How to properly trim and shape a spruce tree so that it does not grow upward, pruning

Norway spruce grows quite quickly and reaches a height of more than 10 meters. The culture retains its decorative properties only at a young age. To maintain its appearance, it is worth carrying out regular pruning. They help give the culture the desired shape. Thanks to the correct formation of the crown, it is possible to use tall crops in the landscape design of small areas. How can you prune a spruce so that it does not grow upward?

Do I need to trim the spruce?

Pruning spruce is an important health measure and an effective method of crown formation.Therefore, it will not be possible to do without this procedure. At the same time, today there are different cutting methods:

1. Sanitary – involves getting rid of diseased, dead and broken branches. This procedure prevents the spread of diseases. It is needed for forced correction of the direction of branch growth - for example, if the tree touches communications or shades other plants.
2. Decorative - this procedure helps limit the development of the central conductor and forms a dense crown of regular shape. With its help, it is possible to improve the appearance of the crop.
3. Rejuvenating – involves removing bare branches with a minimum amount of needles and activating the development of new shoots.

Decorative crown formation involves the use of the following techniques:

• thinning - in this case, shoots that are too closely spaced, which disrupt the shape of the crown, are removed;
• pinching - performed when young needles begin to open, and involves partially or completely breaking out part of the candle;
• pruning - involves shortening the top part and trimming the branches to compact the crown.

Also, the haircut can be gentle or short. The first variety involves shortening the branches to the first lateral buds. With the help of short pruning, it is possible to greatly restrain the development of the crown in width.

When to do it

When pruning Norway spruce, it is important to adhere to deadlines. Sanitation is usually carried out before the arrival of cold weather. At this point, some of the needles are falling off from the old branches. As a result, the branches are made bare. The tips of such branches are cut off and some of the needles are left. With the arrival of warm weather, young shoots grow from dormant buds.

From the moment of the first frost until the arrival of spring, you cannot prune the spruce.Otherwise, there is a high probability of the plant freezing, which will lead to the death of the crop.

With the arrival of warm weather, you can begin decorative pruning. It should be carried out after awakening and the beginning of kidney growth. On young trees, shoots are pinched for 3-5 years. Full pruning begins after the spruce reaches the desired size. At the same time, the crown is formed. At the same time, it needs to be given the desired shape. During the summer, it is necessary to maintain the decorative shape of the crown by removing shoots that extend beyond the boundaries.

Consequences of pruning

Trimming a spruce tree is considered an important event. This procedure promotes the formation of a thick and fluffy crown of the correct shape. With this manipulation it is possible to achieve the following effects:

1. Adjust the size of the tree. The top part must be removed when the required height is reached.
2. Create a thick and dense crown. Pruning branches encourages the development of side shoots and helps create a lush silhouette.
3. Give the crown the desired shape. It may resemble a cone, ball or pyramid.
4. Create a hedge. The top part should be cut off when the spruce reaches a height of 2-3 meters. This stimulates the development of side shoots and reduces the interval between neighboring crops.

The spruce pruning procedure often begins as it reaches the required size. It is recommended to start shaping at a young age. It is best to do this from 3 years old. The procedure must be carried out every year. Systematic trimming helps to remove fewer and fewer branches. Young spruce trees, 3-5 years old, only need to be pinched on one-year-old soft shoots.

Immediately after the procedure is completed, the spruce does not look very attractive. Little by little, the cut areas become overgrown and become less noticeable.The results of the work can only be fully assessed after a couple of years.

How to trim a spruce correctly

Most often, spruce is pruned in the spring. Carrying out this procedure helps give the plant an attractive appearance.

In the form of a sphere

Such a crown can be formed using a wire or wooden frame. It needs to be given the required shape and fixed to the trunk. Only experienced designers can work without a frame.

After fixing the wire ball, you need to do the following:

1. Cut the top off a young two-year-old spruce tree.
2. Trim off excess branches on one side. This must be done in an arc. In this case, they start from the top and move down.
3. Ruffle the branches to identify areas that need pruning.
4. Move to the other side and carry out the procedure according to the same principle.
5. Round the bottom of the crown.

Young plants can be pruned with pruning shears. Older spruce trees are trimmed using a hedge trimmer. This device helps to get an even cut. The next time the manipulation is carried out after 4-12 months. To simplify the process of forming a ball, you can first make a cube, after which its corners should be rounded.

Cone

To trim a spruce, you need to maintain the relationship between the height of the crown and the diameter of the base. It is important that it is 3:2. Thus, the size of the lower branches of a tree 1.5 meters high should be 1 meter.

To obtain the desired results, it is recommended to install a wire frame. After this you need to do the following:

1. Trim the top shoot so that the size of the central conductor does not exceed 2 meters.
2. Start trimming shoots extending beyond the cone. In this case, you need to move from the crown to the base. The lines should be smooth.
3. Inspect the tree and remove protruding shoots that do not fit into the shape.

Pyramid

Such a figure can have a different number of faces - from 3 or more. Depending on the shape that is planned to be obtained, a polygon is drawn in the near-trunk circle. After this, you need to install a rail in each corner and fix them at the top. As a result, it will be possible to form the top of the pyramid. After which you need to trim all branches that extend beyond the boundaries limited by the slats. A trimmed spruce will look very decorative.

Cylinder

This shape can be obtained in much the same way as the pyramidal one. However, at the base you need to draw not a polygon, but a circle. Then the slats need to be placed vertically along the entire diameter. The height should match the desired size of the figure. To ensure that the slats stand straight, they can be connected horizontally with wire. Pruning must be done gradually. In this case, you need to move from top to bottom.

Cube shaped

To get a cubic shape, you need to draw a square on the ground around the spruce trunk. It is worth placing slats at its tops that limit the side ribs. They need to be connected from above using 4 horizontal strips that mark the top edge.

Spruce is trimmed using trellis shears. First, the branches should be shortened to a height that is 2 centimeters higher than the frame indicated by the slats. After that, you need to smooth out the edges with pruning shears. Subsequently, it is worth performing maintenance pruning.This requires adjusting the sides of the cube.

Haircut nuances

For spruce pruning to be successful, it is important to follow a number of recommendations:

1. Carry out a haircut in cool weather. Bright sunlight increases moisture loss, which leads to yellowing of the branches.
2. Before starting the procedure, perform sprinkling. Wet pine needles are not so susceptible to dehydration. In addition, this measure helps to avoid loss of sharpness of the tool.
3. Shorten the central conductor at a height of 2-3 meters. The cut must be made above the formed bud, which is located on the north side.
4. After removing the top, direct the growth of the strongest shoot upward. This must be done using a wooden splint. To do this, you need to tie it to a tree.
5. Trim spruce branches 2-3 years old slightly above the side branches. In this case, there should be no stumps left. The interval from the side buds to the cut should be a maximum of 2 centimeters. Shoots should be shortened by a maximum of a third.
6. For more pronounced tillering of the tree, the current year's growth should be pinched above the growth point. This must be done to the required height. With the onset of next spring, a whorl of new shoots will form in this zone, which will need to be pinched again.
7. When mowing, cut off a maximum of one third of the total green mass.

A well-formed spruce is immediately visible. It has short whorls of branches and is distinguished by a denser crown. If it is not possible to constantly prune the tree, it is recommended to buy a slow-growing variety from a nursery. It could be Konica Compacta, Nana. Their sizes usually do not exceed 2 meters. There are also even more compact dwarf varieties.

Pruning spruce is an important step in caring for the plant.This procedure has a beneficial effect on the health of the crop and its decorative effect. If you have the necessary tools and skills, you can carry out the manipulation yourself. If you have no experience, it is better to turn to specialists. After pruning, the spruce needs especially careful care.