Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-10
Time to Prune Evergreens (Conifers)


keep them attractive in appear
ance and to prolong their useful
life
Some gardeners are under the
impression that once planted
they do not require any further
care. This usually results in the
conifers becoming thin and
quickly outgrowing their useful
ness for landscape value.
Unpruned evergreens cease to
be landscape material-a few in
five years. certainly most within
ten years. This might well be
considered poor gardening prac-
tice since. for a considerable por-
ton of that period. they have
been lacking in color and vigor.
Fortunately. an evergreen can
be pruned at any time without
injury, but it is good practice to
prune them Just before the new
growth appears in the spring or
fall. SO that the pruning cuts are
quickly hidden. The major
growth of an evergreen comes in
the early spring and. so, early
to mid March is the preferred
time for pruning.
Compact Form Desired
The annual pruning helps to
keep the conifers compact
usually preventing the normal
needle drop that follows a dry
period in the summer. This
needle drop. which was so pro-
nounced last summer. is due 10
an excess of needles over the
roots ability to supply food and
moisture.
The needles towards the GEN.
ter of the tree are the first to
go and, of course. as this con-
t;nues it tends to give the ever
green a more or less thin APP
pearance. The needle-covered
twigs are on the outside and the
evergreen becomes hollow
shell. This coupled with the
ever taller growth soon destroys
the beauty Of the evergreen.
This is particularly noticeable
with the arborvitaeS. moss
cypress CChamaecyparis> and
the Irish jumper. 1t is least
troublesome among the yews and
the Douglas fir, spruce and
Ptitzer jumpers. Even the Mugo
pine needs an annual trimming
of the candles" to prolong its
usefulness. The pines. in gen.
eral. need some trimming but
they are more difficult and hence
even in arboretums seldom are
pruned.
Keep the Natural Habit
The nurseryman starts prun-
ing his evergreens while they
are still quite small and con-
tinues until they reach market
able size. But. his pruning
largely consists of quick
shearing. The home gardener
will want to retain the natural
habit of growth as well as avoid
anything that tends to resemble
formal outline. This requires the
use OF pruning shears rather
than hedge clippers. Usually the
gardener will snip off the tips of
the branches, sometimes clipping
off a portion of a cluster of
twles. This obviously takes more
thought and effort than would
be the case where hedge shears
are used. Such a pruning has
its value in keeping the natural
appearance as we'll as reducing
the leaf surface and increasing
twigginess.
The shingling of an arbor-
vitae. especially the American.
is not all exacting job. Whether
it be the columnar. globe, or
pyramidaL this pruning is most
important to keep them from
outgroWing their situations. Even
the newest dwarf globe variety
Dement'S from such care. while
it is imperative for the stronger
growers. The Oriental species
become very open and weak
stemmed unless sheared severely
each year.
jumpers and Douglas Fir
The jumpers need an annual
pruning. especially the PfitZer,
which can reach S or 6 feet in
height and 10 or u in spread
unless the growing tips are cut
back each season. The creeping
jumpers need to have the grow
ing points clipped TO stimulate
thick coverage and good color.
The Douglas fir is a strong
grower that takes kindly to our
climate and soils. An annual
pruning helps to keep it COM
pact and from too rapid growth.
However. it is not easy to shorten