How to cut a spruce so that it does not grow up: the rules for cutting and shaping

Common spruce grows quite quickly and reaches a height of more than 10 meters. Culture retains its decorative properties only at a young age. To maintain its appearance, it is worth carrying out regular pruning. They help shape the culture. 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 cut a spruce so that it does not grow up?

Do I need to cut spruce

Spruce pruning is an important recreational activity 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 methods of cutting:

1. Sanitary - means getting rid of sick, dead and broken branches. This procedure prevents the spread of diseases. It is needed for forced correction of the direction of growth of branches - for example, if a tree touches communications or obscures other plants.
2. Decorative - this procedure helps to limit the development of the central conductor, forms a dense crown of the correct form. With its help, it is possible to improve the appearance of the culture.
3. Rejuvenating - involves the removal of bare branches with a minimum amount of needles and activates the development of new shoots.

Decorative crown formation involves the following techniques:

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

Also, a 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 strongly restrain the development of the crown in breadth.

When to do it

When pruning common spruce, it is important to respect the deadlines. Sanitization is usually done before the arrival of cold weather. By this time, part of the needles are crumbling from the old branches. As a result, the branches are made bare. The ends of such branches are cut off and some of the needles are left. With the advent of warm weather, young shoots grow from sleeping buds.

From the moment of the first frosts and until the arrival of spring, spruce cannot be cut. Otherwise, there is a high probability of freezing of the plant, which will lead to the death of the crop.

With the advent of warm weather, decorative pruning can begin.It should be carried out after waking up and the beginning of kidney growth. On young trees 3-5 years old, pinching of shoots is carried out. Full pruning begins after the spruce reaches the desired size. At the same time, the formation of the crown is carried out. 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 go beyond.

Effects of pruning

Spruce shearing is considered an important event. This procedure contributes to the formation of a dense and fluffy crown of the correct shape. With this manipulation, the following effects can be achieved:

1. Adjust the size of the tree. The upper part must be removed as the required height is reached.
2. Create a thick and dense crown. Pruning leads to the development of side shoots and helps to achieve a lush silhouette.
3. Give the crown the desired shape. It may resemble a cone, a ball or a pyramid.
4. Create a hedge. The upper part should be cut 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 is often started as it reaches the required size. It is recommended to start training at a young age. It is best to do this from 3 years. The procedure is required to be carried out every year. The systematic execution of haircuts helps to remove fewer and fewer branches. Young spruce trees aged 3-5 years need only pinching of annual soft shoots.

Immediately after the procedure, the spruce does not look very attractive. Gradually, the cut zones become overgrown and become less noticeable. It is possible to fully evaluate the results of the work only after a couple of years.

How to prune a spruce

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

Spherical

You can form such a crown with a wire or wooden frame. He needs to give the necessary shape and fix on the trunk. Only experienced designers can work without a frame.

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

1. Cut off the top of a young two year old spruce.
2. Cut excess branches on one side. This must be done in an arc. In doing so, start at the top and move down.
3. Shake up branches to identify areas that need pruning.
4. Move to the other side and follow the same procedure.
5. Round the bottom of the crown.

Young plants can be cut with secateurs. Older spruces are sheared with a brush cutter. 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.

It is important to consider that at one time it is allowed to remove a maximum of a third of the green mass of the plant. In addition, trees that are pruned require intensive application of minerals.

Cone

To cut a spruce, you need to observe the ratio 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.

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

1. Cut off the top shoot so that the size of the central conductor does not exceed 2 meters.
2. Start trimming shoots outside the cone. In this case, it is required 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 depicted in the near-stem circle. After that, in each corner you need to install along the rail and fix them at the top. As a result, it will be possible to form the top of the pyramid. After that, you need to cut all the branches that go beyond the borders limited by the slats. Sheared spruce will look very decorative.

Cylinder

This shape can be obtained in much the same way as the pyramidal one. However, at the base it is required to draw not a polygon, but a circle. After that, along the entire diameter, you need to vertically position the rails. In height, they should match the desired size of the figure. To make 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. At its tops, it is worth putting slats that limit the side ribs. From above, they need to be connected using 4 horizontal strips that mark the upper edge.

Spruce shearing is carried out using trellis scissors. First, the branches should be shortened to a height that is 2 centimeters higher than the frame indicated by the slats. After that, the secateurs need to smooth the edges. Subsequently, it is worth performing maintenance pruning. In this case, it is required to adjust the sides of the cube.

Nuances of haircuts

In order for spruce pruning to be successful, it is important to follow a number of recommendations:

1. Cut in cool weather. Bright sunlight increases moisture loss, which leads to yellowing of branches.
2. Before starting the procedure, sprinkle. Wet needles are not so susceptible to dehydration. In addition, this measure helps to avoid loss of sharpness of the tool.
3. Shorten the center conductor at a height of 2-3 meters. The cut must be made above the formed kidney, which is located on the north side.
4. After removing the top, direct the growth of the strongest shoot upwards. This must be done with a wooden bus. To do this, you need to bind it to a tree.
5. Spruce branches aged 2-3 years should be cut slightly above the side branches. In this case, there should be no stumps. The interval from the lateral buds to the cut should be a maximum of 2 centimeters. Shoots should be shortened by a maximum of a third.
6. For a more pronounced tillering of the tree, the growth of the current year 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. Cut off a maximum of a third of the total green mass during cutting.

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

Spruce pruning is an important plant care activity. This procedure has a positive effect on the he alth of the culture and its decorative effect. If you have the necessary tools and skills, manipulation can be carried out independently. If there is no experience, it is better to contact specialists. After pruning, spruce needs especially careful care.

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