For me, the spruce tree on the plot is the main decoration of the garden, a true gem among costume jewelry, festive and ceremonial. It is also one of the favorite cultures for creating topiary art objects.
In landscape design, different types of spruce are usually used, but more often than others, you can find Picea pungens and Picea abies — in all their variety of varieties. These are trees from which you can “mold” almost anything. The possibilities of topiary cutting of fir trees are limited only by the imagination of the master. And so it is very strange for me to often hear from landscape designers and land owners: “is it possible to cut the tree?”. You can and should! This is what we will talk about today.
Let’s start with the forms
Most often, fir trees are given the appearance of a strict cone — the most obvious form for this tree. Interestingly, the cone fits well both in the geometric compositions typical of regular-style gardens and in the soft lines of landscape gardens. Especially since here geometric shapes can be made not by a ruler, but in landscape technique: gently remove only too protruding branches, creating a hint of a figure.
Fir hedges are less common. The “fence” of prickly beauties turns out to be absolutely impassable, and it can have a variety of forms. But-there is one very significant disadvantage: quite often, when errors in the care of fir trees are exposed “legs”. If this happens, it is almost impossible to correct this lack due to the peculiarities of coniferous growth. A hedge made of Crataegus or Spiraea can, in extreme cases, be “demolished on a stump”, a fir-tree can not be demolished, it is easier to plant it again.
My most favorite forms of fir trees are free and fancy.
They are perfectly obtained from semi-dwarf or low-growing varieties such as spruce ‘Glauca Globosa ‘(Picea pungens’Glauca Globosa’). You can use low-growing pillow-shaped varieties of Serbian spruce or Picea abies (for example, ‘Nidiformis’), but to work with them, accuracy and experience are important, beginners in topiary cutting are better to start with simpler tasks.
The most unusual forms are obtained from semi-dwarfs. I have seen many times the reaction of people to the intricate “live stones” of Christmas trees. Some people do not understand how and what it is made of.
It is a pity that landscape designers still unfairly little use such opportunities of prickly beauties, but it can be interesting tapeworms or unusual group planting.
Important: groups of fir trees trimmed in the style of “living stones” can be monocultural, or can be combined with a variety of partner plants.
Technology for cutting fir trees
Keep in mind, Picea pungens, aka blue spruce, is very good for cutting and shaping, even quite hard. But this does not mean that you can abuse its plasticity. Pruning a branch with pruning shears should be on the Bud or fork, it is important not to leave bare stumps and protruding branches without needles, and scissors should not remove more than 30% of the green mass of the crown. You can shorten a branch no thicker than a finger, and it is not recommended to cut off more solid and thick branches when forming. This task is only possible for an experienced specialist.
You can form cones from Picea pungens at any age of the tree, but it is better to start forming when its height reaches 2 m, earlier — there is no sense. Remember: the “skirt” (that is, the lower part of the crown) grows in width faster than the top, so you need to cut it more than the top. While the spruce is growing, it is better to give it the shape of a truncated cone, and when it reaches the desired height – you can complete the formation.
The question often arises: is it worth cutting off the top when forming? On this account, there are different points of view, but, in my opinion, if you want the spruce to gain a greater density of the crown and become more fluffy, then the top can be painlessly cut off. In addition, this operation will slow down the growth of the tree.
But if the spruce is initially squat and fluffy-do not rush to “shorten”it.
Important: please note that when we cut off the current year’s growth in Picea pungens, it suddenly becomes normal green. Of course, this fact scares at the beginning for inexperienced gardeners. But do not worry: as soon as there are new additions, the spruce will again return its refined color.
The technology of cutting hedges made of fir trees does not differ much from cutting hedges made of hardwoods. In the same way, the fence in the cross section should strive to form a trapezoid: wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, so that the lower parts of the trunks are not exposed. To create a hedge, trees can be planted in a single row at a distance of 70 cm to 1.5 m from each other.
Important: the more often young plants are planted, the lower the fence will be and the faster it will reach the peak of decorative effect. The higher the fence is planned, the less often you need to plant trees.
I also like fir trees because they require minimal effort to maintain shape. One or two supportive haircuts a year will be enough.
Tip:
- It is best to start forming fir trees in the middle of spring, when snow accumulates in the middle zone (most often this is the period from mid-March to the end of April).
- Maintenance haircuts can be performed from mid-June to the end of July, usually one or two such procedures per year is enough.
- You can remove individual branches at any time of the year.
How to cut hair?
Prickly and ordinary spruce is best cut with garden shears. Naturally – with sharply sharpened blades.
The cutting surfaces must be cleaned from sticking resin either with alcohol or with a special tool. And yet-it is natural that you should work with prickly beauties in clothing that protects the body, which is not pierced by thorns and which does not show traces of resin.
Cleanliness is the key to health
Another important aspect of cutting fir trees is sanitary pruning. This coniferous tree has one feature: the crown inside is gradually filled with dry branches. These branches accumulate dust, fungal spores and other dirt that can undermine the health of the tree. That is why all adult fir trees must be cleaned from time to time from the inside: remove all dry branches, leaving no stumps. If the spruce is well-groomed, then the green mass is located on the periphery, and inside the crown is visible to the top, if the tree is large, then inside between the branches you can move. A well-cleaned tree is ventilated and in turn pleases with healthy needles and rapid growth.
Tip: spruce trees thankfully respond to the sprinkling of the crown, so often arrange a shower with a hose.