The Kings Lynn Tree Surgeon

When to trim conifers.

When to trim conifers

Silhouette image of conifers

Conifers are a common sight in British gardens, thanks in part to their usefulness as seclusion and boundary markers in the form of hedges. But a fir tree in your garden may not be obvious to the uninitiated who’ve just moved in. Their leaves or needles exhibit scale-like structures, but their cones are immediately recognisable. Either way, they’re both part of the same family and you need to trim conifers or fir trees.

Why choose conifers?

As a result of their rapid growth and ability to reach enormous heights, conifers are excellent candidates for large-scale forest management. However, there are diminutive plant varieties, such as Groundcovers, Leylandii, Juniper, Scots Pine, Yew, and Gingko are among the most popular conifers.

What to do with a project that's too big?

Because conifers are often fast-growing, they often outgrow their surroundings. It doesn’t matter if they’re dwarf varieties or slow-growing ones. Just because they grow wildly does not mean you should have the cut down though. Trimming and pruning your hedges in Kings Lynn rather than replacing a ‘too large’ conifer is a more practical and cost-effective solution.

Trimming advice

The majority of conifers require little to no trimming and are often rather hardy. Trimming the fir’s leaves is similar to trimming a hedge, but you must be careful not to cut into the brown “old wood” or the conifer may not recover. But there still will be little growth in conifers after the growth tip is removed.

When should I trim conifers?

April through the end of August is the ideal time to trim your conifers (September). But early autumn (October) is a good time to prune new trees.

Routine maintenance for the rest of the year includes:

  • The fertiliser should be used every year in late winter (February/March) at a rate of 50-100g per square metre.
  • Late Winter (February/March) mulching – to reduce weeds, retain water, supply nutrients and improve soil conditions.
  • When properly hydrated at the time of planting, conifers do not require any additional irrigation.
  • Removal of reverted shoots and suckers from below grafts or roots is required for reversion and sucker therapy.

If you’re unsure about any of this then feel free to give us a ring.

Conclusion

Trimming conifers is not an easy task so we recommend calling a professional such as us. When The King’s Lynn Tree Surgeon was established, it quickly became one of the area’s top independent owner-managed providers of experienced arboricultural services. Some of these include pruning trees, tree felling and stump removal for the private, public, construction and utility sectors. So call us at 01553 603477 for a free estimate or more advice on when to trim conifers.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *