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tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning hints

Thank you.....I've actually read that one b4...I think I was more concerned about the timing issue and the minimizing of the sap loss/ minimizing injury because I read somewhere that if u prune while dormant. It will minimize sap issues???? I looooove all my plants sooo much that I tryyyy to do what's best for them and me :)

hey

except for removing multiple leaders .. or damaged material ....

i am a firm believer it letting the plant be.. what the plant wants to be ...

as i recall .. and that is always speculative.. you have a brand new collection .... exactly what do you plan on pruning ...

i suspect that most of us.. would suggest NO canopy removal for the first 2 years after transplant ... leaves.. aka needles .... are the food making machine... why take them off.. when you are trying to re-establish a rootmass???

so before i would tell you how to go about lopping off limbs.. i am curious what you have in mind ...

ken

ps: a lot of conifers ooze sap naturally .... i suspect it might be one of the lesser reasons to think about when coming up with a pruning regiment ...

I'm with Ken on this :-) Generally, unless you are shearing to create a hedge or cloud pruning selected species to develop a bonsai'd or topiary effect, conifer pruning is pretty simple -- don't. Some training or remedial pruning to correct growth issues may be necessary early on and to remove dead or damaged wood but by and large, there is no other benefit to pruning conifers. And certainly not for size control. If you need the plant to be smaller, you've selected the wrong plant or sited it improperly.

Candling is a bit different - it is done more to slow growth than to remove growth and is more akin to pinching back than to cutting out. Remember that with most conifers - unlike other woody plants - what you remove with pruning will not grow back.