The Art Of Pruning Evergreen Trees
Conifers, cone bearing trees and all the conical trees fall under the category of evergreen trees. All the evergreen trees have needle shaped leaves which they shed from time to time. But the best part about these trees is that they do not shed these leaves all at the same time. Unlike other trees, these evergreens do not need timely pruning at all. Only fruit trees and decorative trees need timely pruning.
The tree structure
Evergreen trees usually have a lead branch that directly pops out from the trunk of the tree. All the other branching stem themselves out from this main lead branch. So whenever the new lead branch is budding out, the older branch falls out. This way the proper coning shape of the tree is achieved. The case is quite the reverse in the older and much matured trees. The falling out of the secondary lead in such matured trees will cause a relatively more harm than good. Pines, spruces and firs fall under this type. The random branching type are the traditional Christmas trees. Yew, Cedar and juniper fall under this category of random branching evergreens.
The pruning of evergreens
The pruning of evergreens is required only when the head or the lead branch of the tree is dead or if the tree is diseased or infected. As soon as one finds out that the tree is diseased, one must remove the infected portion of the tree to avoid the spreading. Always remember to trip branches that comprise of the needles. Also trimming all the needles is not advisable since it might lead to the gradual death of the branch.
The three cut method
- Cut from 12 inches from the branch, cutting from the top.
- Make the second cut about an inch from the first one.
- The final cut should be made just above the collar.
If you want control over your tree’s height prune during the summer. If you want your tree to reach heights prune during the spring. If it is just to avoid the disease, pruning can be done at any time of the year. Always keep your pruning blades clean and sharp and hire a tree pruning company to achieve best results.