Pinching out buds. It refers to the work of pinching out new buds in early spring to curb excessive growth of tree tops or branches and make a tree grow evenly. There are two methods to pinch out new buds. One is to cut out new buds with scissors after the buds come out to a certain extent. The other is to cut strong buds open with tweezers and take them away shortly before they start to sprout. In both methods, the key is to trim buds before they become firm and while they are still soft. If the buds are forcibly taken away after they become firm, the buds will be lost or the bud root will turn red and look ugly. So attention should be paid to avoid such an outcome.

translated by Kyodo News