Limbing Up Evergreen Trees

Limbing up evergreen trees

A: You won't kill the trees by removing some of the lower limbs (called “limbing up”), but I wouldn't cut off any healthy branches. It's fairly normal for lower evergreen limbs to die off as trees age.

Should I trim the lower branches of an evergreen tree?

Optional Pine Pruning This is desirable if you need to have more access to the area under the tree. Removing lower branches won't hurt a pine. In fact, you can remove the lower third of the crown without damaging a healthy pine, according to forestry experts at the University of Idaho's Cooperative Extension System.

Does limbing a tree hurt it?

Mature trees, especially evergreens, benefit when healthy lower branches are left intact. Removing large limbs can increase the risk of decay. And over pruning removes many of the energy producing needles and leaves. This can greatly stress and negatively impact the health and vigor of the tree.

Should you limb up trees?

As a general rule, avoid raising low limbs any higher than one-third of a tree's overall height. For example, a 30-foot-tall tree's lowest limbs should not be higher than 10 feet above the ground.

Why not to limb up evergreen trees?

To maintain structural integrity. For many evergreens, especially young pines and spruces of all ages, the limb structure is part of what makes the tree strong. The tree's lower limbs support the upper limbs in times of severe weather or heavy snow, and their removal can have a permanent effect on the tree.

Is it OK to trim the bottom branches of a spruce tree?

Spruce, fir, and whorl-branched trees and shrubs that have short, sharp needles can be trimmed all the way back to a lateral branch or dormant bud; dead bottom branches should be removed. Though you can hold off a little longer with these trees, it's best to cut in cold weather so that they “bleed” less sap.

What is the best month to trim evergreen trees?

Prune in early spring or mid-summer. When heavy pruning is necessary, prune before new growth begins in early spring so that new growth conceals pruning cuts. To lower the height (no more than 20 percent) of a plant, cut back to a lower branch crotch, making cuts only into live wood.

When should I cut my evergreen branches?

When trimming evergreens is necessary, the best time to prune conifers is winter or very early spring when they are dormant and before growth begins. The next best time to prune evergreens, particularly conifers, is after the new season's growth is complete, usually late June or July.

Can I trim an evergreen tree in the summer?

Whenever possible, avoid pruning evergreen trees in late summer and early fall.

Can you cut too many limbs off a tree?

Excessive pruning also causes an inordinate amount of interior or epicormic sprouts, and diminished growth at the tips of the limbs. Excessive sprouting requires constant pruning to maintain the aesthetic qualities of a tree, greatly increasing the cost of ongoing maintenance.

How much of a tree can you trim without killing it?

If a tree repeatedly loses too much of its canopy at one time, it can become weak or even die from the stress. That's why you shouldn't trim more than 25% of a tree's canopy at one time. Cutting the branch collar can also be a nasty error.

What is not a good tree trimming technique?

No Flush Cuts One of the most common pruning mistakes is the flush cut. This occurs when you cut a branch off flush with the bark of the tree trunk or larger branch to which it's attached.

How do you shape an evergreen tree?

And in starting to get it into that formal shape that we want and by just taking off the tips that

Can you cut the top off an evergreen tree?

Large evergreen trees do not respond well to topping. The removal of the upper main stem through topping opens the tree to internal decay, disease or damaging insects; it also removes the most productive portion of the tree. The practice of topping to control tree size or growth is not justified.

Should you put anything on trees after cutting limbs?

In most cases, it is best to simply let wounds seal on their own. Over millennia, trees have developed effective mechanisms for this. Unlike people or animals, woody plants are unable to heal damaged tissues. Instead, they compartmentalize wounds with layers of cells that prevent damage from spreading any further.

How do you stop evergreens from growing taller?

Pruning. If the crown of your tree is stretching too tall or wide, corrective pruning can help rein it in and size it down for the space available. It's crucial to prune a tree before it becomes a problem because taking away too many branches could cause unnecessary stress.

How can we reduce the height of evergreen trees?

Cutting a branch back by half its length will simply result in a dead branch stub. Often the only tactic for reducing the size of an evergreen tree is to cut the lower branches all the way back to the trunk.

How do you control the height of an evergreen tree?

Use loppers to snip the top off of the tree where you want the height to be.
Spray a little bit of tree sucker growth deterrent on the cut. ...
Select a new leader for the top of the tree. ...
Bend the new leader so that it is pointing up.

How do I stop shoots from growing at bottom of tree?

With a pruning shears, cut each sucker sprout back to its point of origin at the trunk or the soil near the trunk. Prune each sprout as flush as possible, so little stubs don't remain, as they can more easily resprout. Sucker sprouts can be removed whenever they appear, which is easier when they're tiny.