My first attempt at pruning...Birds Nest Spruce

Nubster

Sapling
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From what I read, there isn't a lot that can be done with the Birds Nest Spruce, but I got this one cheap and figured if nothing else, it would be a practice platform for pruning and thinning. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before shot, but this is what I have now. It's been about a month since I pruned and now there are lots of buds, more than half have been removed before this shot, so I assume the tree is doing ok.

BirdsNest.jpg
 

gergwebber

Shohin
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these guys seem like great candidates untill you start to thin and you get the tree above.(mine looks like a sick cat that's been eating lizards.) I think I am going to go for several years of harsh choping to get a taper and back budding while trying to wire out the straight lines.
 

Stan Kengai

Omono
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Not a bad start. Keep at it, and you might eventually get something. You seem to be taking the right attitude, by not expecting too much from this material, but also trying to have fun with it. Tip #1: when pruning or pinching this plant, smear a thin coat of petroleum jelly on you hands to make the sap easier to remove.

In the late fall, I would recommend removing a good number of the strong buds on the top to try and balance the vigor in the tree. You can see from the relative size and placement of buds on your tree that the top is much more vigorous, which is normal, and this can lead to loss of lower branches. I'm playing with a dwarf Alberta myself, and I had a very hard time balancing the vigor, until I pruned all of the upper buds this past fall. Buds this spring are more evenly spaced and closer to equal size. Bud removal can also lead to back budding, but only on needled wood.

FWIW, I understand that spruces do not like to be worked too much while actively growing (so I've never tried). IOW, it's best to do major work while they are dormant, including wiring. Harry Harrington has an article on them here, if you're interested. Thanks for sharing, and good luck.
 
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