headees
Active member
So was this, This is a very interesting read if you have the time.
After reading this i decided id do a little research to verify your claims! I came across this website which discusses some basic plant hormonal cycles and the advantages of pruning.
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pruning2.htm
If you dont want to read the 7 page report this guy did then here is my abstract.
The tips of each steam (terminal buds) produce auxin (hormone responsible for growth regulation) and in turn this auxin slows down the growth of buds BEFORE the terminal bud... Auxin also travels to the roots where it regulates growth and is then destroyed by the root tips to form cytokinen, another growth regulating hormone. This in turn travels back to the NON terminal buds to further inhibit growth. The result : Strong terminal buds, weak NON terminal buds.
Now here is what Brent walson reckons happens when you break the pathways between the root and buds which transport these hormones (In our case, simply twisting the stem or breaking the vessels)
"Now, alter the pathway. If you prune out the terminal bud and growth during the growing season, you do two things. You remove the food and auxin along this pathway to the roots. The response by the roots will be to wall off those pathways. SIMULTANEOUSLY, YOUR ARE REMOVING THE STRONG AUXIN SIGNAL THAT HAS BEEN KEEPING THE BUDS BEHIND THE TERMINAL BUD SUPRESSED."
After reading this i decided id do a little research to verify your claims! I came across this website which discusses some basic plant hormonal cycles and the advantages of pruning.
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/pruning2.htm
If you dont want to read the 7 page report this guy did then here is my abstract.
The tips of each steam (terminal buds) produce auxin (hormone responsible for growth regulation) and in turn this auxin slows down the growth of buds BEFORE the terminal bud... Auxin also travels to the roots where it regulates growth and is then destroyed by the root tips to form cytokinen, another growth regulating hormone. This in turn travels back to the NON terminal buds to further inhibit growth. The result : Strong terminal buds, weak NON terminal buds.
Now here is what Brent walson reckons happens when you break the pathways between the root and buds which transport these hormones (In our case, simply twisting the stem or breaking the vessels)
"Now, alter the pathway. If you prune out the terminal bud and growth during the growing season, you do two things. You remove the food and auxin along this pathway to the roots. The response by the roots will be to wall off those pathways. SIMULTANEOUSLY, YOUR ARE REMOVING THE STRONG AUXIN SIGNAL THAT HAS BEEN KEEPING THE BUDS BEHIND THE TERMINAL BUD SUPRESSED."
Smokes good though.. 
