Evergreen trees are a time-starved gardeners’ dream – that’s because they don’t need much pruning. Even so, some conifers can benefit from some occasional shaping to enhance their natural look, as well as from some light pruning to promote density.
Keep your evergreens ever beautiful with a little shaping.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
With a little work and the right wire-mesh frame, you can hop to a whole new level of evergreen pruning.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
For pruning purposes, conifers can be divided into three groups: pines, conifers with branches that whorl off a main trunk like spokes from an axis (think spruce and fir), and other conifers that have soft growth and random, unwhorled branches (like arborvitae and juniper).
On pines, you can encourage dense foliage by pruning back the growing tips before the needles unfold. To do this, wait until spring or early summer, when the immature needles are packed around the stem and resemble candles. When the developing candles have reached their full length but the needles are still soft, cut them back to one-half their length.
Now for those whorled conifers with a naturally symmetrical growth habit that’s very attractive (firs, spruces and related evergreens) – they rarely need anything more than shaping. You can lightly prune them in winter and use their branches for your holiday decorations. When pruning, always make your cuts so that living, green tissue is left on a stem.
As for those other conifers with a random branching habit (arborvitae, hemlocks, junipers, yews and their kin), they can take a heavier pruning. You can prune them back any time from early spring through the middle of summer, although they’ll grow back most quickly after pruning in spring. It’s always best to avoid cutting into hardened older wood. Instead, be sure some green foliage remains on the part of the branches you cut back.
For a little more guidance in “shape pruning” young needle-bearing evergreen trees to restore symmetry and balance, grab your hand pruners, a pruning saw and gloves, then take the steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions. With a little shear shaping, your evergreens will remain ever beautiful.
Conifers Pruning - Step 1
Check your conifers to see if they need pruning to keep their natural shape. If a conifer develops a forked top, cut away one of the leading shoots with hand shears. The remaining leader will divide and fill the top with new branches.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Conifers Pruning - Step 2
Remove entire branches by making a first cut, upward and halfway into the underside of the branch about 4-6 inches away from the trunk.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Conifers Pruning - Step 3
Remove the branch by cutting downward from the top, half an inch outside the first cut. These cuts avoid skinning bark from the tree.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Conifers Pruning - Step 4
Neaten the cut and prevent disease by removing the stub at the shoulder. Avoid damaging the bark beneath or alongside the cut and grazing any branches with the saw.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Conifers Pruning - Step 5
For naturally symmetrical conifers (cedar, fir, pine and spruce), make 2- to 4-inch-long shaping cuts into the new candles with hand shears. Avoid cuts into old needle areas – it can kill the branch.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Conifers Pruning - Step 6
For dense, branching conifers (arborvitae, hemlock, redwood and yew), use hand shears to make shaping cuts of any length within the needle area of each branch.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
