A linden tree in the garden is a beautiful thing - it is very attractive with its balanced growth and provides pleasant shade - but its lush tree crown can also become a bit expansive. Then a pruning is called for.
When and how should you cut a linden tree?
Linde trees should be cut in autumn before the first frost. The following applies: remove old and rotten branches, sharpen the contours and use clean cutting tools. Linden tolerates pruning well and responds with strong new growth.
The dimensions of the lime tree crown
The linden trees that grow in local gardens are usually native varieties such as summer, winter or silver linden. Their growth heights can reach up to 30 meters - that alone is no longer really proportionate for some gardens. However, the sprawling growth of the tree crown can be even more problematic. The linden branches can extend up to 15 meters wide. As beautiful as the shade under the light green heart-shaped leaves is, if it extends to that extent, possibly even onto the neighbor's side, a pruning is necessary.
- Growth height of garden linden varieties up to 30 m
- Tree crown extension up to 15 m
The pruning tolerance of lime trees
In general, linden trees do not require any particular care. And when it comes to pruning, they also shine through their simplicity. As a rule, they tolerate crown pruning without any problems. They also respond to it with vigorous new growth - so with regular trimming you can grow them into precisely defined trellises.
How to cut?
The ideal time for pruning linden trees is autumn before the first frost. You can also carry out radical trimming here.
How cutting is always roughly based on the same rules. Whether you just want to reduce the crown of a solitary, shady specimen or give shape to artistic row plantings is just a question of the execution details. Basically:
- remove old and rotten branches
- otherwise external contour sharpening
- use a clean cutting tool
Rough work
For the rough removal of thick, old branches, you can use a chainsaw (€281.00 on Amazon) or a hand hacksaw. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the tools here - because even if the linden tree generally copes well with cuts, fungal infections cannot be ruled out if there are dirty residues.
Finework
An electric hedge trimmer is suitable for sharpening the outer contours or, for smaller trees that need to be trained into defined trellises, smaller hand hedge trimmers. Here too, it is important to pay attention to the cleanliness of the blades - it is best to disinfect them before work. In addition, the cutting tools should be well sharpened and close precisely so that no bruising occurs during the cut.
