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Proper pinching of blue spruce. How to shape the crown of Scots pine When to cut Scots pine

Does not require special care in order to develop. It can grow even in poor or rocky soil and reach great heights. Pruning is an essential part of caring for conifers. For more information on how to properly form a crown and cut pine branches, read the material.

Time for trimming

Pruning is:

  • removal of branches;
  • pinching the tops;
  • reduction of shoots of an adult plant.

The procedure is carried out for those parts that are not needed and can harm, creating excessive shading or conditions for the vital activity of pests. Periodic shearing is also necessary to prevent branches from coming into contact with power lines and other communications. If the procedure is neglected, the tree will not become more fluffy, green or decorative.
It will look painful and unsightly. The main goal of the process is to preserve the natural beauty and health of the plant. Partial thinning of the crown helps to maintain a balance between the volume of branches and roots. A young pine can also be given a given shape, creating beautiful decor for a suburban area.

Important!Before cutting the supposedly dry old branch, use a knife and scrape the bark. If there is dried plant tissue under it, then you can carefully cut it off.

Proper pruning of conifers begins in the first days of February and is done before the beginning of March. Pruning pines after sap flow has begun is not recommended. The exception is dry branches, in which there are no juices. Due to circumcision in the summer, the bark is severely damaged, conditions are created for the penetration of fungal infections into the plant.

General rules

Do not be afraid of the huge size to which the tree can grow. In the country, you can plant dwarf and ornamental pines. When choosing seedlings, be sure to pay attention to the root system. It must be developed. The plant itself at the time of planting on the site should be no more than 5 years old.
In the future, seedlings are accepted worse. With the right pine, it takes root well. After all, its main feature is unpretentiousness. She does not need careful care and intensive watering or fertilizing.

As for pruning, pay attention to the following rules:

  1. For the first time, a pine tree may need pruning at the time of planting: damaged branches or roots must be removed.
  2. The removal of young branches is delayed until they are large enough to understand how much they affect the shape and whether the gardener needs to cut them.
  3. Most conifers, including pine, have one central leader. If there are several of them, then you need to leave only one, the strongest stem shoot.

Did you know?The Chinese believe that the pine- magic tree which brings happiness and removes trouble from home. Therefore, they grow them in the garden as a symbol of longevity and prosperity.

Step-by-step instruction

For work you may need:

  • hand saw for wood- This is the easiest tool to use;
  • sharp garden shears or pruners for branches with a diameter of less than 20 mm.

Please note that the pruner is in the form of scissors, it is designed for cutting living branches. And there is a secateurs, in which the lower base is made in the form of an anvil - it is used to remove dry branches. This variety works like an axe, so it cannot cleanly cut living branches.
Scissor-shaped secateurs designed for cutting living branches!

Basic pruning rules:

  1. Before work, inspect the tree and set goals: density of branches, general shape, size. This is important for both dwarf and tall species of pines, spruces and spruces.
  2. You need to work with a young tree, adults do not tolerate the removal of branches and get sick for a long time.
  3. It is not possible to remove the central trunk. Otherwise, you get a bushy plant. indefinite form. In addition, the lack of a central trunk will make the tree more prone to insect infestation and disease.
  4. If the branch is to be partially sawn off, be sure to leave a green shoot near the cut, otherwise it will die off completely.
  5. Unlike coniferous shrubs, pine does not have a “dead zone” (a sector in which needles die off due to density), so it needs less pruning. But the lower and lush inner branches can die off due to shading, in which case it is better to remove them.

For the purpose of rejuvenation

Pay attention to the technique of formation and growth of a pine branch. At the end, an ordinary kidney is formed, which gives the growth of the next year. If you do not prevent it from growing, then the branch will stretch, the needles will fall off along the length of the branch, and you will get a long shoot with landscaping at the end.

Important!To trim, wear clothes that you don't mind throwing away. Pine resin, which will be on it after the procedure, is almost not washed off.

Therefore, the gardener must:

  • shorten the length to stop the growth of the branch and activate the "dormant buds";
  • cut off old branches that no longer have buds that can be activated from pruning.

This method of rejuvenating trees in a summer cottage is usually used once every three years.

Step-by-step instructions for rejuvenation:

  1. Trim side branches 10-15 cm.
  2. Leave the bottom shoots longer than the top shoots to form a beautiful cone-shaped tree.

crown formation

Probably, the first trees were natural formations, and people noticed this form and began to cultivate it in gardens. Styles are characterized by the presence of symmetry or asymmetry in form, curved lines, which should embody the impact of natural factors: wind, snow, etc.

Among the styles of shaping a tree, there are:


It is convenient for pines and firs to be shaped into a cone, as this is their natural shape. But their branches also form well into a pyramid, a tiered structure, or create the shape of a familiar bonsai. Haircut allows you to slow down growth and make the crown more lush and green. Bonsai is done when the seedling is not older than 7 years.

In addition, each shoot must be cut separately, so as to obtain the desired shape. Formative pruning is carried out in early May, when young shoots have formed, but flowering has not yet begun. The next year, the operation is repeated, and then simply maintain the achieved shape as needed.

Did you know?Pines appeared on Earth at the beginning of the Jurassic period-about 130200 million years ago.

Cutting scheme in stages:

  1. Imagine general form tree, better draw or take as a basis the photo you like.
  2. Examine your pine. Decide which branches to cut. Remove some, but not all, otherwise the tree will wither.
  3. The bonsai technique also involves bending the branches into a horizontal shape with the help of guy lines and wire. It works well with young flexible branches.
  4. If the shoot needs to be cut off entirely, make an incision in the ring to cause a resin to appear that will heal the wound.
  5. To cut a pine into a beautiful spherical shape, you need to cut the young growths that have appeared to different lengths - from 2 to 8 cm. Low pruning leads to the appearance of highly branched small branches that form a dense ball, which gives the branches fluffiness.
  6. To improve the decorative properties, plucking out part of the needles is also practiced. This will improve air exchange in the crown and allow the formation of decorative groups of elements.
  7. Pay attention to the natural shape of the tree. black pine(Austrian) broadly conical when young and umbrella-shaped when mature. Weymouth pine, or eastern white pine, is narrow-pyramidal. Trimming in such a way as to get a ball out of the cone is not welcomed by bonsai specialists.

If you intend to form a nivaki-style pine, then the algorithm will be as follows:

  1. Perform sanitary pruning, removing dry, with a small amount of needles and thinned branches. For this, the end of autumn or the beginning of winter is suitable, when the air temperature drops to + 5 ° С.
  2. Nivaki is performed according to the principle of a triangle: each individual branch should have the shape and location of the needles, close to a triangle, directed with one point upwards. Leave the formative pruning in the middle of summer.
  3. It will not work immediately to give the desired shape. It is unacceptable to cut more than 30% of the green mass of the plant, so select and refine those branches that can be given it, and next year you will form the next group.
  4. You need to take care of the form. To do this, pinch those shoots that violate it.

After the tree is shaped, work begins with growth. In some places it needs to be slowed down, and in others it needs to be strengthened. Pay attention to the branch growth technique. First, a new shoot (candle) appears from the kidney, then it lengthens, and after that they go into the growth of the needle. They will grow until mid-summer. In the interval between the appearance of new needles and their complete formation by mid-July, pinching is carried out. Someone does it with nails, someone with scissors.

Did you know?Chinese white pine nut is moderately toxic. If you taste it, then a metallic taste will remain in your mouth for several days. This medical condition is called« pine mouth syndrome» .

Both old and new needles are inspected for their conformity to shape. When plucking, follow the basic rule: the more needles, the more vigorous the growth of the branch. If you need it to continue to develop, leave more needles. At the end of the shoot that you pinch, a whorl of new small shoots with shortened needles forms in the next season. Thus, more lush sections of the branch are obtained.
Fewer needles are left on the upper shoots and more on the weak, lower and inner shoots. They also prefer not to touch the inner branches at all in order to preserve their fluffiness. Pinching enhances air circulation in the crown, helps to distribute the energy of growth throughout the tree, directing it to the right areas.

thinning

Thinning is the complete or partial removal of branches. It is carried out in order to remove those branches that do not fit into the overall configuration. Thinning also prevents thickening. Branches that can rub against each other are a potential problem.
Mechanical damage creates conditions for tree infection with fungi. Branches with an angle greater than 90° can break under a gust of wind, so they must also be removed. Thinning is carried out along with sanitary pruning as necessary.

pruning

Conifers grow in any, including unfavorable climate, so it seems that pruning is not necessary for them. But without it, the tree will look slightly pubescent, with long branches and sparse needles.

When planning pruning, clearly set goals for yourself: why you need to do it, and what should be the result. Unlike hardwoods, pruning conifers does not enhance their growth. It is justified only in those cases when it comes to its sanitary variety or shaping the tree.

Sanitary pruning is designed to rejuvenate the plant. It consists of removing the lower branches of the pine tree. Gardeners also cut all dry, damaged and diseased shoots. This should be done every time a problem occurs and needs to be fixed safely. Pruning keeps the tree healthy and encourages dormant buds to grow more vigorously.

Important!Pruning for rejuvenation is carried out every 3 years. Thanks to this procedure, the tree will look great and take up much less space.

Regardless of the reason for pruning, the methods for pruning branches are the same. You can remove the entire dry branch, as well as shorten or pinch part of the shoot. But, as a rule, pinching or shaping does not apply to sanitary pruning.

Care after a haircut

Pruning is stressful for pine trees. At the site of the cuts, a open space through which pathogenic microorganisms enter the plant. The released resin will quickly tighten them. But this takes some time. To speed up the process, gardeners cover open wounds with latex paint to prevent infection. Before applying, make sure the paint is non-toxic and can be used on trees. Water thoroughly immediately after pruning.

If the soil is too compacted, then you need to loosen it to ensure oxygen access to the roots. These measures will help the pine to recover. Pruning is not a very frequent procedure, but the benefits of it for the tree are obvious. Especially if it's an old pine. To keep your trees beautiful and lush all the time, try not to run them down and keep them in optimal shape.

Video: pine haircut

Today, in private gardens, you can see many huge adult coniferous trees that rise above the houses, casting a shadow on all nearby areas. At the same time, most conifers respond positively to shaping - pruning, which allows you to keep the tree in check without harm to its health and appearance. If you decide to settle in a small garden conifer tree, reaching the height of a large size, then it is necessary to immediately take up the "education" of the seedling, and not wait until the forest giant begins to annoy all the neighbors.

In forests middle lane most often one species of pine lives - Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), and the only type of spruce - Norway spruce, or European (Picea abies) . At spruce and pine different character growth, so the approach to them will be slightly different.

Content:

spruce formation

The older and taller the spruce becomes, the more its growth rate accelerates. In a young tree, growth can be as little as five centimeters per year, while an adult spruce will annually drive growth up to one meter long.

In forty years, an ordinary forest spruce will reach the height of a three-story house, but a formed tree can remain a small and pretty cone for decades. Therefore, it is important to start regular tree trimming from a very young age.

Based on the fact that the natural form of spruce is a regular cone, the biology of this tree contains the most fast growth the central shoot-leader - "crown". If you remove the leader, this will cause a whole bunch of young branches to grow in place of the remote branch, and the crown will become wider. Nevertheless, the Christmas tree will not give up trying to maintain its usual pyramidal shape and will regularly put forward a new leader from among the young shoots.

Therefore, even with regular pruning, you should not be afraid that the spruce will cease to look like a typical conical Christmas tree. The formation will affect the appearance of the tree only with positive side- the crown will become thicker and fluffier, the branches will be shorter, and the growth will not be so intense.

To further reduce the desire of the Christmas tree to grow in height, you can independently choose a weakly growing lateral branch for the role of leader. To do this, a suitable branch is fixed in a vertical position with a wire or tied to a support. Thus, the growth of the tree in height will not be as fast.

When and how to prune spruce?

Partial pinching of the main crown can be done even in autumn and early spring. To do this, they find the largest bud on the spruce paw, which is responsible for the growth of the branch in length, and carefully break it out or cut it with a pruner. This simple method will help prevent excessive growth of the tree in width, while the spruce legs themselves become fluffier due to increased branching from the lateral buds.

A more thorough formation is carried out in late May or early June (depending on weather conditions). In this case, the entire young growth is pinched or cut off (it is easy to distinguish it by soft needles and a lighter color), which is cut off on average by 1/3 or 2/3.

To keep the Christmas tree in shape, such a haircut is carried out annually once a season. While the seedling is small, it is better to do the procedure manually, and later it is more convenient to cut it with garden shears.

In some years, spruces have to be cut several times a season, then an additional haircut is carried out at the end of summer. At the same time, it is important not to delay the timing of the haircut, and not to prune too late so that the cuts have time to drag on before the onset of winter.

Of course, in nurseries you can find dwarf spruce varieties that do not require pruning and form a beautiful fluffy crown themselves ( Wills Zwerg, "Konika" and others). But nevertheless, species spruce is most adapted to the local climate, it is highly resistant to adverse conditions, such as severe frosts and sunburn in early spring. In addition, on a “wild” Christmas tree, you can hone your curly haircut skills without fear, because its cost in the nursery is not comparable to the price of a varietal specimen.

In addition to the classic pyramidal shape, with the help of garden shears, spruce can be turned into a ball on a long stem, and into a multi-tiered pyramid, and into a dense massive column.

Spruce blue (prickly)(Picea pungens) also lends itself well to shearing, which is done at the same time and according to the same principles as pruning Norway spruce.


It is still too early to cut the spruce on the left, the shoots have just come out of the buds. On the right, the young legs are fully unfolded, can be cut off. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya

Making a spruce hedge

From spruce, you can even create a durable living fence. Such a fence will always look solid and solemn, protect the site from the wind and prying eyes.

Four-year-old seedlings are suitable for planting a hedge from common spruce, which are planted at a distance of 50 centimeters to 1 meter. In the year of planting, the seedlings are allowed to take root in a new place, so the formation of the hedge begins from the second year. The entire young growth of spruces is removed by approximately 1/3, in the future, as growth accelerates, 2/3 of the length of young shoots can be cut.

A similar procedure is carried out annually in June-July, and, if necessary, again at the end of summer. When the seedlings reach the desired height, they cut off the central shoot, periodically controlling the height of the hedge. To make the top of the live fence even, it is advisable to stretch the cord, which will allow you to adhere to the specified height during trimming. For ease of cutting, it is recommended not to allow spruce to grow to a height above 1.5 meters.

Usually a fir fence is made rectangular shape like a real wall. However, despite the relative shade tolerance of this breed, it is desirable to cut the hedge in the form of a cone so that the upper part of the plants does not interfere with the light enough to fall on the lower branches, in order to avoid falling off the needles.

A spruce hedge does not grow quickly, and the first results of the work can be seen at least 5-10 years later (depending on the age of the seedlings). In general, a spruce fence is reliable and unpretentious, but the formation process cannot be stopped for even a single year, otherwise nature will quickly take its toll, turning a neat fence into a real spruce forest.


Without pruning over time, a small pine near country house became a huge pine tree over a small house. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya

Pine tree formation

Pine is one of the most intensively growing coniferous trees, and an adult has an increase of more than one meter per year. An adult Scots pine tree at maturity reaches a height of 40 meters or more.

With age, the pine crown becomes more and more sparse, the lower branches fall off from lack of light, and the once fluffy "herringbone" more and more takes on the appearance of a ship's pine towering above the garden. However, even such a massive tree can be tamed if you start timely pruning.

When and how to prune pine?

During the growth period in spring (in May), characteristic young growths appear on the branches of the pine - the so-called "candles". After a while, such "candles" begin to lengthen, and young needles gradually develop on them. It is during this period that pinching should be carried out, shortening the growth by half or more of the length of the candle.

At the same time, try not to damage young needles, as they last for several years, and turn yellow from damage and spoil the appearance of the tree. In this connection The best way pruning of a young pine - pinching the buds by hand. In the next season, a bunch of young shoots is formed in place of the removed apical bud, with which it is necessary to repeat a similar operation.

Thus, every year the tree will branch more and more, and its crown will become truly fluffy and “stuffed”. To contain the leader shoot in pine, an operation similar to the above described method for spruce is carried out. That is, they independently assign a lateral weak-growing shoot to the role of the crown, giving it a vertical direction with the help of a tire.

Best of all, pine gives new buds of renewal on fresh growth in those places where there are young needles. Therefore, it is very important not to miss the pruning time, which lasts until the end of May. Otherwise, pruning will not lead to the formation of new branches.


Pine candles are not yet grown enough for pruning. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya
Pine shoots with the beginnings of needles, it's time to cut. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya

When and how to prune juniper?

Sometimes in the gardens you can also meet species common juniper (Juniperus communis), which can also reach a decent height, unlike its varietal counterparts (up to 10 meters).

Some other tall junipers, such as numerous varieties rocky juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) may also need shaping pruning. This tree species tolerates formative pruning very easily, however, it is important to take into account some features here.

To help junipers form a denser and narrower crown, their growth in width should be slightly limited. For these purposes, hedge shears or pruners are ideal. This conifer responds to pruning with a burst of growth. Subsequently, new shoots fill in possible voids, and the tree looks slimmer and fluffier.

The most suitable time for cutting junipers is the period when junipers do not have active growth: in autumn - from September to October, or in spring - from April to May. But during the period of active shoot growth - June and July - it is better not to touch the trees, since at this time the maximum sap flow occurs, as a result of which pruning can lead to excessive release of juice from the cuts and weakening of the plants.

When planning juniper pruning, it is important to consider weather conditions. So, in extreme heat, these trees are also better not to cut, because heat will contribute to the rapid evaporation of juices, which can cause browning of the tips and further death of the cut shoots. At low temperatures in combination with high humidity, cut wounds do not heal well and become a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria and sometimes harmful insects.

Similar rules will be valid not only for junipers, but also for other conifers with flat needles - thuja, yew, cypress, etc.

Unlike other types of juniper, juniper Cossack (Juniperus sabina) is a poisonous plant. When cutting bushes of this type, care must be taken, be sure to use tools personal protection not allowing contact with poisonous juice. Essential oils juniper Cossack in contact with the skin lead to burns.


Fir is characterized by the formation of a bald crown, which overgrows over time. © Ludmila Svetlitskaya

fir pruning

Species fir (Korean, Vicha, balsamic, monochrome, etc.) - this is quite tall trees. Adults reach 10 meters and above. Therefore, they will also require regular pruning to contain growth.

According to the nature of growth, fir differs from spruce mainly in that it often puts forward a long, bald crown, and many gardeners often have a desire to pinch the “stick” to make the tree fluffier.

But, if the fir has not yet reached the height you planned, you should not do this, because the nature of this breed is such that over time, the fir fills the void on its own at the crown, and a new fluffy growth gradually grows from the buds.

Pinching the leader shoot will lead to the formation of many new tops, and the tree will temporarily lose its classic conical shape. To restrain the growth of fir in height, it is better to carry out the same operation that is recommended for spruce and pine (described above).

As for pinching the side branches, this procedure is carried out in the fall or in the spring before bud break. To do this, the largest bud is broken out on the shoots, which will help to restrain the growth of the fir in breadth.

However, it is important to consider here that, unlike most types of spruces, in which pruning causes awakening a large number dormant buds, and, consequently, increased branching, fir reacts to a haircut in a slightly different way. Pruning this breed does not allow you to get a stuffed crown of increased fluffiness, since even after pinching the fir will branch minimally.

Nevertheless, it is quite possible to form a more compact tree due to regular haircuts. If the tree is too large, then it can simply be cut with hedge shears, in the same way as spruce is sheared, that is, when the young legs have fully blossomed, 1/3 of the length of the young growth is removed.

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Coniferous plants, as well as fruit plants, sometimes need to be shaped. In this article, you will learn about such a plant formation method as pinching. Do not be afraid to pinch shoots coniferous plants.

What is tree formation for?

If the summer cottage is located in a forest zone and is a forest landscape, then here it can be allowed that pines and spruces grow in a free form. Yes, even on large garden plots they can find a place.

But most summer residents, most likely, have ordinary summer cottages, where you need to place a garden, and flower beds, and much more you want to do here. In this case, the formation of coniferous plants will be needed, which will not allow them to grow to great heights.

Benefits of pinching

Pinching shoots not only inhibits the growth of conifers, but also makes the crown denser. Thanks to these techniques, you can form a plant of the shape you want to see. For example, from Scots pine, it is quite possible to get a tree very similar to mountain pine.

How to form conifers

Coniferous plants can be formed at any age. But you need to understand that the sooner you start to carry out the shaping procedure and do pinching, you can eventually get a more dwarf form of the plant.

What is pinched from conifers

It is recommended to pinch coniferous trees and shrubs during the growing season, or rather, when young shoots appear on them - “candles”. These are annual growths, they occur on pines, spruces, junipers and other conifers.

The formation of coniferous plants is carried out when the needles are still pressed against each other on annual growths-candles.

If the needles on the candles began to rise, then trimming and pinching can no longer be done.

Annual growths should be removed not with a pruner, but by breaking off a part with your fingers.

How much to clean

How long should one-year growth of plants be left? It depends on what kind of future you want to see your coniferous tree. If you need a plant of a more dwarf form and with a denser crown, then you need to break out a significant part of the candle shoot, approximately 2/3 of its length.

Candles break out very easily, without any effort. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid that you will damage the plant and ruin it. appearance. But if you use a pruner, then the upper needles may suffer, and in the future the appearance of the tree will no longer be so decorative.

After 2 months, new buds will begin to form in the place of breaking out, from which new shoots will grow further.

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Unlike fruit trees, on which formative pruning is carried out only in the first years of the plant's life, on conifers this procedure will have to be done annually.

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Our rather modest nature has given us a remarkably plastic material for garden creativity, which allows us to embody many intricate designs. I mean the primordially Russian conifers that surround any garden - spruces and pines.

By their nature, these are huge trees; they can only be allowed to grow freely in a large area. But even for summer cottages of six acres, they will find a worthy and original application.

Let's start with the pines. With the help of simple tricks from Scots pine, you can create both a magnificent dense pillow (in the rock garden or outside it), and a garden bonsai, a miniature tree.

How about you hedge from pine? Many of us have a chain link fence. A few pine trees along it and a dozen years will make it possible to turn such a fence into something fundamentally new. The author and implementer of the idea is Karel Lang, a Czech saxifrage collector.

Several techniques are used to form pines. Trunks for some time must be fixed in the desired position, for this, solid supports (well-stretched chain-link), plumb lines or wire are used. In the case of a chain-link, young, still flexible branches are fixed on it. Suspension of weights helps to bend thicker trunks down, and bends are formed by the superimposed lanyard. In principle, you can get by with one thing, if the tree is not quite old. Branches bend best in spring and June, during active sap flow and plant growth.

Important: the wire winding quickly cuts into the barrel, leaving ugly scars and sagging. It must be checked and weakened two to three times during the growing season. The same applies to all kinds of harnesses and loops.

When the branches and trunks are given desired shape and fixed, another aspect becomes relevant - inhibition of growth. After all, our pine trees in their prime can produce growth of more than half a meter per year. Where can we talk about a small fence or bonsai. But there is an elementary trick that allows you to reduce growth and increase the fluffiness of pine by an order of magnitude. This is pinching shoots, or tweezing.

Surely you have noticed how pines begin to grow in spring: first “candles” appear, then they lengthen, and then needles begin to extend on them. It is these young candles that need to be plucked out. It is best to do this when they are already sufficiently extended, but the needles are still very short. This way you can more accurately calculate the "growth" that you leave to the pine tree, and not damage the remaining needles.

Someone does it with nails, someone with scissors. The shoots are very soft, easily cut, twisted or broken off. You can remove up to eighty percent of the length of the candle.

You need to be careful and process all the candles without exception, otherwise there will be disproportionately long young branches.

At the end of the pinched shoot next spring, a whorl of new, less powerful, with shortened needles is formed. You will need to do the same with them.

So: in the first spring we plant pine trees (taking the distance between the trees about the same as the height of the fence), in the second and, possibly, the third - we form a skeleton along the chain-link, from the third we start pinching. If the mesh is not completely tightened, it will be possible to “let go” some shoots without pinching them to fill in the empty spaces by growing branches of the desired length.

Over time, the pads of plucked branches become excessively dense, so every few years it will be necessary to thin them out, removing entire branches inside. This is done with a pruner so that there are no stumps left. Sections can not be glossed over: they are instantly tightened with resin.

Important: pine can bud only in those places where there are needles, best of all - on fresh growth. Pine trees categorically do not grow from a stump. Therefore, it is important not to miss the pinching time, which lasts all May.

If the amount of work scares you, then I can assure you that it takes about twenty minutes to pinch a pillow of pine the size of a square meter. Of course, the fence will require significantly more time, perhaps a whole day, but imagine that just one day of work a year - and such an amazing result!

Similar are the methods of working with spruce trees. Is that with them you can be a little more arrogant. Norway spruce is suitable for sheared hedges. And here you can already get by with scissors for these purposes. Shearing time is the phase of the most active growth of new branches. The most important thing is to remove the tops, the strongest shoots. And, of course, a haircut should be annual.

On a note: For a spruce hedge, seedlings must be planted quite spaciously so that the lower branches have room to develop. The distance must be at least 70 cm.

Spruces are also suitable for creating garden figures. I saw a stunning blue hemisphere in the garden of Jiri Balatka, a coniferous collector. For several decades, he has been pinching the prickly spruce "Glauka Globoza". The owner's fingers work here, but the tree looks flawless. The branches plucked at the same level even after the process itself look natural, the needles are not injured, unlike mechanical shearing.

Figures from spruce can be made using the features of its growth, whorl. These can be pyramids, umbrellas, cylinders, whatnots, etc.

For the formation of pines and firs in our climate, it is very important to do this in a bright place. Even with shading, the spruce hedge begins to be exposed from below, and this defect is almost impossible to eliminate.

Trees that are often planted and constantly found in unusual conditions would certainly be good to feed. It is worth forgetting about manure, but mineral fertilizers, created specifically for conifers, with a low nitrogen content, are suitable.

The planting of coniferous hedges and shaped pines is done ... forever. To understand how the formation process takes place, and to “fill your hand”, it is better to first practice on one plant, perhaps a seedling outside the outskirts. I am mastering pinching on a mountain pine growing in my rock garden. In five years, it has turned into a compact, pretty pillow.

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