Pruning Evergreen Trees, Keeping them thin and tall.

ronan45

I bought some small evergreen type trees from tesco a few years ago. I remember them being a lovely bright green color and they were the lenght of a ruler about 3.99 each.

Emmmm they are now taller than me lol.

Now I have seen how these trees can get out of control. I have also noticed some people are able to cut these to look like tall thin trees.
My plan is to get a strimmer and tear into them this weekend from top to bottom. To get the "tall and thin" look is it just a matter of hacking away to ones taste?
They are not gone mad yet but have widened a bit so i have still have time.

I want to get this look

http://www.google.ie/imgres?q=small+evergreen+tree&start=39&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=677&tbm=isch&tbnid=6ZezOzyd6SqOGM:&imgrefurl=http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/page8.htm&docid=zu6CGxwK2H-JgM&imgurl=http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/cup_sem_460.jpg&w=453&h=680&ei=ZZpJUNWlG8i-0QWuvIG4Aw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=209&vpy=217&dur=518&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=100&ty=152&sig=112762636938028321976&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=89&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:39,i:137

johnayo

Could you post up a pic of what you have now. You will have a better chance of getting more accurate info on the possibilities.

looksee

OP, the trees in the pic grow like that because that is the natural shape of them, not because they have been trimmed.

Evergreens are generally very unhappy about being savagely cut back, they do not throw out new shoots from old wood, so you would end up with a couple of naked telegraph poles! If you trim them back a bit so you do not go beyond the newish growth you can keep them slimmer, but you will not get a narrow tree from something that naturally grows wide.

ronan45

Ok Ill pop up a piccy later:) Can these trees be controlled at all or is it inevitable that they will get massive?

Oldtree

and to follow on from looksee above, its getting late in the saeson to trim conifers as the newly exposed growth may not be sturdy enough to overcome the soon to come frosts.

ronan45

AHhh i just remembered today its a Goldcrest

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_23397.htm

I planted this in my garden and its shot up, Says on this add for containers:rolleyes::eek:

Strange thing is I planted another 2 in tha back garden at the same time and they have only grown slightly... HMmm they have the same aspect but maybe slighter wetter soil

Can i keep trimming this tree to keep it this size without the bottoms and sides becoming dark and dieing. The tree is now as big as i want it to get

Oldtree

You can prune kinda like on the below picture withoud doing much damage...
Try to only take off the feathery bits, dont be tempted to prune further back and continue to prune back to that point over the years. When pruning take your time step back to make sure that the plant is balanced (unlike my artwork) and get it right the first time. Sharp clean sacutures and a bin to drop the bits in.

you shall go so far and no further

ronan45

Oldtree wrote: »

You can prune kinda like on the below picture withoud doing much damage...
Try to only take off the feathery bits, dont be tempted to prune further back and continue to prune back to that point over the years. When pruning take your time step back to make sure that the plant is balanced (unlike my artwork) and get it right the first time. Sharp clean sacutures and a bin to drop the bits in.

you shall go so far and no further

sacatures is cuts? i was going to us electric strimmer? i have a pruning cutters would that be better? cheers for info all:)

sconhome

ronan45 wrote: »

I want to get this look

http://www.google.ie/imgres?q=small+evergreen+tree&start=39&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=677&tbm=isch&tbnid=6ZezOzyd6SqOGM:&imgrefurl=http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/page8.htm&docid=zu6CGxwK2H-JgM&imgurl=http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/cup_sem_460.jpg&w=453&h=680&ei=ZZpJUNWlG8i-0QWuvIG4Aw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=209&vpy=217&dur=518&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=100&ty=152&sig=112762636938028321976&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=89&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:39,i:137

Best bet to get this look is to go to a garden centre and ask about plants that have that specific shape.

Juniperus 'Skyrocket' is one that springs to mind that is suitable for Irish weather.

celticbhoy27

ronan45 wrote: »

sacatures is cuts? i was going to us electric strimmer? i have a pruning cutters would that be better? cheers for info all:)

hedge trimmers is fine, quicker job, albeit less accurate

Oldtree

it wont take long to do these with a sacutaures. Setting up the initial shape is very important with this type of pruning and one slip with a hedge trimmer will end in tears. maby when the face has thickend up and the structure is there in a few years then try a hedge trimmer, patience is a virtue.

celticbhoy27

in fairness it's only a conical shape he's going for, not a spiral or any other kind of topiary design. the hedge trimmer is perfectly fine

Oldtree

The op seems to suggest a lack of experience with strimmer/hedge trimmer, so I was pointing to an easy way to start off this process and to warn of a potential danger, to be fair to the op :rolleyes: