SCOTS PINE bud thinning (or ??)

[Mike Corazzi]

I'm reading a lot of conflicting info on buds on SCOTS pines.
Some say do NOT thin the buds and others say to do it selectively.
This tree has been through a lot. Slipped and broke the pot last...summer...
Our bonsai group leader gave me a plastic grow pot with a LOT of open bottom. AND new soil to correct the yellow tips hopefully.
What do you think on this progression of pix that I should do with the buds? Thin them out or do as what ...some... Google tips say and just do NOTHING ..because...it is a Scots pine?

The last pic is an overall of the tree. It's way too bright but it shows the structure as it sits today.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'd like to know how you got it to bud that much in the first place!
I select buds in winter on scots pine. Late winter, because they tend to push some extra buds at the end of that season, just before spring. It's a real small timeframe.

My scots double flush most of the time, so I feel fine doing bud selection.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Personally let all/most buds grow/harden off first for all possible benefit to trunk growth. After harden off then select keeper sprouts. Exception to bud removal is if one will crowd needed or especially weak needed bud for future. This is personal practice. Maybe some better method available?
Nice looking tree.

 

[R3x]

Just watched Ryan Neil's videos on pines on Youtube. If the tree is in refinement stage he says to let them grow all and then after they harden select the ones you want to keep. The idea being the strength/energy will be distributed to all new shoots. If you remove most now the energy will go to much fewer shoots and these will grow longer/larger needles/...

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I'd like to know how you got it to bud that much in the first place!
I select buds in winter on scots pine. Late winter, because they tend to push some extra buds at the end of that season, just before spring. It's a real small timeframe.

My scots double flush most of the time, so I feel fine doing bud selection.

This one only does one flush. I think putting it in that open bottom plastic pot was the key. I've found that plastic pots full of bottom holes will cure almost any stressed tree in my experience.
Catlin elm to olive to pine..... all respond very well to the plastic pot with lots of air holes.

I also fertilize heavily in the end of winter/first start of spring.
Organic and even... MIRACLE GROW.... (light blue 1 scoop per gallon of water).

What @Potawatomi and @R3x posted also jibes with what I read on the Scots.

Let it run.

My JBPs this year have enormous candles.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I fertilize year round with scots pines, except for winter. In the summer I only use half the dosage though. Last year I had them all double flushing. This year the medium is more free draining, so we'll see if that has any positive effect. Extra holes are something I can't do right now, I'm only able to water my plants once a day.
Thanks for explaining your techniques though!

Right now, all I can say is that they bud equally well as JBP. True champions for my climate! JBP tends to die from the frosts.
That's why I own close to a 100 scots pines right now.

The thing with energy distribution is one part, the other part would be that if you cut developing candles/buds, most of the energy invested in them will never return to the tree. I cut my shoots, when hardened off, back to around 6-8 pairs of needles.

It keeps internodes short and it allows for vigorous back budding. Maybe not what you're looking for in refinement stages, I've never been that far. But it might help someone else.

But bud selection is still the end of winter for me. At that time, very little energy has been invested in the buds and loss is minimal, while balancing is optimal. And then they surprise me by making a few extra buds here and there.