Hello everyone,

Can I prune new growth before it has hardened off?

thank you!

Sure. Just make sure you prune for the right reason. Noot all trees need pruning all the time..

Thank you Leather back. It's a Larch and I pruned it at the end of March and it really grew out a lot and was looking like a bush. I just started less than a year ago and have purchased all the courses Bonsai Empire offer and am focusing right now on the fundamental course, mostly the horticulture side right now. I need to learn to keep them alive and want to put my energy into watering, fertalizing, and pest control mainly, but also dabble in the pruning and wiring ( i.e. Design)!

Thanks again

With a larch pinching the tips out will promote back budding, creating greater volume instead of being long and spindly. Nigel Saunders on you tube has some good videos on the subject.

ColinW wrote:

With a larch pinching the tips out will promote back budding,

This is the first time I hear someone claim Larch does backbudding in any reliable form. As far as I know, larch does not backbud, except for here and there a bud over several years.

I apologize if my information is incorrect. I was told that young growth will if it hasn't hardened off. That's why I said pinch the tips out. But as I said I do apologize if I'm passing on wrong information

ColinW wrote:

I apologize if my information is incorrect. I was told that young growth will if it hasn't hardened off. That's why I said pinch the tips out. But as I said I do apologize if I'm passing on wrong information

OK, this I would not refer to as backbudding. For me (!?) backbudding is when buds appear on old wood. I do pinch growth three, four times a season to stimulate bud formation at the base of young shoots.