how to trim ever greens

[deepportage01]

well i have a few pine trees that look a little funny the tops of the trees are growing funny the main trunk is shorter than the small branches around the the top and it looks like they want to be the top but there not so do i cut the little ones and let the trunk catch up or is that the way they grow?

[lawdog]

If I'm understanding what you are saying, cut them. You should only allow one thing to be the trunk straight up or the tree will eventually be split into two trunks and could eventually split and fall/die, or at the very least, look bad.

[Powerstroke]

I"m a tree guy and have helped out herer many times before....ANyway, sounds like you've got branches near the top that are starting to grow vertical making it look like its got more than one top.

Best thing to do is to clip out the ones that aren't supposed to be growing up. Eventually it will look bad, but more than that it can create weakness issues in those branches and they may break off if allowed to get much larger. Keeping a domianant top creates goods form in the tree.

[deepportage01]

thanks guys!

[lawdog]

Powerstroke,

What time of year should this be done preferrably?

[Powerstroke]

Right now the new needles are just out and stiffening up, so I would maybe wait another month or so. Otherwise you can do them from then until winter. I try not to trim them in the winter cause they can dry out and burn (orange)out.

[Steve Foss]

Powerstroke is on the right track.

It may be that deer or some other critters have bitten off the top of the main tunk (called the leader). Once the top is removed, it's won't regenerate. A pine should have only one leader, so if the top is removed, then the uppermost ring of branches will grow faster and compete to see who becomes the new leader. Pick the one that seems strongest/longest and cut back all the others in that ring. Don't worry about tying off the one you left or anything. Over time, it'll start to grow straight up. Eventually, all will be well, though the tree's trunk will eventually show the kink in it, and that kink is an invitation to disease and insects.

I'm assuming a lot here about the deer and such, but if deer are getting to the leaders (they love to eat the vertical center leader, especially when it's in bud in May), your young pines may need to be fenced off until they're tall enough so deer can't reach them.

It's best if you do this trimming as soon in spring or early summer as you see the problem has happened. The sooner you get rid of the top ring of branches except for the new leader, the more growth will go into the leader and not be wasted on those other little branches. Conifers put on most of their season's growth by early summer.