white and black pine technical build question

[Jason_mazzy]

ok it is my understanding that you can only have two junctions at any one point in a pine or you get swelling. so to me that has always meant 1 trunk and one branch. then you need a certain space then the next trunk and branch.

I recently saw a show pine that had what appeared to be several places with competing branches on each side.

have I been designing pines wrong?

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Jason,

I think there is a desired state vs reality.

Regards,
Martin

 

[garywood]

Jason, it's one of those things that can be a potential problem. More than one branch at a point can be visually distracting and also cause swelling at the junction if you don't how to compensate. This is one of those "rules" that one needs to follow until an understanding of how these swellings happen. If there are three different demands from the terminals of the branches, swelling is minimalized. This can be used in design for a time but ultimately has to be addressed. Sometimes you just have to do what you got to do

 

[Jason_mazzy]

Ok. At least my theory was correct. I was addressing some neglected pines and had to make some hard cuts based on my theory. It was hard to make some cuts but I knew it was the right thing to do.

I just wanted to verify that I had done the best thing for the tree.

 

[fourteener]

Handlebars are a distraction that should be avoided visually. But it will become a problem with swelling at some point as well. How much of a problem really depends on how much foliage is allowed to grow on those branches.

A small trimmed set of branches might be okay for several years. It can also get out of hand in a single year. I had a tamarack that got an inverse taper problem during a recovery year.

The problem is heightened when the two branches are on either sides of the trunk when viewed from the front.

 

[Jason_mazzy]

Handlebars are best relieved by using acute angles as per Ryan Neil lecture. I have been using that theory. On a neglected pine it's a bit more difficult.

 

[fourteener]

Handlebars are best relieved by using acute angles as per Ryan Neil lecture. I have been using that theory. On a neglected pine it's a bit more difficult.

Not sure what that means.

 

[Adair M]

Pines naturally grow with a central leader, and whorles of branches. Let unchecked, those whorles can swell and create reverse taper.

Ideally, we only want to have one branch at each whorl. On the outside of the curve. If you need more branches, you can keep two. It's best if one is a side branch, and the other is a back branch, so that they are at a 90 degree angle. Try to avoid the "bar branches". Every branch builds a swelling right at the point where connects to the trunk. Bar branches have this swelling on both sides of the trunk, and it looks like reverse taper.