Ok
@River's Edge after reading the recent thread on single flush pines I am in a bit of a conundrum over what seems conflicting info. Some sources indicate they should be pruned back to stop auxin production at the terminal buds and release back buds. Others say the only way to get back budding is to let the trees growing like crazy to promote back buds. At this point I have only gotten what I would consider to be 4 back buds and those aren’t that far back. Last fall I did some moderate pruning as you may remember from the discussion above and then mid-summer cut back the candles after they extended. I got tons of buds at the bases of the cut candles so am set for another profuse flush of growth next spring. So I guess the question is would it be better to just let them all extend and grow profusely to encourage back buds or should I prune them back again and fertilize heavily? Someimte I wish I had bought a Scots’s Pine, they seem to back bud quite well.
I get the confusing part with how you express the concepts.
Pruning back to create a response will get different results based on where you cut back to. Cutting back to the base of a candle. ( decandling) produces buds at the base you cut back to usually and possibly a few back buds. Cutting back beyond the base but still in the area of viable needles, removing the apical candle and the auxin promotes more back budding ! This is usually done after allowing the branch to grow out and extend! This promotes a stronger response when cut back and some back budding due to vigour. Other factors encourage back budding as well, thinning needles to allow light into the interior.
So in short, the things you have retained are all involved, just need to be put together in the correct order to get the response desired.
Single flush are not usually decandled, the candle is usually pruned a certain amount but not removed entirely! Unless the goal is to reduce the overall length and create back buds further in the interior.
The process involves a number of steps and combined techniques. Focussing on one part does not reveal the overall approach! Hope this helps, personally i found the best way to learn complicated processes was hands on with a teacher and guided practise! it is difficult to take the time to include all aspect, edit all phrasing in text or short video.
One short observation.
If i remove the candle or if i remove the same section further back beyond the candle, then i have removed the auxin in the apical candle. The difference is where the new buds will form.