How to Prune Thuja Occidentalis
- 1
Check out your tree from different points of view.starting point image by Dumitrescu Ciprian from Fotolia.com
Design a plan before you begin pruning your tree. View the tree from various distances and at different vantage points. Compare your tree in reference to the other trees and shrubs around it and decide what its permanent height should be. - 2
Lower the height of your tree using pruning shears with long handles.loppers image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
Prune with long-handled pruning shears to bring the height of the tree into accordance with your plan. If the shears can’t handle the thickness of the tree trunk, use a pole saw. Make your pruning cut 6 to 8 inches below its desired height. - 3
Clip off dead branches with hand-held pruning shears.s??cateur de jardin image by YvesBonnet from Fotolia.com
Inspect the interior of the tree’s foliage; look for dead branches. Use short-handled pruning shears and snip these branches off close to the tree trunk. Wear work gloves to protect your hands from sharp branches and twigs. - 4
Create a cone-shaped top on an Arbovitae with a pair of hedging shears.rusty garden shears image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
Restore the natural cone shape to the top of the tree. Using the hedging shears, begin 12 to 16 inches from the top, cutting from right to left in an upwards sweeping pattern, all around the tree. - 5
Use pruning shears to snip off twigs or foliage you may have missed.shrub texture image by FotoWorx from Fotolia.com
Balance the tree’s appearance. Step well back and look for errant branches or foliage that make the tree appear lopsided. Perform trim corrections with either the short-handled pruner or the hedging shears.
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