One of my longer term projects has been a black pine grown in the ground at Lone Pine Gardens. It looks like a somewhat normal tree save for a few extraneous over-size branches. The large branch in the front is the new apex – the branch on the right is helping the trunk thicken.
Black pine – December 2013
From the right side – note how far forward these branches extend
After closer inspection of the base of the new apex, I figured it was time to remove the escape branch growing to the right.
After removing escape branch
Leaving the remaining escape branch intact will help the trunk continue to thicken while healing the wound left by removing the branch on the right.
With the main cutback done, I removed old needles from the remaining branches.
After removing old needles
Close up showing something closer to the final silhouette
It’s possible that the new apex will reach the desired size in another year or two, at which time I can remove the last escape branch. In the meantime, I’ll let the tree grow so the apex can continue to thicken.
