What size trees do you want? And how old are the seedlings? I don't prune mine for several years. The main leader will drive the increase in girth of the trunk. Some recommend chopping the trunk to get lower buds, but mine have buds lower than any I have seen posted here.

Be prepared for a long term project seen more in terms of decades than years, to a completed tree.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out the progress

I remove most of the tap root the first summer then start candle pruning the second summer. Keep I mind my growing season may be a little longer than yours so you may not have candles that need work until fall or the third year. I have some two year old mikawa's that have 8-10 candles and other black pines with just three. Some grow faster than others.

Did you start them indoors? Are they getting leggy because of inadequate light/conditions? I ask because I made that mistake once.

{{gwi:5585}}

This is an image of one of my 3 year old seedlings just after repotting in a mesh pot. The wire marks are visible and intentional, in a very few short years they will simply look like rough bark but allow the trunk girth to double or triple in size in one year. Notice how low the adventitious buds are that have appeared on the trunk, no more than 1-1/4 inch above the nebari.

This tree has never been chopped, the buds are stimulated by the stress of the wire biting in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black pine seedlings

You do not have to wire the trunk to have low budding. The low budding is more from proper needle plucking and candle work. A little 0-10-10 helps also. I have three year olds with branching this low that have never been wired.

I bought some 2&3 yr. old plants, over the web and most were good plants.A few were a little leggy but I have had pretty good luck getting most of them to back bud. This winter I stratified some seeds and they are now coming up. I just wanted to keep these from getting leggy. Thanks everybody for the help. P.S. I want big trees but when you are 51 yrs. old and just starting, someone else may have to finish my JBP. Tim I will try the 0-10-10 ,and would you mind telling a little more on the needle plucking. Thanks JW

JW
Get your seedling in fast draining soil as soon as they can be repotted. Make sure they get at least 5 hours of full sun but don't let them get to dry. About the three year olds, don't worry about needle plucking for now unless they are super bushy...full of needles to the point that sunlight can't get to the branches. Do remove any needles growing up or down on any branch you want to keep in the overall design. Keep only the needles growing to the sides on them. Feed them well and use daconil in the spring to keep the bad stuff away. Make the the best stock you can. I'm planting seeds and growing JB pine stock that will be here when I'm gone. (just turned 43)Our trees will be in furture collections.;)