A fully grown spruce is not a small tree, but rather a stately tree. It can grow up to 60 meters high and has a trunk diameter of around two meters. Overall, a spruce tree needs several square meters of space.
How do I properly cut the lower branches of a spruce?
When cutting the lower branches of a spruce, you should ensure that sawn-off branches do not grow back and that gaps only close slowly. Ideally, you should cut from November to January on frost-free days, sawing in two steps to avoid injury to the trunk.
Hardly any other plants grow under a spruce tree. If the branches reach down to the ground, there is no room for paths or seats, which is why the lower branches are often sawn off. This can make sense, but it should be well planned and carried out carefully.
What happens if I cut off the lower branches?
Branches that you have cut or sawed off once do not grow back. If holes or gaps arise in the silhouette as a result of cutting measures, then these only grow very slowly or not at all.
So always cut so that the harmonious overall appearance of your spruce is not disturbed. In order to maintain the stability of the tree, the spruce should not only be trimmed on one side, for example because the neighbor is annoyed by overhanging branches.
What should I pay attention to when cutting?
The lower branches of a spruce are usually quite long and correspondingly thick or stable. If you simply saw one of them off, the branch will break off before it is completely sawn through. This causes the bark to tear.
If you saw close to the trunk, large injuries may occur in the bark of the trunk, through which pathogens for red rot or other diseases can penetrate. It is therefore better to saw in two steps.
First, saw the branch to be removed about a third deep from the bottom, about 40 to 50 centimeters away from the trunk. Then saw it from the top about ten centimeters closer to the trunk. The branch will break, but it won't hurt the trunk.
The most important things in brief:
- sawed branches do not grow back
- Gaps close very slowly
- ideal time for cutting: November to February
- Choose a frost-free day (reduces the risk of splinters)
- saw in 2 steps (reduces the risk of injury to the trunk)
Tip
The time from November to January is ideal for sawing off the lower branches.