Using evergreens in your landscaping is a great way to bring a balanced look to your property. If you are looking for something to bring breathtaking depths of green and irresistible texture, these are your trees. These are also fantastic as privacy trees as they stay green all year long, even in the winter! They are extremely hardy and can grow quickly, making them a great alternative for a fence! Since they are so amazing, you might believe that they don’t require regular tree maintenance, such as pruning. However, you do actually need to prune evergreens every once in a while.
A lot of evergreens naturally come in a unique shape, making them look good even if they are not pruned. This is exactly why most people think they can get away without ever pruning them. But it is completely worthwhile to stay on top of the trimming and pruning. This is the case in scenarios where you have any broken, dead, or diseased branches. It is vitally important to get rid of these kinds of branches in order to boost the health of your tree and potentially stop it from completely dying. Pruning also has aesthetic benefits, if you are looking for something even more unique for your yard.
If we have successfully convinced you of the need to trim your evergreens, we need to inform you of the appropriate time to do it. This can actually depend on the exact type of evergreen you have. They come in different varieties and each require maintenance at certain times. Five Star Tree Service is going to go over the right time to trim and prune your evergreen trees in order to maximize their health and the overall look of the tree.
When To Prune Your Evergreen Trees
There are a few specific reasons that you should prune your evergreens. You will need to be careful not to over-prune your trees. Before you begin, set out a plan as to how you want them to look and turn out. Over-pruning can seriously damage and hurt the tree from stress, invite diseases and also pests.
If you want to trim your tree, these are some reasons to keep in mind:
-Maintain the health of your tree
-Shape it gradually
-Remove damaged, dead, or diseased branches
-Keep it a certain size
There is also a particular method you should use when trimming your evergreens. This method also alters based on the specific evergreen you have and is vital to know before you begin cutting away.
Different Plant Types
-Deciduous Trees: these include some oaks, maples, and other trees that shed their leaves in the fall for preparation for winter and then regrow them in the spring.
-Deciduous Conifers: these are trees like the dawn redwood and bald cypress, that have needles but shed them in the fall after they turn colour.
-Conifers: these trees include spruce and pine, which have needles. There is also arborvitae and cypress that have flat scaled leaves.
-Broadleaf Evergreens: like hollies, these trees have foliage, not needles.
The trimming requirements for each of these trees is different and very important to know and understand why.
Conifer Pruning Requirements
There is a difference between pruning deciduous trees and conifers. Planting conifers in the appropriate place with adequate growing room will allow them to flourish with very little pruning required. But when the need to trim your evergreens is needed, you should prune them in the winter or in the very early spring. During these times they are dormant and not growing. You don’t want to cut them once they have started to grow, this will hurt the tree. If you miss this window, the next time you will be able to prune them is after they have stopped growing, which is in late June or July.
It is best to only minimally prune conifers. They are slow to recover from inexperienced cutting and any trimming mistakes. It can also be problematic if you have a space that is too small for your tree to grow properly. This means you will need to trim it more. But we do not recommend removing or trimming more than a third of the tree at any given time. If you do, it will put a lot of stress on the tree and the recovery time will be longer, or death might occur.
Specific Types of Conifers
Junipers: you are able to prune these as early as April – May. But this will depend on your specific growing zone. Do not prune in mid to late summer because this will stimulate more growth that will not be able to withstand the winter.
Pines: you are able to trim in the spring as you see new growth.
Arborvitae: you are able to prune in the early spring or in mid-summer. If you require heavier pruning, do this in the spring.
Firs and spruces: you can prune in the late winter or very early spring.
Deciduous Pruning Requirements
If you have heard that a good time to prune deciduous trees is in the fall, you have been misled. These trees are preparing for the long winter by storing as much carbohydrates as possible during their dormant times. If you prune in the fall, you are taking away precious resources they need to survive the winter. For any reason, if you must prune in the fall, you will need a skilled and trained professional arborist to make sure that the least amount of damage is done to the tree. December to April is better for pruning these kinds of trees. You want to make sure you get everything done before they begin to bud and grow leaves.
As for deciduous conifers, you should also only prune them in the late winter or in the fall after they have shed their needles. Focus on only lightly trimming the outer growths.
Broadleaf Evergreen Pruning Requirements
Unlike all the other trees we have talked about, you will actually want to trim this kind of tree In the early spring or in mid-summer. More specifically, Boxwood trees are able to tolerate pruning. The tree itself has an informal shape that doesn’t require much pruning. You will only need to occasionally trim it for scraggly branches or dead branches. Which you can do at any point in time during the growing season. The only time you need to avoid trimming is in the late fall. This is going to prevent winter browning.
For hollies, you should only prune them when they are dormant in the winter months. When you trim them, you are helping to keep their shape and help them look neat and tidy. This trimming also will encourage new growth in the spring/summer months.
Evergreen Shrub Pruning Requirements
If you have these shrubs on your property, you can’t forget about them. These shrubs can include yew and Juniper. Save this pruning for late March or early April, essentially before any new growth takes place. If you need to lightly prune, do this in late June or early July. You should always avoid pruning in the fall since this increases their chance of harm during the winter.
How Five Star Tree Service Can Help
No matter what trees or shrubs you have in your yard, you should always do your due-diligence and research each specific planting, pruning, growth, and care instructions to ensure that your trees will live long, happy, and healthy lives. Five Star Tree Service is here to help you with all your tree maintenance needs! Give us a call at (416) 990-3355 to book our services. Take a look at our website for our full list of services. We would be happy to help you with any and all your tree related needs!