Hi Marie Elena, So nice to hear from you.

Both the PBN and Diamond King typically have a Low growing habit with most branches growing horizontally. If the Leader branch was pruned down so as to form some lateral branches from the nodes would give it a nice balanced shape. I mentioning this, I did find with a few of mine that they tended to grow symmetrical on their own. I did prune a few, as Karcharat had told me this would be fine to encourage the shape I was after. This plant I am going to try and add is of a friend of mine of her PBN. **Not my Photo.

Rick

Correction: The PBNs are Thai Socos. I mistakenly listed them above as Arabicums. Can you believe I'm so type A that the mistake came to me in the middle of the night? LOL.

So, Rick, you believe the branching around the base will catch up to the leader? It looks so long and crooked to me and I like things with more symmetry. However, I DO respect the fact that they grow as they grow in nature. I don't know why those leaders bent like that ... They're all in direct sun. Perhaps they're just trying to get horizontal like the rest.

Maybe to much shaking making them grow that way have things settled down there or is it still shaking

roger

The Thai Soco's should grow with all branches in a compact and more horizontal than upward.

I had some have their central leader bend off like this.

To keep them in a compact and symmetrical shape, Elena. I would be tempted to prune out the tall leaders in a manner that the 'new' laterals will be at same height as the side branches. If this makes sense. It done all the time in Thailand. I try to prune any branches that want to take off and keep them similar.

Rick

Hi, Roger ... Still shaking and rumbling over here. In fact, we're rumbling right now. We had a 5.3 two days ago and a couple of 4.somethings since. The shaking is constant and a bit unnerving.

Rick, you have some beauties there with good form. Perhaps the high humidity here is the culprit. I think I'm going to have to cut all the leaders. That should also stimulate branching throughout.

I left these out of substrate a week to see if I could separate the roots a little. No dice! They are short and squat; not pliable at all. I'm going to let them grow another year and check again.

Maria Elena

Thank you, Stuart. I received your message that said:

"I don't prune my arabicums and Thai Soco's, maybe in the future."

OK! So zero cutting! How old are the majority of these plants? Did you cut the roots to train? I ask because my roots are so short and squat.

Following