Can you prune junipers

But some general rules apply to all. All junipers have dead zones at their center so severe pruning, including topping, is never a good idea. Instead, prune lightly and regularly, just before new growth begins in spring. The key to pruning juniper is to leave areas with dormant bud on each branch you trim. This will correct the shape and limit spread. Chinese juniper thrives in U. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and can grow to 30 feet tall with a 15 foot spread.

If the tree is overgrown, remove up to 20 percent of the height, but make all cuts well above the dead zone. Trim each one back to just above a vigorous side branch. Never shear these. They do not look attractive if pruned in a formal manner. She earned a BA from U. Part 1. Prune junipers annually to correct their shape. The best time to prune your junipers is in the winter or early spring.

This will give you the freedom to trim as needed to attain the perfect shape. Trim the bushes as needed in the summer if the tree loses its shape. You can re-shape the tree at any time during the summer. Do not trim new growth during the summer.

When working with the tree, be careful not to cut the new growth growing from the junctions. The new growth will be soft, light green, and pliable compared to the hardwood of the old growth. Part 2. On a mature juniper, nothing will grow from this area, so you have to be careful not to cut too close unless you do not want the branches to grow back. Sometimes, if the juniper is very mature, the dead zone will be extremely large. If the dead zone makes up the majority of the plant, dig up the juniper and replant a new shrub in its place.

Make cuts at the junctions of the branches. In all varieties of junipers, new growth comes from points in the tree where the branches split into smaller branches, called junctions.

When pruning the tree, try to make cuts as close to the junctions as possible to encourage more new growth throughout the year. Cut out dead or damaged limbs using loppers to encourage new growth. You may notice that some of the branches of the tree are brown and stiff.

Take a pair of loppers, which are a type of gardening scissor with long handles, and cut all dead or damaged limbs into the dead zone. This will give new growth space to form! Thin out creeping junipers by removing center branches. Creeping and semi-upright junipers can have very thick dead zones that need to be thinned out.

Cut these branches into the dead zone to prevent them from growing back. After the initial thinning, creeping and semi-upright junipers can be pruned as normal. Trim top branches using loppers to shape the tree. Many junipers grow laterally, with branches shooting off to the sides, but some may have branches growing upwards.

Use the loppers to cut the branches to about 1 inch 2. The side branches take up the most space on an overgrown juniper.

Use pruning scissors or hand pruners, which have shorter handles than loppers, to shorten the branches to a junction where the branch splits. You can cut up to a third of the branch without damaging its growth. Tie sagging branches to the center of the shrub to secure them. Aphids tend to be quite a serious problem for the juniper tree, as do caterpillars and juniper scale. Juniper scale is a small, sap-sucking insect that can encrust the juniper tree resulting in small, white-brown scales on the foliage.

Canker can also be an issue. It is a good idea to increase watering of juniper trees during the autumn, before the first frosts start to appear.

Water deeply, then wait till the soil dries before watering again. This will allow the tree to store some water for later use. As soon as winter arrives, reduce the watering to about once per month. Ahead of the first frost, put a layer of organic mulch around the tree around 3 inches from the trunk. This will conserve the moisture in the soil and stop the soil temperature from fluctuating too much.

You must never carry out any type of tree work — whether that is pruning, pollarding, coppicing, cutting back or dead-wooding — if there is a Tree Preservation Order TPO in place. Always confirm this before you go ahead with any work, and if there is an Order in place you will need to obtain permission from the local authority. Be aware that this can take up to eight weeks to come through.

Also note that if the tree is situated in a conservation area, permission must be sought before undertaking works of any kind.

If you value your juniper tree then show it you care by investing in the expertise and specialist advice of a qualified tree surgeon. With the help of these experts, you will enjoy an attractive, healthy juniper tree, year-round. When selecting a tree surgeon, look for checkable references and certificates that prove their qualifications. In addition, ask to see insurance documents so you know you are covered for the work being carried out.

Furthermore, if you can, seek to engage a tree surgeon with Trading Standards and local authority approval for a guarantee of value for money.