Watering, fertilizing and cutting are probably the most important jobs in the garden, apart from weeding. But can all plants be pruned or maybe some don't tolerate it well? The Serbian spruce belongs to the latter group.
Is it advisable to cut a Serbian spruce?
Should you prune a Serbian spruce? As a rule, cutting a Serbian spruce is not recommended because cut branches and twigs usually do not grow back and leave unattractive gaps. This can disrupt the harmonious appearance of the tree and affect its characteristic growth.
The characteristic growth of the Serbian spruce is relatively narrow. The trunk is usually very straight, the crown is narrower than that of the common spruce but also conical. The branches grow along the entire trunk, are relatively short and sag slightly in the middle. Practically no other plants grow under the Serbian spruce. Underplanting is hardly possible.
How fast does Serbian spruce grow?
The Serbian spruce is said to grow relatively quickly. The annual growth is around 40 centimeters per year. Because the trunk carries branches all the way to the ground, it is sometimes planted as a privacy screen or hedge. What is often overlooked is that after ten to 12 years the Serbian spruce is a stately tree and the hedge is more than head-high.
What happens if I trim my Serbian spruce?
The Serbian spruce doesn't need pruning at all, it can destroy the harmonious overall picture or the "picturesque growth", because cut branches and twigs usually do not grow back. Ugly gaps remain, which are usually poorly covered by other shoots over time.
The same applies when cutting or shortening the Serbian spruce. It will always lack the characteristic lace. As a rule, the tree tries to fill the gap by growing side shoots upwards after cutting, but the success is at best moderate. This may be acceptable within a hedge, but less so with a solitary tree. Maybe a dwarf spruce should be planted here from the start.
The most important things in brief:
- characteristic narrow growth
- Cutting not required
- cut gaps grow extremely slowly
Tip
Unhappily placed cuts and the resulting gaps can hardly be concealed and can be seen for many years, so good planning before cutting is important.
