Abbotsford News Saturday, February 5, 2011
Right time to prune After visiting Japan a few years ago, my perspective on pruning certainly changed. From a country where virtually every ornamental tree is pruned severely, for cultural, artistic and space reasons, we can learn many things about trimming trees. One of our biggest mistakes in landscaping is allowing trees to grow until they become so large they are overpowering. Overgrown trees are difficult to prune back hard and yet still keep them looking attractive. It’s also difficult to prune back new landscape plants, especially when you’re wanting your trees to grow quickly and fill in. I’m afraid, however, it is something that must be done. Many people hesitate to prune an evergreen because they are afraid of ruining the tree. Its shape can certainly be distorted by incorrect pruning, but seldom is the tree destroyed. Experimenting with a few trees in your landscape is one of the best ways to learn, and mistakes can usually be corrected. Armed with a little basic information and common sense, anyone can prune their landscape plants. Timing, however, is everything. The best time to begin pruning most evergreens is
Whether its flowers, plants or trees, the secret to a successful pruning is timing. now. Evergreens or conifers are the easiest of all trees to prune. Tall growing cedars and cypress can be pruned with quality, sharp two-handed grass shears for light trimming, or with electric or motorized hedge shears for heavy going. Simply prune following the natural shape of the tree. Columnar cedars, such as ‘smaragds’ and ‘pyramidalis’ should be pruned in narrow columns, and trees like Golden
Cedars and Green Cypress should be pruned in a little wider pyramidal form for the ultimate effect in a landscape. Their tops can be cut off at any height. Their sides must be sheared yearly to maintain an attractive form. The secret to maintaining good colour and new growth is to prune into the soft wood of last year’s growth. Cutting into the old hard wood results in rather shaggy-looking Continued on A28
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