Seasonal work!

markyscott

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What do you use for aphids?
Usually nothing. They’re easy enough to knock off with water. If its a heavy infestation, ill use some insecticidal soap.

S
 

markyscott

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In Houston, July is decandling season for Black Pine. Steps involved are:

  1. Cut the candle straight across the neck separating the new growth from last years needles. Leave a short nub of the neck above the old needles.
  2. Thin the growth. Prune for branch structure and to ensure there is enough room for the density of needles to come.
  3. Pull needles. Find the area of the tree with the lowest density of needles. Reduce the needle density on the stronger areas so they are closer to the needle density of the weaker areas. Keep minimum of 4-5 pairs of needles on each shoot.5ACB2175-7D04-443D-BF1D-2F0F9369317F.jpeg7B455088-3C3C-4234-9B98-D06696376009.jpeg
 

markyscott

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Summer is also the time for “cut back” on your broadleaf trees in development. I use the phrase to distinguish the act of pruning to growing side shoots from “pinching” the growing tips. Here’s the process:

Start with a branch:
2934AC8F-4B71-478C-88D4-AEAD9959E8EA.jpeg

Cut back to a growing side shoot and remove old leaves like this:
F0134141-D8DB-47DF-B28A-96FC9CB92057.jpeg

Then wire the branch to shape.

- S
 
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In Houston, July is decandling season for Black Pine. Steps involved are:

  1. Cut the candle straight across the neck separating the new growth from last years needles. Leave a short nub of the neck above the old needles.
  2. Thin the growth. Prune for branch structure and to ensure there is enough room for the density of needles to come.
  3. Pull needles. Find the area of the tree with the lowest density of needles. Reduce the needle density on the stronger areas so they are closer to the needle density of the weaker areas. Keep minimum of 4-5 pairs of needles on each shoot.View attachment 386193View attachment 386192
If you want to cut past a candle, to push the growth back, is now a good time?
 

KiwiPlantGuy

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Hi @markyscott ,
Great thread here, with lots of learning.
Two questions -
1st - this I don’t understand in my development of tridents and other opposite leaf species. So I wire my branches and then cutback to the second buds. Then I get two sets of subsequent growth. Do I cut one side of each growth to get alternating growth, or am I doing it wrong and I should just cut back to one bud after wiring? (and keep with the opposite branching like 2 then 4 then 8 etc
2nd - this one is much easier to answer. One of your previous pictures show a 5 litre container of Humic acid. Does the 60 written on the container equal 60mls or 60 something imperial?
Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer my questions esp #1.
Charles
 

plant_dr

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The 60 would have to be Milliliters. It would take forever to count 60 tablespoons or any other measurement. Plus that would be a lot of product used per batch! I'm sure there's mL marked on the syringe to extract ftom those cups.
 

KiwiPlantGuy

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The 60 would have to be Milliliters. It would take forever to count 60 tablespoons or any other measurement. Plus that would be a lot of product used per batch! I'm sure there's mL marked on the syringe to extract ftom those cups.
Hi,
Post #56, yep I didn’t read that very well!
Thank you anyway,
Charles
 

markyscott

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Hi @markyscott ,
Great thread here, with lots of learning.
Two questions -
1st - this I don’t understand in my development of tridents and other opposite leaf species. So I wire my branches and then cutback to the second buds. Then I get two sets of subsequent growth. Do I cut one side of each growth to get alternating growth, or am I doing it wrong and I should just cut back to one bud after wiring? (and keep with the opposite branching like 2 then 4 then 8 etc
2nd - this one is much easier to answer. One of your previous pictures show a 5 litre container of Humic acid. Does the 60 written on the container equal 60mls or 60 something imperial?
Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer my questions esp #1.
Charles
Alternating and opposite leaf pattern is slightly different. I’ll post a picture to explain. “60” is 60ml.

- S
 

pandacular

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I was bummed to get to the end of the thread and not get fall and winter work included. Totally get it with your big move though!
 

pandacular

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No need to apologize, it's your thread! I'm the type of beginner who is mildly obsessed with figuring out the "correct" timing of application of technique. Of course I've come to realize that there is no correct timing per se, more like correct conditions, both in the tree and the environment. However, I still love to learn about the timing of different operations that work for others, and your trees speak for themselves on whether it works for you!
 
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