Pruning Pinus Parviflora buds.

I'm not sure if i F'ed it up already or if i am okey.
I am trying to give my Pinus a 'fuller' look. What is the best way of doing this?
Not sure if my method is even effective, i pruned a few buds of until around 5 were left (since it is a 5 needle).
Is this the correct way? Or should i just get rid of all the buds so it will grow in width?
Since all the wiring is done, i really what the tree to look a bit more full...
It might look full from the front but when you look down on it, it really doesn't.

Photo tree:


Pruned bud:


With detail, what i did:

Eelo wrote:I'm not sure if i F'ed it up already or if i am okey.
I am trying to give my Pinus a 'fuller' look. What is the best way of doing this?
Not sure if my method is even effective, i pruned a few buds of until around 5 were left (since it is a 5 needle).
Is this the correct way? Or should i just get rid of all the buds so it will grow in width?

You haven't F'ed up, but you clearly do not understand pines. I've anotated one of your photos to help you understand:


The tip of a generic/sterotypical pine branch has a central bud surrounded by a number of other buds. As the buds begin to extend, they look just like candles perched on the branch tips - hence the reason they are called candles. If you leave all of these to grow, their common base will become a fat spot in the stem that is often called a knuckle since the stem will eventually look like a skinny finger, with knuckles (where fingers bend). To prevent this, you are advised to keep only two buds/candles at each branch tip. Frequently there is only one, so you just keep it. Most of the branch tips in your picture have only one candle. Right below the text box 'bud' I see what looks like two candles on a branch tip. I don't see any with more than two, which isn't unusual for p. parviflora.

With p. parviflora the standard technique to balance growth and induce back budding is to break off just the tip of candles in strong areas at about the time you've pictured. So, you've done this by tediously cutting off emergent needle groups. In the future, just gently grasp the tip of the candle between your thumb and forefinger and bend it over - the tip will just break off (a little practice may be required).

Lastly, your tree will start looking fuller as the candles develop into shoots with new needles a little later this year. Next year you will have even more buds that will become yet more new shoots and needles.

Thank you very much for the help.
i guess my explanation was not really correct.
Since english isn't my first language, i do not know some of terms such as candle.
Not even sure if there is a specific word for it in my language. (Just a bud to us)

I'll defintely try this method. I've done my technique for years now since people i know do just the same.
Hope this will help

Eelo wrote:Since english isn't my first language, i do not know some of terms such as candle.
Not even sure if there is a specific word for it in my language. (Just a bud to us)

On p. thunbergii they look just like candles (kaars, bougie, keze).

Eelo wrote:I'll defintely try this method. I've done my technique for years now since people i know do just the same.

Breaking candles is used to make the candles be the same throughout the tree. In fall (after new needles are colored like the old ones) is when you cut to leave 5 rows of needle groups (fascicles).

Search for Ryan Neal pine pruning lecture on Youtube.it will be one of the most educational 15 mins of bonsai you will ever spend.

JT

I also recommend the Ryan Neil lecture. You might watch 1 and 2, but here it's about a single flush pine. You do have some backbudding (knoppen terug op ouder hout) on your pine. The growth of this year is not that big or strong. Sometimes it's better to let it strengthen a bit by letting it grow, feeding it good in fall and adequate watering. This last thing is not the most easy part in JWP. We do not have the best climate for this type of pine, but its not impossible.

Terminologie: buds (knoppen), terminal buds (eindknoppen, bij witte dennen vaak slechts één en dit geeft voor een stuk aan dat de boom te zwak is om er meer te produceren). Candles (kaarsen, deze ontstaan als de knoppen beginnen te groeien in de lente). Shoots (Bij ons, ongeveer eind juni zijn de kaarsen volledig uitgegroeid en gaan de naaldjes open. Men noemt dit dan scheuten, eigenlijk is het gewoon een nieuw takje.)
Uiteindelijk is het de bedoeling om een volle boom te krijgen. Witte dennen vormen niet snel knoppen terug tot op ouder hout. Als ze dit wel doen laat je deze knoppen verder ontwikkelen door ze te laten groeien. Dit kan je doen door de groei hogerop te remmen zodat de nieuwe eindknop voor volgend jaar weg is. Ofwel laat je alles doorgroeien en dan kan je over een paar jaar terugsnoeien op de kort gegroeide takjes. Niet zo eenvoudig...

Breaking candles is mostly done early in spring on refined material. Vigor will be less and backbudding is unlikely to come. Wait longer and cut, but do cut between the needles and not trough them.