Pinus nigra development pruning question

[Rare plant Pat]

Hi everyone,

hope you're all winding down from an involved year.

I've got a P nigra in development and wanted to check in that it will backbud in a similar way to JBP if cut back. The branches all have a full complement of needles and its been well fed and growing strongly. Will it bud back below this years growth if I cut it hard?

[Ryceman3]

Hi everyone,

hope you're all winding down from an involved year.

I've got a P nigra in development and wanted to check in that it will backbud in a similar way to JBP if cut back. The branches all have a full complement of needles and its been well fed and growing strongly. Will it bud back below this years growth if I cut it hard?

I would think the chance of needle buds forming below the cut site is similar to JBP or Scots given good health and vigour as described. I am planning to use the same kind of technique with mine, which are only young (2-3 years) so I think it should be fine for them.

[shibui]

I don't grow Pinus nigra but offer the following based on info gleaned from other sources:

I believe that Pinus nigra are considered a single flush species.
They will certainly bud from needles and occasionally from bare wood when pruned hard but the buds may not extend and open this summer but should grow the following spring.
The recommendations I have seen is to treat them like Japanese white pine, Mugho and other single flush pines.

[Watto]

I have only very little experience with this species and I concur with what Shibui said in relation to treating them like a single flush pine. I have a couple of Scots pines and they appear to react to interventions in a very similar manner.

[Rare plant Pat]

Yes they are single flush - I think Ryan Neil classes them as single flush in the way sylvestris is. So cutting back now would be fine on Sylvestris so possibly ok with Nigra understanding that any buds formed will push next spring?

[shibui]

Yes they are single flush - I think Ryan Neil classes them as single flush in the way sylvestris is. So cutting back now would be fine on Sylvestris so possibly ok with Nigra understanding that any buds formed will push next spring?

That's my understanding too. It does not seem to matter what time of year you prune, the tree will just wait until the following spring to grow new shoots from the needles near the ends of all branches. I have done that with a mugho pine for many years and the tree seems fine.

[Rare plant Pat]

Thanks Neil, - Walks away and sharpens cutters ...