My Prunus Mume is begging for your help (again!)

[Clicio]

UPDATE

Three weeks later, 16th September

To the infinity and beyond!

 

[leatherback]

Have you wired the young branches mate?

 

[Clicio]

Have you wired the young branches mate?

They are soft and still pliable, thanks!
Yes, I will do it.
Remember those first two leaves I have cut last week? I'm waiting for them to become young shoots and then I will wire them all.
Should I do it earlier?

 

[leatherback]

These buds will stay buds unless you do a mid-spring trim back. If you do not prune, they will grow branches NEXT YEAR.
I wire the green branches fairly soon in spring.

 

[Clicio]

These buds will stay buds unless you do a mid-spring trim back.

Yeap, I will wire it rather sooner than later.
Thanks for the tip about the first two leaves.
As for the trim back, it will be done. In my experience it grows strongly till mid-november, then the branches and leaves get mature, *and it grows no more* till the leaves fall, end of May (Autumn here).

 

[leatherback]

Thanks for the tip about the first two leaves.

Thank @Brian Van Fleet who has been propagating this for years; I merely found it somewhere in something he wrote and tried it.

 

[Clicio]

Thank @Brian Van Fleet who has been propagating this for years; I merely found it somewhere in something he wrote and tried it.

Thanks, @Brian Van Fleet !

 

[Trueblackpercula]

She looks great

 

[Clicio]

UPDATE:

It's the end of the Spring here and after trimming mid-spring, and pruning the first two leaves on the important branches to promote back budding, mixed conclusions:
The new shoots look healthy and ready to take off, but I couldn't find any back budding from the trimmed leaves axils. I guess they will sprout only next Spring?
@Brian Van Fleet ? @leatherback ?

 

[River's Edge]

When you pruned for back budding did you prune the apical tip at the end of the branch to stimulate back budding? In my experience this is the key. Reducing the auxin influence allows cytokinin to promote more lateral growth with new buds.

 

[leatherback]

I guess they will sprout only next Spring?

I have had both. But the main thing I see is that removing the leaves reduces forming of flowerbuds and encourages viable vegatative buds the next spring.

 

[River's Edge]

When the apical tip is pruned at the same time, the result is usually fairly quick. Here is the example from this years experiment. I pruned the leaves and the apical tips on May 24th, the next picture is June 10th. A little over two weeks and you can see the lateral extensions and new leaf growth easily. The plant to compare with the second photo is the one on the left of the original photo. Hope this helps.

 

[Clicio]

When you pruned for back budding did you prune the apical tip at the end of the branch to stimulate back budding? In my experience this is the key. Reducing the auxin influence allows cytokinin to promote more lateral growth with new buds.

Thanks, and yes, I did prune the apical tip.
Lets hope for the best!

 

[River's Edge]

The new growth looks really healthy. Success is just around the corner. Variables are many, certainty is elusive!

 

[Trueblackpercula]

Awesome information thank you