How to form coniferous plants for a hedge. When to start work. Bonsai made of pine and spruce. About this in the article.
Coniferous tree trimming
From Scots pine and spruce trees can be made with the help of cutting not only a beautiful bonsai, but also amazing, fabulous plants for the garden.
Pruning coniferous trees is increasingly attracting the attention of lovers of topiary art. And all because conifers are easy and convenient to care for. These plants are very diverse in their shapes and color shades, they are attractive, decorative and stay that way all year round. But the most important thing is that coniferous trees tolerate pruning well, and due to their slow growth, they do not require increased attention and frequent care.
You can start trimming conifers at any age. Remember, you should start pruning your conifers a year after planting or replanting. Good, strong specimens of acclimatized plants or representatives of local flora are suitable for cutting.
The timing of cutting coniferous plants varies from year to year, approximately from the end of May to the end of the second ten days of June (25.05 - 20.06).
When choosing the timing of pruning, you should focus on the phase of plant development, when young shoots are already formed, but the needles have not yet begun to grow.
On average, 1/3 of the shoot length is removed.
After pruning the shoots, buds begin to form on them, and by the end of summer they are already well formed. Of these, in turn, next season young shoots will develop that require pruning. And so every year.
Candles that appear in spring should be carefully pinched - shorten the top of the candle, trying not to damage the young needles at the base of the new growth.
Since the plant’s renewal buds do not awaken simultaneously, this procedure will have to be repeated as new candles appear. If you are late with this procedure and allow the pine tree to grow young shoots, the candles will soon become woody and can no longer be pinched. On old candles, renewal buds are less likely to form, which reduces the decorative value of bonsai.
Pruning a pine tree is the complete removal or shortening of its branches and shoots. It is produced to give the crown a certain shape, improve the health and strengthen the tree. Removing pine branches slows down the growth of large trees, and makes its ground part thicker. 
Coniferous trees can be trimmed in winter, when the air temperature reaches -10 degrees. They usually trim their spruce and pine trees at the end of January. You can remove entire branches, you can cut them to the desired length, then in the spring the dormant buds wake up and give new growth.
Among the rules for pruning pine trees, it is also worth mentioning that pine shoots can be trimmed, leaving a stump, only if this stump is covered with pine needles (i.e., only shoots no older than 2 years can be shortened). Stumps without needles will inevitably dry out. If an older branch needs to be removed, it is “transferred” to a younger branch (i.e., removed completely above the younger branch, which becomes the new tip).
Pinching the spruce only wastes time, it just needs to be cut. Scissors. And she will be fluffy and beautiful without any dancing with a tambourine.
Pine remains one of the most common plants used to decorate a site during landscaping work. A correctly formed crown will look neat, and small pine trees will turn into one of the main decorative elements, and at the same time make the atmosphere on the site pleasant and healthy. To do this, the pine tree must be pruned in a timely manner: this is not very hard work, however, it will have to be done regularly.
, it is important to ensure that the roots are not left bare even for a few minutes during transplantation: because of this, they may die. A year after planting, you can begin to form the crown of a young tree.
This is the name for the removal of old and diseased branches necessary for the tree to remain healthy. However, in this case, a danger is created for other plants due to the shadow formed by the dense crown. You can form a hedge from pine or use it to decorate a site; timely pruning allows you to keep the plant both beautiful and healthy.
If the roof grows, it will be difficult to trim it, and this will lead to additional problems on the site. The territory must not be turned into a forest; it has many other functions, and it must not be allowed overgrowth green spaces.
Besides, in advanced cases pruning is dangerous: it is stressful for the plant, and if you remove a large number of green mass, the pine may die. You should not delay carrying out sanitary procedures, even if at first glance they seem difficult.
In order for pruning to bring benefit rather than harm to the pine tree, it must be carried out in accordance with the following requirements:
- The procedure is carried out when young shoots - the so-called shoots or candles - begin to appear on the pine tree. When they begin to grow, they contain the embryos of future needles; it is important to remove the growth when it has already grown to its maximum, but the needles have not yet begun to fluff. Coniferous trees wake up after winter quite late; active growth of new shoots will begin only in May. Because of this, pruning is recommended only in June.
- For pruning, use simple garden shears with a long blade. Processing begins from the top of the tree, the skeletal branches are cut off individually, leaving stumps that are small in height (no more than 5 cm). Subsequently, they will grow, but the total annual growth will not exceed three centimeters.
- If after spring pruning the candles still gave stronger growth, you can’t cut a pine branch by its needles. In this case, the green needles will quickly turn yellow, which is why the tree will look sloppy. Each needle lives not one year, but several, so initially incorrect pruning can cause serious harm, and it will not be possible to quickly correct it.
- The pruning area is treated with copper sulfate; if serious wounds had to be caused to the plant, they are covered with varnish. This will prevent the entry of pathogenic bacteria and the onset of putrefactive processes.
The first pruning is carried out in the spring, and at the end of summer you can do additional adjustment crowns
It is important that the pruning tool is clean and very sharp to ensure a clean cut. Otherwise, it can become a source of infection for the entire plant. In just one pruning, no more than one third of the green mass can be removed, otherwise the damage to the plant will be irreparable.
Pine pruning is carried out not only for sanitary purposes to limit the height of the crown.
Many are attracted by neat crowns, which can be achieved with the help of proper decorative pruning. Pine trees with a decorative crown can be used to create hedges, design alleys, etc.
How to choose a tree for these purposes:
- For this procedure, it is better to choose cloudy days so that they do not start to appear on the needles. brown spots, arising from increased evaporation of moisture.
- One of the advantages of pine is that it is not necessary to specifically buy a seedling.
- Sometimes you can simply dig up a suitable sprout in the forest and plant it on the site.
- In the shadow big trees such seedlings grow slowly, and when correct transplantation in a new place they will quickly begin to develop, actively sprouting new shoots.
- In this case, it will be much easier to form a crown, since you will not have to remove a large number of branches.
- Usually, small pines, whose age does not exceed 3-4 years, are chosen for transplantation.
In nurseries they cost from about 300 to 1000 rubles; in the forest you can simply pick up a young plant, which will still have difficulty growing due to the shade of large trees. It is better not to choose large ones, as they do not tolerate changing places well and can be sick for a whole year. Decorative pruning usually carried out in such a way that the crown retains its even pyramidal outline, but thanks to it the pine will look more fluffy and spreading, turning into a real decoration of the site.
One of the purposes of pruning is to rejuvenate the old tree, since over time the growth zone will still tend to the ends of the shoots. If you do not interfere with this process, you can get almost bare long branches devoid of needles. This is done as follows:
- In autumn or winter, the ends of already bare old branches are cut off to awaken dormant buds.
- Old branches that are too large and have no growth points left are removed.
- In the spring, new shoots will appear on the remaining part of the branch, which will then turn into full-fledged shoots.
It is important to trim the branches so that at least some of the needles still remain on them, otherwise the branch will simply dry out completely.
In this way, you can turn an old pine into an almost new tree with young, bright green needles. Anti-aging pruning is carried out approximately once every three years, thanks to which the tree will look good and take up worthy place V landscape composition plot.
Pine is common in Russian climate unpretentious plant, which is very easy to care for.
It can become one of the yard decorations, in addition, it can be decorated for the New Year if you do not want to cut down a living tree to install it in your home. Taking care of the tree and its timely pruning will make the pine tree beautiful and well-groomed, which will allow you to harmoniously and neatly design your summer cottage.
More information can be found in the video.
According to Chinese belief, pine is a magical tree that wards off misfortune and brings happiness. Therefore, pine trees are planted near one’s home as a symbol of longevity and prosperity. - not an exception. However, don't be afraid large sizes trees, because they are dwarf and decorative forms This culture allows you to grow them even in a small garden. Great option– heather and Japanese garden.
How to plant Scots pine?
When choosing a pine seedling, you need to pay attention to its root system, in particular for safety earthen coma. The seedling must be no more than 5 years old. Mature trees are best replanted in winter time with a frozen lump of earth. There are two periods for planting conifers: spring (April-May) and early autumn (August-September). At this time, prepare a hole 80-100 cm deep. If the soil is heavy, it is recommended to make drainage by pouring a 20 cm layer of sand or gravel onto the bottom.
If the soil is acidic - 200 g of slaked lime. When landing, you need to make sure that root collar was located at ground level. When planting in groups, the choice of distance between trees depends on their future size and ranges from 1.5 m to 4 m.
If planted correctly, Scots pine will quickly take root without getting sick. Although most pine seedlings, especially young ones (2-3 years), tolerate replanting well and do not respond to shortening of the main root. But the older the tree becomes, the more painful it is to manipulations of this kind.
Scots pine: care
IN special care Pines don’t need it - they are unpretentious. The only thing that can be added to the first 2 years after planting is trunk circle mineral fertilizer at the rate of 30g per m2. There is no need to feed in the future. Falling needles do not need to be removed; they form a thick litter under the tree. This litter will accumulate organic nutrition, which will be enough for the plant to grow normally.
Scots pines are drought-resistant plants, so they do not need watering. Only seedlings and young trees are watered. Conifers have an extremely negative attitude towards stagnant water. Even rare moisture-loving varieties require watering only 2-3 times per season (no more than 20 liters per tree).
Mature trees tolerate winter period. But young pines also suffer from the scorching rays of the sun, leaving burns. To prevent this, the needles are covered with spruce branches or shaded by trees. Shelters are removed only from mid-April.
Peculiarities of propagation of Scots pine
Species pines can be grown from seeds, and decorative forms are obtained by grafting. Pine trees do not reproduce by cuttings.
To get the seeds out of the cone, the cone needs to be thoroughly dried. This can be done, for example, by placing it on the battery. After a few days, the cone will open on its own and the seeds can be easily obtained.
It is better to use a small box for planting pine seeds. Fill the bottom with drainage. Sprinkle a mixture of loose earth, peat and sand on top of it, sprinkle them with a small layer of earth and water them with water. The planting depth of Scots pine seeds is 5-10 mm.
In about a month, the first shoots should appear. Future pine trees may die or be negatively affected external environment. You need to take this calmly: this is what happens. natural selection the strongest seedlings, from which beautiful, full-fledged and healthy trees. Greenhouse conditions It is not at all necessary to create pine trees. It is enough just to place them on the south window and ensure regular watering. As soon as the weather warms up, the seedlings can be planted in the ground.
Anyone familiar with grafting techniques can propagate pine trees by grafting. To do this, cuttings are cut from growth 1-3 years old, and instead of a rootstock, 4-5 year old trees are used. All needles are removed, leaving only near the bud, which is located at the top of the rootstock. Side buds and long shoots are also not left on the rootstocks. Vaccinations are carried out in the spring, until the buds open. You can also graft pine trees in mid-summer (first half of July). In the case of grafting a cutting in the spring, it is grafted onto last year's shoot, and if in summer period- for the current year's escape. The most best time Vaccination is considered to be the time before buds open.
Scots pine trimming and crown formation.
As a rule, pine trees do not need to be trimmed. But with its help you can slow down the growth of a tree and make its crown denser. To do this, you don’t even need to use scissors and pruners - just break off the young growth by 1/3 of its length with your fingers.
However, in order for the bonsai not to lose its given shape and decorative effect, it needs specific care. It consists in timely pruning shoots once a year.
An adult bonsai with an already formed crown is trimmed garden shears(blade length 30-45 m) to the same height, adhering to the given shape.
While the bonsai is still young and has a loosely formed crown, you will have to cut each shoot to the required length separately.
A haircut coniferous species usually produced between the end of May and the second ten days of June. When choosing the time for crown formation, you need to focus on the phase of the tree. Best term, when young shoots have already formed, and the needles have not yet begun to bloom.
After the shoot is pruned, buds are laid in it, which will finally form by the end of summer. Of these on next year New shoots will form, which will also need to be pruned. And so on every year.
People have long known about the unpretentiousness of Scots pine. This coniferous plant Nowadays you can find not only in forests, park areas, but also on personal plots our compatriots. A tree with a well-formed crown can decorate any area. So that the pine tree becomes the main one decorative element, you need to competently approach the issue of pruning it. For this purpose, you should first study as much information as possible, watch videos regarding the process of formation of the pine crown.
Main types of work
Pine pruning is done in different ways.
The main ones are discussed below:
- Rejuvenating pine pruning. Recommended for mature trees with multiple bare, dry branches. The event stimulates the growth of new shoots.
- Decorative pruning of pine. The procedure is recommended for trees from which it is created hedge, grown in bonsai, nivaki styles. Crown formation should be regular, as it improves the aesthetic characteristics of trees and inhibits their growth.
- Sanitary pruning of pine. It is considered the most common event. Broken, damaged, weak branches that pose a danger to the tree and cause fungal diseases. In addition, there is a risk of such branches being torn from the trunk. Their fall can lead to damage to surrounding objects, injury to people and animals nearby.
Important! Ignoring this requirement can cause a pine tree that is too large to shade the area.
Ways to form a tree
Pine tree pruning should be carried out based on its age, condition, and specific goals. landscape design. Depending on the listed factors, the optimal method is selected.
- Thinning. The method ensures the removal of poorly located branches that negatively affect appearance plants. In a pine tree that has an overly dense crown, some shoots may die off due to poor sunlight and damage neighboring branches. Before work begins, the tree is inspected. Unnecessary shoots must be completely removed. The cuts are left short (the size of the stumps is maximum 5 cm).
- Trimming the top. As part of this event, the trunk is partially removed. The operation can be performed not only on young, but also on adult specimens. The recommended height of a pine tree is a maximum of 1.8 m. Pruning is done when the plant reaches 1.5 m. In the future, it is practiced to remove the remaining neighboring shoots that are prone to replacing the top. Formation young plant you need to start a year after it is planted on the site.
- Pinching. The technique ensures the formation of a thick, lush crown. It is carried out in early June; during this period, the growth of young shoots ceases. Pinching involves completely or partially breaking out the candle. For processing, a sharp pruner is used, and for large branches you need to use a hacksaw or garden saw.
Attention! Work should be carried out with extreme caution to prevent damage to dormant buds. New strong shoots (3-4 pieces) appear on the truncated branches (at the base), the crown takes on a rounded, fluffy shape.
Successful timing of pruning pine will have a positive effect on the health and decorative qualities of the tree. Sanitary procedures can be carried out throughout the year. Urgent completion of work is necessary in the event of an emergency (breakage large branch, threatening people, animals, buildings). In spring, the crown is formed, creating a compact top. The timing of the event is determined by climatic conditions, weather conditions specific region.
In summer, it is appropriate to prune new shoots that extend beyond the contours of the crown. In a young specimen, branches can be removed until the end of June. More late dates(July, August) are considered unsuccessful, since the plant forms new needles. Shortening branches along the needles can lead to yellowing of the needles, and the pine itself will take on a sloppy appearance.
In autumn, a rejuvenating haircut is carried out. Bare sections of old branches are cut off. During the next spring, dormant buds on shortened shoots awaken. This stimulates the growth of young branches.
Attention! Preventive procedures during late autumn, are not welcome in winter due to the vulnerability of the cuts. The plant stops secreting cambium, which ensures the healing of fresh wounds.
Features of the work
Proper work will allow you to create a spectacular, healthy pine tree. Site owners with no experience will need to take note of the following tips.
It is very important to use a clean, sharp tool to ensure accurate cuts and prevent contamination of the pine tree. One pruning involves removing 1/3 of the green mass in relation to the total volume. Otherwise, you can cause irreparable damage to the pine tree.
Used to process slices copper sulfate. Serious “wounds” can be covered with garden varnish. The measures prevent the penetration of harmful bacteria deep into the shoots and suppress putrefactive processes.
A well-groomed, healthy pine tree will become the highlight of the local area. Chic conifer tree will make the owners proud; neighbors and random passers-by will envy its beauty more than once.
Do you grow pine trees in your dacha?
Trimming: video