Bought fresh, it looks flawless with its cone shape, its umbrella-like needles and its exotic expression. But does it stay that way? Does the Japanese umbrella fir need regular topiary or pruning right down to the bottom?
When and how should you prune a Japanese umbrella fir?
In general, the Japanese umbrella fir does not need any pruning as it naturally grows evenly and conically. Pruning is only necessary in exceptional cases, for example in the case of dead branches or diseases. Cut the umbrella fir in winter on frost-free days without shortening the leading shoot.
Cutting – only necessary in exceptional cases
The Japanese umbrella fir generally does not need any pruning at all. Once purchased, it retains its basic structure and only gets bigger over the years. In total it can grow up to 10 m high here.
She is naturally born with an even, cone-shaped growth. However, a cut can still make sense:
- removing brown needles and dead branches
- takes up too much space widthwise
- Too big for pot culture
- sick parts of plants should be cut off
Topiary cutting is unnecessary
Thanks to the natural cone shape, it is not necessary to trim the Japanese umbrella fir every year to maintain its distinctive shape. Growth is also extremely slow, with an average of 20 cm and a maximum of 30 cm per year. It is also extremely dense, so that the shoots do not have to be shortened to encourage them to branch.
When is the appropriate cutting time?
Do you still want to cut the Japanese umbrella fir? Then the best time to do this is in winter, outside of their main growing season. Pull out the pruning shears (€38.00 on Amazon) or saw between mid-February and early March. But be careful: only on a frost-free day!
Do not cut the leading shoot, cut the side shoots
It is fundamentally important never to shorten its leading shoot when cutting the Japanese umbrella fir. Anyone who does this should not be surprised if the plant stops growing. Only the side shoots should be shortened - if necessary.
Tip
If you cut off plant parts that are affected by diseases, do not throw them into the compost. The pathogens often survive and can later be transferred to other plants in the compost. Instead, destroy diseased parts in household waste or burn them.
