Best time to pinch junipers to create pads

[longd_au]

Hi

When is the best time to pinch juniper foliage to create pads?
I read unlike pines, juniper energy comes from the foliage tips and excessive removal of the foliage tips can weaken and eventually kill the plant.
I noticed some of my junipers are starting to show green tips which indicate time to re-pot. Is this a good time to pinch the tips as well?

Thanks,
Dennis

[alpineart]

Hi Longd_au , I believe they can be pinched any time but selective pinching or trimming is better then complete trimming as that does weaken and stall most plants . I used to have a timetable of sorts now i just trim regularly throughout the year on all my material deciduous , pines , junipers and natives and haven't seen an adverse affect or death from doing so . Re-potting and root pruning is a different kettle of fish .

Cheers Alpineart

[longd_au]

Thanks AlpineArt.

That does make sense.

[thoglette]

Is this a good time to pinch the tips as well?

Locally, the view is that the only good time to pinch tips is just before a show.

The rest of the time one should not pinch tips at all, rather remove complete branchlets.

That's the received wisdom.

[bunce]

Short answer spring.

Long answer it depends: However pinching when growing will remove Auxin production from those buds, and allow weaker or dormant buds behind to extend. Pinching in Autumn and winter won't do anything.

Pinch with conviction: Think about which buds and halting the growth of buds in areas where you need foliage. Pinching the whole tree won't get you where you need to be anywhere nearly as quickly as pinching where you need growth.


Take a branch with foliage gaps, Find the areas that need to grow, and pinch the buds are the top of those branches, then do what we call "chase for foliage back'. That is: following the foliage and it back buds down the branch. You'll need to do this a few times over a growing season.


Hope it helps.

Matt

P.s. google AUXIN and its role in plant development to get a clearer picture of why branches elongate and why it's difficult to get a nice foliage pad.