Manzanita budding

[dbrody01]

A question about growing manzanita varieties that have high apical control over latent buds. What is the best way to activate existing buds further back from the tip to grow out into small shoots? Some varieties routinely activate 3 to 4 buds at the tip of a shoot and none of the buds behind it, even though they're visible and viable on one year growth. Does one pinch the elongating new shoots at the tip before they're fully expanded? Does one wait until they harden off and cut off the new growth into second year wood? Seeing as some varieties won't produce adventitious buds ever, and routinely shed old leaves and their axillary buds, it seems important to try to preserve as many interior buds and stimulate them to grow fresh short new shoots so that you slow down the outward expansion of viable growth over time. Also, If the bud at the base of each leaf tends to die (not always though) if the leaf is gone, does that mean leaf pruning would not yield a good result in terms of bud activation?

 

[sorce]

@milehigh_7 ?
Don't know of he's around much anymore.

Welcome to Crazy!

I reckon folks still keeping these alive, not much knowledge yet.

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Very few here have had success with Manzanita in cultivation. The resounding silence is a sign that nobody knows the answer to your question. You will simply have to experiment.

 

[Arcto]

A question about growing manzanita varieties that have high apical control over latent buds. What is the best way to activate existing buds further back from the tip to grow out into small shoots? Some varieties routinely activate 3 to 4 buds at the tip of a shoot and none of the buds behind it, even though they're visible and viable on one year growth. Does one pinch the elongating new shoots at the tip before they're fully expanded? Does one wait until they harden off and cut off the new growth into second year wood? Seeing as some varieties won't produce adventitious buds ever, and routinely shed old leaves and their axillary buds, it seems important to try to preserve as many interior buds and stimulate them to grow fresh short new shoots so that you slow down the outward expansion of viable growth over time. Also, If the bud at the base of each leaf tends to die (not always though) if the leaf is gone, does that mean leaf pruning would not yield a good result in terms of bud activation?

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I’ve pruned back as buds start swelling in the spring and have gotten good back budding on different species. Just be careful not to prune back to bare wood. With a lot of species that results in a dead branch/trunk.

 

[dbrody01]

I’ve pruned back as buds start swelling in the spring and have gotten good back budding on different species. Just be careful not to prune back to bare wood. With a lot of species that results in a dead branch/trunk.

What about pruning after the flush has hardened off? Is there any reliable result from cutting back to a leaf in this year's growth VS cutting back to a leaf from last year's growth, or even a leaf from 2 years ago, if there are any. I would imagine if you pruned a significant amount of the foliage off from the entire tree, it would stimulate another flush, but that's just speculation. If your objective wasn't to produce another flush, but just to reduce the length of a particular branch while trying to keep if from dying back, what is the best strategy? My guess is that you would have to cut back to a leaf that had a viable bud, but how can you tell? They are so small in the latent form. I have 2 varieties, one starts pushing buds in March, the other in early May. Thus the earlier one would be ready for some kind of pruning to keep branches form getting too long too quickly.

 

[Arcto]

What about pruning after the flush has hardened off? Is there any reliable result from cutting back to a leaf in this year's growth VS cutting back to a leaf from last year's growth, or even a leaf from 2 years ago, if there are any. I would imagine if you pruned a significant amount of the foliage off from the entire tree, it would stimulate another flush, but that's just speculation. If your objective wasn't to produce another flush, but just to reduce the length of a particular branch while trying to keep if from dying back, what is the best strategy? My guess is that you would have to cut back to a leaf that had a viable bud, but how can you tell? They are so small in the latent form. I have 2 varieties, one starts pushing buds in March, the other in early May. Thus the earlier one would be ready for some kind of pruning to keep branches form getting too long too quickly.

You can prune after hardening off. I’ve noted that the new growth is always strongest if you do it in spring as buds start swelling. This “Pacific Mist” cultivar was pruned back in that timing this spring. Note all the new growth way down the stems.

This “White Lanterns” cultivar was pruned last fall in one section, and this past winter in another. Notice the different rates of growth on the same plant.
.

Another approach I’ve used is to pinch only the terminal bud as it is swelling in the spring. I’ve only gotten growth from the remaining buds at that junction, not further down the stem.


It doesn’t seem to make a difference whether you prune current or previous year leaves. I’d be careful pruning older leafs than that. Often 3rd year leaves maybe discarded by the tree. If that happens, most species will not produce a bud there. Hope this helps.

 

[dbrody01]

You can prune after hardening off. I’ve noted that the new growth is always strongest if you do it in spring as buds start swelling. This “Pacific Mist” cultivar was pruned back in that timing this spring. Note all the new growth way down the stems.

This “White Lanterns” cultivar was pruned last fall in one section, and this past winter in another. Notice the different rates of growth on the same plant.
.
Another approach I’ve used is to pinch only the terminal bud as it is swelling in the spring. I’ve only gotten growth from the remaining buds at that junction, not further down the stem.

It doesn’t seem to make a difference whether you prune current or previous year leaves. I’d be careful pruning older leafs than that. Often 3rd year leaves maybe discarded by the tree. If that happens, most species will not produce a bud there. Hope this helps.

I have been pinching the terminal buds on my manzanitas, and it seems to stimulate some buds behind it to swell some of the time. Not exactly a reliable outcome. But I suspect it might have a lot to do with where each tree is at in its development/strength. I will be experimenting to see if an overall reduction of leaf mass will stimulate a second flush all over the tree. But wanting to know the risks of how far back to cut was the basis of my question. So far pruning to 3rd year leaves intuitively seems risky. Looking at the 3rd year leaf axils, the very tiny bud there more often than not will look brown and dry and not the usual red. That to me is a warning that that area is being shed of active leaves and the bark will start to form. In one of my manzanitas, I have noticed the uneven growth you were talking about, in terms of timing of buds opening and of strength. But on another variety, which also happens to have more leaves overall, the terminal buds all swelled and extended at the same time and with less discrepancy in strength. Not sure if that's a varietal thing or a function of having more buds and more even distribution of foliage since last fall than the other one. Also, since the flower buds seem to emerge from the end of the the new growth, pruning back after hardening might prevent energy from diverting to flowers, and contribute to a second flush, just a speculation.

 

[Arcto]

I have been pinching the terminal buds on my manzanitas, and it seems to stimulate some buds behind it to swell some of the time. Not exactly a reliable outcome. But I suspect it might have a lot to do with where each tree is at in its development/strength. I will be experimenting to see if an overall reduction of leaf mass will stimulate a second flush all over the tree. But wanting to know the risks of how far back to cut was the basis of my question. So far pruning to 3rd year leaves intuitively seems risky. Looking at the 3rd year leaf axils, the very tiny bud there more often than not will look brown and dry and not the usual red. That to me is a warning that that area is being shed of active leaves and the bark will start to form. In one of my manzanitas, I have noticed the uneven growth you were talking about, in terms of timing of buds opening and of strength. But on another variety, which also happens to have more leaves overall, the terminal buds all swelled and extended at the same time and with less discrepancy in strength. Not sure if that's a varietal thing or a function of having more buds and more even distribution of foliage since last fall than the other one. Also, since the flower buds seem to emerge from the end of the the new growth, pruning back after hardening might prevent energy from diverting to flowers, and contribute to a second flush, just a speculation.

You are wise to leave 3 yr leaves alone. Certain species of my Manzanita will backbud on old bare wood. One problem is even when they do so, you cannot predict where the new buds will appear. My experience with removing flower budding is that they simply produce more. I have found it better to remove them just as Berries start forming. That seems to stop regrowth. I have another thread on the forum called The Manzanita Thread. You are welcome to post your progress there.