Tim

I hope Michael's chart came out better for you than I got on
the Digest version...

The simple answer to your queston is C. All of the above.
You can do it either of the ways mentioned with varying
results.

A lot of what you do depends on what you've already done
this year. I've seen countless people give up on JBPs
because they push them unto the brink of death.

I use the fall as a final balancing opportunity, mostly.
Mine are all in various stages at the moment so I am needle
thinning, selecting buds, trimming and pruning, decandling,
all right now but to a lesser extent than I would in the
main growing season.

The ideal, of course, is to have everything open at once and
be of consistent size...

Realistically, your tree is most likely not balanced, with
candles opening up at different times; you more or less have
to just pick a time when you think pretty much all is opened
up and do it. You can do it all at once or do the weak
areas first followed by the strong areas. You may also
divide into three areas of vigor. Typical recommendation is
a week to ten days apart. What you are actually waiting for
is signs of bud movement in the first decandled area.

The important consideration again, is how well your pines
are fed and you should not have had any major onslaughts in
the recent past- i.e., repot with severe root pruning,
dehydrations, major pruning, etc. If this is the case, it's
best to let them wait till spring.

I have my pines back in full sun as much as possible right
now to extend the growth period.

Lastly, if you have specific goals in mind- a particular
branch needs work only, you can focus in on that area only.

Jim Stone
Galveston, TX

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