How to properly trim and trim a pine tree with your own hands

Pruning a pine tree is an important procedure that can be aimed at solving various problems. These include the healing and rejuvenation of wood. The procedure can also be aimed at crown formation. Pruning provides the conifers with enough light to develop. At the same time, the crop does not shade other plantings and does not interfere with their growth.

Preventive (healing) pruning

Coniferous plants are often susceptible to all sorts of pathologies and aging processes.In order for the tree to live longer and look attractive, revitalizing pruning is carried out. This procedure is also called prophylactic.

It is important to take into account that pruning the tree needs to be done systematically. Plants older than 10 years that have a lot of dry or bare branches are also subjected to this procedure. Thanks to this, it is possible to increase the number of healthy shoots.

Pruning for decorative purposes

Decorative pruning is carried out to improve the appearance of the crop. The procedure should be carried out in May. Thanks to this, new shoots will be able to form in the required place. It is worth starting manipulation in the second year of life.

In this case, decorative pruning can be performed in various ways. The most standard option is to give the tree the shape of a ball or cone. To get a beautiful result, certain skills are required. The easiest way to plant crops is in the form of a hedge. In this case, it is enough to remove protruding shoots and align the trees to the same length.

The most difficult option is the Japanese nivaki style. At the same time, conifers can take different forms - it all depends on the designer’s intention. The following options exist in this direction:

• tekan - it is recommended to leave only horizontal shoots;
• Kotobuki - the tree resembles the shape of a hieroglyph that means happiness;
• icon case - in this case horizontal or vertical caps are formed;
• moegi - the pine trunk is bent in a certain shape, and the formation of the crown is considered a rather painstaking process;
• kongai - the root system is placed higher than the drooping branches;
• shakan - the trunk is left straight, but fixed at an angle.

In order to properly carry out decorative pruning, you need to draw a future diagram.It is then important to decide which shoots will need to be removed. When forming a pine tree in bonsai style, young shoots need to be pulled back and fixed horizontally. After which it is recommended to trim them until the resin begins to release.

To form a spherical crown, young growths are made of varying lengths - 2-8 centimeters. To improve the decorative characteristics, some of the needles need to be plucked. This helps stimulate air exchange in the crown structure. When forming a crown using the nivaki technique, you should do the following:

1. Remove all dry branches. This is recommended to be done in late autumn or early winter.
2. In the summer, engage in the formation of each fragment of the crown so that it resembles a triangle, pointing downward.
3. Do not remove more than a third of the green mass at a time. It is important to consider that it is prohibited to immediately give the tree the required shape. First, you should form one part of the branches. The next stage will come only in 1 year.

To prevent the pine from growing too quickly, it needs to be pinched. This procedure helps make the plant shorter. In addition, with its help it is possible to increase the splendor of the crown. To carry out pinching, it is necessary to remove the upper part of the shoot. This is done with fingers or tools. Subsequently, areas with shortened needles form in this zone. It is best to pinch the needles in mid-July.

Sanitary pruning

This type of pruning helps achieve a rejuvenating effect. When carrying out a sanitary procedure, it is worth removing the lower shoots of the pine tree. Gardeners also get rid of diseased, damaged and dry branches. This must be done every time problems arise. Thanks to sanitary pruning, it is possible to keep the tree healthy and stimulate the active growth of dormant buds.

Rejuvenation procedure

Coniferous trees older than 10 years usually have a large number of bare and dry shoots. Such branches need to be deleted. Thanks to this, it is possible to stimulate the growth of new shoots and give the pine tree lushness. Rejuvenation pruning aims to prevent the ends of new shoots from developing, as this causes long shoots that are not covered in needles.

To rejuvenate pine trees, you need to do the following:

1. In mid-September, trim the ends of old bare branches. This helps activate old kidneys.
2. Remove large shoots without growing points.
3. In early spring, trim off non-viable shoots that are located at the bottom of the crown.
4. Trim the branches so that needles remain on the remaining fragments. This will help prevent them from drying out.

Carrying out rejuvenating measures contributes to the appearance of new needles and young shoots on the tree. They should be carried out at intervals of 3 years.

Adjusting pine sizes

To form a beautiful and neat crown, you need to adjust the size of the pine tree. Usually this procedure is carried out with a limited amount of space on the site. Trimming a pine tree helps control the height of the tree and the diameter of its crown. To prevent the crop from growing upward, it is recommended to trim its upper part.

How to care for a spruce after pruning

Pruning is quite stressful for a tree. In damaged areas, an open space appears through which pathogenic microorganisms penetrate into the culture structure. Even the release of resin does not quickly solve this problem. It still takes some time.

To speed up the process, gardeners treat damaged areas with latex paint. This helps prevent infection. Before using a substance, it is important to make sure that it is non-toxic and can be used on trees.

To keep the pine tree fluffy and attractive, it must be thoroughly watered immediately after pruning. It is recommended to loosen soil that is too dense. This will help improve the flow of oxygen to the root system. If the tree turns out to be sick, it certainly needs to be fed. For this purpose, it is worth using mineral or phosphate fertilizers. The listed activities contribute to the restoration of culture.

Recommendations for beginners

Pruning of mountain or common pine must be carried out according to the rules. Beginner gardeners are advised to adhere to the following rules:

1. Remove a maximum of 30% of shoots, buds, and needles at one time.
2. Be sure to get rid of bare shoots.
3. To obtain a spherical shape, use sharp and clean tools.
4. The cut area does not need to be covered with garden varnish. It is processed by the resin that the tree exudes.
5. Cut shoots at an angle of 45 degrees. In this case, the upper part should be 2 millimeters higher than the lower one.
6. Control the cut size. This is required so that the tree does not lose a large amount of resin. At the same time, it should be enough to treat the shoot breakage zone.A cut that is too long will cause unevenness and dehydration.
7. When removing old and thick branches, try not to damage the tree bark.
8. If a large wound appears on the tree, treat it with garden varnish.
9. When branches are pruned low, there is a risk of prolonged healing of the damaged area. As a result, there is a high probability of bud death or the formation of too frail shoots.

• Trim old and thick branches using a saw. However, they need to be fixed during operation.

Pruning pine is a fairly important procedure that can be aimed at solving a variety of problems. This may be crown formation, rejuvenation, removal of old and diseased branches. In any case, for the manipulation to be successful, it is important to strictly follow the rules for its implementation. In this case, you should follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners.