Pruning Evergreens in the Fall

There are many kinds of evergreens. There are Conifers, Broad Leaf, Hollies, Rhododendrons and many more. All considered evergreens and all have different ways of dealing with the pruning issue. The first set of evergreens, Conifers or narrow leaf evergreens such as Arborvitae, Hemlock, Red Cedar, Spruce as well as Pine and others similar in character to these don't really like to be pruned very much. Since they don't grow new shoots from the removal of old limbs, it is better to not cut them off unless they are dead or causing a hazard. If you have these types of evergreens, it is best to encourage new growth by breaking the shoots known as "candles"(the new growth coming from the end of your limbs) off with your fingers. This makes them grow more hardily. You can do this in the late fall.

Conifers really don't need a lot of pruning anytime of the year again unless you have dead limbs. Remember, it isn't necessary to paint the ends of the evergreen trees unless you see disease or insect infestation.

When necessary pruning is required, make sure you follow the basic theory of cutting off the limbs of a tree. Don't cut too much. Never cut all the way down to the trunk of an evergreen. Most of the time the rule of thumb is to look for the bulge. At the base of the limb on an evergreen and other trees is a bulge. It is bigger than the rest of the limb from that point on out.

Cut above that bulge. Cut clean and smooth and let it heal itself. Again the stump of the limb doesn't regrow on this type of evergreen, but it will heal if you have to cut it off. Clean, crisp cuts through the limbs are best. Try not to rip the limb off. This leaves the limb exposed unnecessarily.

The next kind of evergreens, the Broad Leaf Evergreen is another one that is not required to have excessive pruning. Magnolias are considered to be Broad Leaf Evergreens. These are better warmer weather or milder climate evergreens. They don't tolerate extreme cold very well. Again, dead limbs should be removed whatever time of year.

Holly Evergreens are used in hedges and other designs around the home. They make excellent additions to any landscape. These types of evergreens are usually pruned late summer/early fall for best results. A lot of people use them for decorative holiday arrangements so they wait until December and prune them to attain a dual purpose result. This gives the holly a great start in the spring.

Boxwoods are another type of evergreen. These are used as hedges from front yards around the perimeters of the landscape. They grow very large and can sometimes get completely out of control. They, unlike their cousins should be pruned often. They seem to burst out of control in the spring and summer, so in order to obtain both a pleasing aesthetic approach and to keep them from being monsters, you should start in the spring pruning and continue throughout the summer, into the fall. It is ok to prune these guys as late as the first of October.

Evergreens are really very easy to maintain. Fall is not a big deal in the care of these beautiful trees and bushes. The holly can actually save in decorating costs for Christmas if you time the pruning just right.

Happy Pruning!