seasons it will be invisble in the end (I would not let them grow all season though, but thin them latest in spring).now i wouldn't have to worry about a big whorl later.
i need the strongest bud to keep elongating to thicken the trunk. low on the trunk there's a few buds that'll become the next section of trunk when the lowest section is as thick as i want it to be.Why not remove strong apical bud, leave 2 side ones instead to add unwired movement to trunk?
You think you have enough?
how many jbp seeds do i think i need?You think you have enough?