No you cannot pruned them into the stem. That plant needs all the energy it can get, besides.

Follow the directions for your sulfur product and stop with the rest of the fertilizing. Ultimately (because of your soil type) you've created a situation that will require life-time applications of sulfur in order to keep the ph at a tolerable level.

Shaping pines is done by candle pruning, only. When the candles aka new-growth extends and the needles begin unfolding, you can cut the candle anywhere and from that spot a bud will form (for the next year). This is the only time you may prune a pine.

Dax

OMG!!!

step away from the plant.. and leave it alone..

snap a pic if you want a real impression...

inside of 4 weeks.. you have fert'd it.. amended the soil for pH.. and now want to fert again ... crikely.. does fert and soil amendments work that fast thru the plant???

and all this on a plant that is not even yet 'established'.. being less than a year in situ ...

can we see a picture..

you are working on that curve i call.. LOVING A PLANT TO DEATH ....

and .. just yesterday someone called a spruce a pine.. are we sure on the ID????

BTW.. what you describe.. i would call winter damage.. and nothing need be done.. so get us a pic.. to SEE what you are talking about. ..

good luck ...

ken

LOL Thanks Ken, I'll step away. I don't have a camera so can't send a pic but thank you. All of the soil and compost was imported last year by a landscape designer, creating a large planting area and 3-4 foot mounds. I did not think to add something like cottonseed meal at the time and had no reason to test soil ph as I had a contractor doing the work but . . . now that I've actually tested the soil and found it to be quite alkaline (you know those little tester kits, well it came out hunter green) need I do something? All the other plants appear to be doing well. Granted the large Hinoki has some browing but that is to be expected; I simply added some iron.

Dax, you have me worried. You said I created a lifetime situation - what would you recommend for the future?

I probably should have come to you first before I getting advice from the Master Gardeners at the local Grange.