Thanks again. I have had that article printed off at my home for a couple weeks now and I have really tried to read as much as I could about the subject before I started. As a rookie though it is a little overwhelming at the start.
There is a lot of new buds on some of these branches, my question is that some of them are very strong they are 4-5 inches long (woody) and some are 1" long and are quite soft. I know that I want to reduce the size of the buds in the future so would it be best to cut the larger buds in half and leave the others to grow a bit? Or should I also cut those in hopes to keep things as small as possible?
If I don't cut those smaller buds that are closer to the trunk, those will eventually turn into branches and hopefully years down the road I can use those branches instead of the ones further away from the trunk to bring the foliage closer to the trunk?
So what I am thinking is cut all the strong growth this year in half, and leave all the other small stuff to grow a bit? The thing is the small buds are probably the correct size I want do I trim them now to maintain their size?
One thing I need to mention about the article. I believe some of the information was mixed up. Basically it says to cut back new stong growth by 1/3 and weaker growth by 1/2. This should be the reverse. You want to cut back stronger growth more than you would weaker. Actually to simplify this. All you have to do is cut back stong and medium strength growth by 1/2. Leave the weak buds alone.
Although it is good to be cautious. These trees grow incredibly slowly. You have more time than you think. Just to get a branch to set with wire can take 3 years plus or so. So even when you get this tree in some shape and wired, it will be about 4-5 years before it takes. This is taking into account the main and secondary branches.
Anything that is soft growth that is about to harden off can be cut in half. The other growth can be cut back as long as it is not from 3 seasons ago and you leave a good amount of health needles.
Cutting the strong growth in half and leaving the rest might be a good idea. However, you have to have a plan for stylign first. In other words, after your tree is wired and has a rough image, that is when these techniques are useful. I thin kyou need to have the tree somewhat styled a bit. After wiring, branches shorten, end up in different places, go in different directions. Wht you think you might not need, you actually might need in the end.
As far as buds turning into branches down the road. Yes they will. However, a spruce bud will not become a workable branch for maybe 5 years. You have a lot of time. What you don't want is to leave a bunch of buds in one place on the trunk for several years because this will cause bulging. However, even this is like a 5 year plus situation.
Rob