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japon

By Japon

Derbyshire, United Kingdom Gb

Can you prune a blue spruce?

Was thinking of planting one in a 10m by 10m front garden(middle of the lawn) but they look monsters when fully grown!




Answers

 

I wouldn't recommend pruning them would look very odd.

31 Oct, 2010

 

Yes you can, in fact many of the taller upright growing varieties actually benefit from the practise as it can help make for a better shaped tree in the long run. Side branches can be cut back to any given side shoot axis, this should be done around April, new buds will grow from this point and will help to make for either a bushier or more uniformly shaped tree. Also very common for secondary leaders to appear, which should in most cases also be removed.

31 Oct, 2010

 

Thanks Bluespruce, Could i send you a message? Couple of conifer questions.

1 Nov, 2010

 

I would look for one of the many dwarf or narrowly columnar varieties, though that could take some searching. Keeping a natural shape with pruning takes considerable skill.

1 Nov, 2010

 

Not really Tugbrethil, its just usually a case of selective pruning only, and getting to know the trees a bit in question..
Yes you can message me if you like Japon.

1 Nov, 2010

 

True, Bluespruce, but you and I have a good knowledge of the growing habits of that type of plant, and had years of practice at pruning them. I've found it very difficult to pass that knowledge on verbally! Especially nowadays, when people seem to think of pruning in terms of hedge shears. Someone could learn the hard way, like I did, but some mistakes take years for the tree to recover from. Still, I am being a bit too discouraging--it is a skill that can be learned, and it's really not all that hard. Just learning a new set of techniques, and a way of looking at plant growth.

1 Nov, 2010

How do I say thanks?

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