assess it next year. with spruce you need a visible bud and you'd still be smart to wait.

Dax

I don't think that is accurate. New buds won't form on 2010 growth, only on your 2011 growth.

long story short, you need a bud. wait.

Dax

Earlier this year, I was surprised to discover buds forming on old spruce wood.

In the past few days, I've noticed them developing on some old hard pine wood as well. Don't know if this is common, or not.

What is the answer to new growth on old wood?

Sometimes not and sometimes they will as shown above by sluice?

I've read and have been told that the golden rule on Picea and Pinus is that new buds will only develop on new wood.

Sluice, is it quite possible that those were just dormant buds that never popped on the old wood?

Whaas, that makes sense to me.

It might have something to do with adventitious buds. The Dave's Garden website gives two definitions:
1. Buds that develop in places other that at the end of a twig or in leaf axils. They appear when pruning or wounding stimulates their development.
2. Latent or dormant bud on a stem or root often invisible until stimulated into growth.

buds on so-called dead branches may also pop next year. You just never know until you wait.

Dax