How to properly prune spruce?

Growing coniferous plants on the site involves not only feeding and watering, but also more complex manipulations. Spruce pruning is an important part of tree health and is also a good way to adjust the density and shape of its crown. But it is not enough to distinguish between the types of "haircuts", you also need to know the rules for their implementation. How to prune a spruce tree? What cutting and crown shaping scheme is suitable for decorative subspecies? How to trim a spruce tree in the garden so that it grows upward? These questions are of serious interest to novice gardeners and lovers of original landscapes. If the conifers on the local area have grown and turned into indistinct shapeless plants, it is worth thinking about a haircut as a radical measure of transformation.

The beauty of conifers fascinates and attracts many owners of summer cottages or backyards. But as they grow, the spruce also needs the correct formation of the crown, stretching the silhouette to a perfect cone. If pruning is not carried out, the tree grows in width, gives many additional shoots, or even turns into a giant. In order for the crown to grow up, it is not enough just to take good care of the spruce. Ideal New Year's trees in nurseries are obtained through painstaking work; achieving a similar result is quite within the power of the owner of a country house who works in the garden on his own.

The main purpose of a spruce haircut is to change the shape of its crown. This is done for the splendor of the branches covered with needles. At the same time, the areas located at the very trunk are processed already during a sanitary haircut and ensure the removal of broken and dried branches. If, in an effort to make the spruce more luxuriant, the owner overdoes it, you can also remove excess density with regular pruning. Such care will ensure the penetration of light into the crown of the crown, prevent the development of fungus, the appearance of parasitic insects. A decorative haircut is a way to make the planting of ephedra more interesting and original. In this case, you can turn the spruce into a complex spiral or ball, give it the appearance of tongues of flame or any other curly shape.

Nursery owners often choose to pinch rather than prune their plants. But in the case of a spruce in a personal plot, this work may be too laborious. Pinching implies complete or partial breaking of young shoots, which noticeably slows down plant growth. This can significantly complicate the further formation of the crown, but in a small area it may well replace sanitary pruning for young trees under the age of 3 years. Pinching is necessary if the tree is planned to be subjected to curly pruning in the future - so its needles will become as lush as possible.

Fir trees are cut with a pruner or a garden saw. When pruning, the entire branch or part of the trunk is cut down that has been damaged or needs to be removed due to the wrong direction of growth. That is, in this case, more intensive sanitization is performed, while pinching simply eliminates the uncontrolled growth of the tree.

Many are interested in what time frame is best to choose for pruning conifers. Spruce can be cut for sanitary purposes periodically, as the crown grows. But the older the tree, the more often it will have to be pruned. For example, a tree 2.5 m in height will add about 0.5 m in just a year. And a four-meter spruce will grow by 0.7–1 m. Of course, such sizes are more typical for wild forest species. Cultivated decorative varieties in the climate of the Russian central zone often do not even reach 2 m.

There are basic rules and individual cutting schemes, with the help of which ordinary spruce easily turns into a tree with a spherical or spiral crown. The first pruning for crown formation can be carried out with a tree at least 3 years old. The spruce should grow up to 0.5-1 m, in the future it will need to be pruned, restraining the growth of the crown in height. To make a cone-shaped tree a ball, you need to cut off the apical shoots, stimulating lateral growth. So that the lower branches of the forest spruce do not dry out, exposing the trunk, you need to periodically cut off the apical processes. Young trees are mainly treated with garden shears. An adult spruce, which already has the desired shape, is trimmed with a hedge trimmer, no more than 1/3 of the shoots are cut at a time. At the initial stage, one bud length is manually removed along the entire crown, mainly in the upper part of the plant.

In order to correctly perform a decorative or curly haircut of fir trees on the site, to give them the desired shape, it is worth following such general recommendations as:

• choose the right time - it is better to cut the spruce in cloudy weather, on a cool day; under the scorching sun, the evaporation of moisture by the tree intensifies, and its needles can acquire a brown tint;
• carry out preliminary sprinkling - wet needles are not so intensively dehydrated, easier to prune; in addition, there will be no risk of blunting the tool;
• perform the first treatment on time - it is carried out upon reaching the first year of the tree's life, after the completion of its acclimatization, it is performed by pinching, with additional sanitary pruning;
• when forming topiary, take into account the natural shape, following the natural lines of the crown, it is possible to achieve an easier formation of a harmonious and long-lasting shape of the silhouette of the crown;
• remove 1/3 of the growth every season, which will allow you to form a dense lush crown in a short time;
• do not leave the branches naked - if, when pruning, the shoots are completely deprived of needles, they will not be able to continue their growth; the absence of dormant buds will lead to their drying out and death;
• protect eyes, hands, clothes - work in the garden must be carried out in compliance with safety requirements; a branch that has flown off can harm your eyesight or scratch, and the resin is very poorly washed from wardrobe items;
• use only sharp and clean tools - garden knives, scissors, secateurs require sharpening, during work they must be wiped from moisture with a dry cloth, at the end of the procedure, the blades are treated with hot water and soap, and thoroughly dried.

Among the options for curly haircuts performed for firs, the following can be distinguished:

• pyramid;
• cone;
• sphere;
• cylinder;
• cub.

The use of schemes allows you to make a haircut accurate and not too traumatic for the tree. Hat the initial stage, it is better to choose simple shapes, with clear geometry, then the result of the wizard's work will be attractive.

To obtain the conical shape of a spruce, it is necessary to observe the proportions between the height of the crown and the diameter of the base 3: 2 during its growth. That is, a tree of 1.5 m in height should have a lower diameter of branches of 1 m. To obtain it, you need to use a special wire frame, which will form the desired silhouette. The procedure will include several steps.

1. Installation of the frame. It is fixed as evenly as possible, otherwise, instead of a decorative spruce, a crooked tree will appear on the site.
2. Pruning the upper shoot. It is carried out in a place where a young sprout remains near the cut. The optimum height of the top (central conductor) is no more than 2 m. The pruning is done from the north side of the tree.
3. Cutting shoots that go beyond the established form. With a tapered haircut, they always start trimming from top to bottom, gradually moving towards the base. It is important to keep the lines rounded, otherwise, instead of a cone, you will get a pyramid with flat sides.
4. Final removal of protruding branches. This is done after the main haircut has been completed. So the crown will retain its decorative effect longer.

When growing spruce as part of linear plantings, decorative or topiary cutting of these trees under a hedge is popular. All types are suitable for these purposes, but Picea abies is more commonly used. A hedge is formed from young trees of common spruce no higher than 50 cm. When planting, they should be placed at a distance of 60–100 cm. The best period for cutting is the end of March and the beginning of April.

The order of trimming according to the scheme includes several steps.

1. Installing a template or pulling cords to restrict height and width. It is fixed so that it can be clearly seen.
2. Instrument preparation. A hedge should not be formed with a pruner. You will need garden shears - handheld, electric or gasoline.
3. Cutting off the apical part. It is sheared to the level of the cord or template completely, giving a flat shape. The height depends on the type of hedge.
4. Cutting side shoots. They are shortened by 1/3 or 1/2 of the length. The best option is the one in which the spruce trees are completely closed by crowns and form dense lateral branching. The haircut is repeated annually until the gaps are completely closed.

To cut a spruce in the shape of a ball, you need to follow a certain pattern.

1. Mount the wire frame of the desired shape, fasten it to the barrel. Arcuate lines will determine the shape of the future curly haircut. But experienced craftsmen can cope without it.
2. In a formed "fluffy" tree at least 2 years old from the moment of planting, the top is cut off. Do not cut too short, otherwise the hem will look flat.
3. Moving in an arc from the top of the tree, excess branches are cut off. A line is drawn from the top to the bottom of the trunk. Further, the branches are "tousled" to reveal possible unfinished areas that can break the ideal spherical shape.
4. Then you can go to the other side. Gradually, the crown will acquire the desired rounded shape. The hedge trimmer gives a cleaner and smoother cut, but young trees are best cut with pruning shears.

Even before starting a haircut, it is imperative to thoroughly examine the plant. It should have a bright green, healthy appearance.An abundance of dry branches, unkempt, protruding or crumbling needles may indicate a serious problem. After pruning, the tree may simply dry out or require a complex and lengthy restoration. Ate who undergo curly haircut need the following between treatments:

• intensive feeding;
• moisturizing;
• loosening and mulching of the root soil;
• sprinkling.

Re-trimming should be done after 4–12 months, depending on the growth rate of the tree. The cut branches can be processed into mulch and used for winter plant protection.

For information on how to properly prune conifers, see the next video.