Refining/Maintaining Shimpaku Foliage

[mrcasey]

As I understand it, the most accepted method for refined shimpaku foliage pruning, to do the following.

1. Clean out dead foliage.
2. Remove downward growing stems and foliage.
3. On each foliage clump, cut the strong extended runners back to a vigorous fork in the foliage clump.
4. Remove the weak foliage that typically grows closer to the base or behind each branch's foliage clump.

The idea is that the very strongest and very weakest growth is removed, thereby balancing vigor on all areas of the
tree.

The work is typically done in very early summer and then again in mid/late summer.

Do I have it right?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

As I understand it, the most accepted method for refined shimpaku foliage pruning, to do the following.

1. Clean out dead foliage.
2. Remove downward growing stems and foliage.
3. On each foliage clump, cut the strong extended runners back to a vigorous fork in the foliage clump.
4. Remove the weak foliage that typically grows closer to the base or behind each branch's foliage clump.

The idea is that the very strongest and very weakest growth is removed, thereby balancing vigor on all areas of the
tree.

The work is typically done in very early summer and then again in mid/late summer.

Do I have it right?

Mostly. Do not remove any interior foliage (even weak) if you are hoping to shorten a branch, or get back-budding on a branch. Leave it all (on that branch) in the hopes that it might strengthen and/or create back-budding.

 

[bwaynef]

I've posted this to several similar threads, but it was very informative to me. It shows how to clean juniper/shimpaku foliage & how to arrange it. As far as cutback, I haven't found a great illustration. You want to always be refining, while also leaving options for the next refinement that's necessary. Remove crotch growth unless that's what you're going to cut back to.

Also, I differ with the advice given above. I'd prefer to remove the weak foliage and grow a backbud into place. Removing weak foliage seems to really promote vigor at the tips, which (vigor) is what drives backbudding, either along the branch or from a preceding crotch.