Hi all - 1st posting (great forum) - I bought a dormant b. schlechtendalii this fall, guessing 8-10 yrs. old, nice trunk, but leggy. It started to leaf out a couple weeks back, so I did some preliminary pruning. I've worked with many trees and shrubs before, know proper general pruning techniques, stayed well clear of branch collars etc. The tree responded well to the cutting, leafing vigorously from the main trunk. HOWEVER, everywhere I've cut a branch it appears to be dying back to at least the next-back node, leaving each branch with a dry stumpy end (in some cases, the whole branch). This typical? Poses problems for long-term shaping. Any thoughts? Thanks.