The sugarloaf spruce develops its perfect silhouette with densely branched needles without cutting. Like all conifers, the elegant cultivated form has a pronounced aversion to pruning. If you still see a need for a cut, there are important premises to consider. Read this guide on how to properly cut a Picea glauca 'Conica'.
How do I cut a sugarloaf spruce correctly?
Sugarloaf spruces should only be cut in the needled area to avoid annoying gaps. Planting spacing should be generous to prevent brown shoot tips. In late winter you can prune the spruce by removing branches below the desired crown.
Cutting in the needled area
Buds capable of sprouting are in short supply in coniferous trees such as spruces, firs and pines. Only in the needled area of their shoots do conifers have active vegetation points that sprout after being cut. This premise also applies to the sugarloaf spruce. This is how you proceed with cutting skillfully:
- Cutting measures limited to the green needle dress
- Bend the affected shoot to the side before cutting to check the needled sector
- Place scissors above green needles
If you get into the brown shoot area with the cutting tool, you will have an annoying gap for a long time. In contrast to many deciduous trees, the sugarloaf spruce does not have an iron reserve in the form of sleeping eyes. Only over the years will neighboring branches close the dark hole in the green needles.
Planting spacing prevents the need for pruning
Brown shoot tips are one of the most common reasons for pruning a sugarloaf spruce. You can effectively prevent this delicate undertaking if you allocate a generous amount of space to the shapely coniferous tree.
If the branches hit obstacles of any kind, needles die at the points of contact and turn brown. In the worst case, unmistakable gaps arise that only grow very slowly. Please adjust the planting distance to fences, house walls and neighboring plants to the expected growth width of up to 200 centimeters.
Fasting in late winter
As a standard tree with a sugarloaf crown, 'Conica' steals the show from other ornamental trees. A sugarloaf spruce tolerates the creative training variant particularly well because the evergreen needles are not involved when cutting. This is how you properly branch the conifer:
- The best time is in late winter when the weather is frost-free
- Remove side branches below the desired crown base
- Saw off every shoot on Astring
Smooth any cut with a sharp, clean knife. From a diameter of two centimeters, coat the edges of the wound with tree wax (€11.00 on Amazon) to protect the cambium wood there from delayed frost.
Tip
Pruning conifers leaves tons of tiny clippings on the ground. Sweeping up takes more time than the actual cutting. You can avoid this nuisance with a simple precaution. Before you cut the sugarloaf spruce, thuja or yew, cover the tree disc extensively with foil or old blankets.
