Pom Pom Pine Maintenance

[NJGardener]

I have a couple pom pom pines and one pine shrub that seem a bit over grown. How can I help them become more defined and dense? The stems coming from the pom pom branches only seem to have needles on the last third; the inside is mostly bare or dead needles. Is this normal or a sign of a poor maintenance? Is it permanent? What, if anything, should I do with all the new candles? Here's are the photos on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733933...th/6942753670/ I took these photos today.

Thanks for any suggestions. I'll be sure to follow up.

[NJGardener]

Here's what I was able to dig up:

Prune conifers, such as pines, by removing a portion of the "candle". The "candle" refers to the candle-like appearance of the new growth on the tips of pines in early spring. Once the "candle" has matured, buds present on it usually will not develop and grow; however, removal of the tip of the candle before it matures can stimulate buds into growth. (http://www.thefunplace.com/house/garden/pruning.html)

The Colorado University Extension's master gardening site has a similar recommendation on their page for pruning evegreens (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/618.html).

I've just been shearing some candles (not recommended), pinching others, and leaving yet others alone. I think I just need to wait and see what happens now, but I'd love to hear others' experiences.