Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: taming large conifers The best cuts leave conifers looking natural and healthy, as with this Picea glauca var. albertiana ‘Conica’
Large conifers like this Picea pungens ‘Hoopsii’ can tower over borders
How do I tame large conifers? Q
because they don’t sprout back readily as would a yew. However, it is feasible to remove the tops from these conifers, to prevent them from rocketing up. Energy is pushed into lower growths, but these in turn will grow up and need thinning. The trick is to evaluate your conifers each year during autumn and winter when Large conifers suffer from bad press birds are not nesting. The aim is to tidy when they’ve been badly sited and during mild spells by reducing some of neglected. They can tower over boundaries, the furthest-reaching growths. Carried shade out borders, block views and suck out regularly, this work is usually within the ground dry in summer. However, well- the scope of competent, well-equipped managed, these fast-growing giants can amateur gardeners. However, if trees be an asset in medium-to-large gardens. have been neglected, or you have any In ours, we maintain a small belt of existing doubts about safety, hire a tree surgeon conifers to screen nearby buildings and to do the work for you. This is a two-handed job, and starts shelter the greenhouse from frost and with a discussion about which long northerly winds. Should you have an overgrown hedge stems to remove. The aim is to leave or a group of Santolina chamaecyparissus, behind a natural-looking stand of x Cupressocyparis leylandii or Thuja, then conifers that don’t look pruned, with avoid cutting hard back into older wood no dead stems or foliage showing.
We have a stand of cypress-like conifers that we want to keep but they are too big. I’ve heard they don’t respond well to pruning, so how can we reduce size while enjoying privacy and their evergreen shape? Angela Clegg, Penrith, Cumbria
Right image and inset image: Alamy
The annual removal of taller stems from Thuja is easy for us to achieve safely and keeps our stand of conifers under control
Anne’s top tips
How to best control your conifers
For sawing through thicker stems, we rely on an extending pole saw with hooks to help bring down the branches after cutting.
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Saw through the targeted stem, leaving only green healthy material behind. An assistant is useful here to catch the branches.
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All photography John Swithinbank / TI Media, unless otherwise credited
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Conifer do’s and don’ts DO remove larger branches in such a way that the cuts are covered by the tips of lower growths. If dead wood is accidentally exposed, do clip away dead foliage or try tying healthy branches together to disguise it. Don’t forget that once you begin pruning a large conifer, it will grow back with vigour and need regular attention.
Once the larger stems have been reduced, thin out those of a smaller diameter by using a pair of long-reach loppers.
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Trim leylandii so cuts are covered by the tips of lower growths
Although shears can reduce width, a clipped look doesn’t sit well where a stand of conifers is meant to look natural. I prefer to thin the sides gently using secateurs.
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