"Incompetent formation may disfigure the tree and lead to the death of some of the shoots" - Marcin Pękala
The author of the text is Marcin Pękala from Gdynia
I am the owner of a plot of land in the coastal area of the "Bielawa" reserve in Czarny Młyn near Jastrzębia Góra. After I bought it, I found a lot of self-seeding pines there. Some of them are dwarf varieties that will never be too tall.
The remaining trees were inconspicuous at first, but after many years they began to grow and shade the garden.I had to reduce their size by cutting them. Here are some rules to follow when pruning these plants.
A bit of botany …
In the first phase of growth, pine trees put up a shoot in which the needles are not grown and hidden in the so-called sheaths. They begin to develop when the young twig stops growing in length.When the needles reach their target size, buds develop.It is from them that new shoots grow again the next year.
Cutting terms
Pruning pine is best done while the shoots are growing and before the needles develop. This usually happens in May. Then the twig is able to produce a few new buds just below the cut site.If the treatment is performed too late, it may not develop in time.In extreme cases, it may even lead to the plant dieback.
Moreover, when we shorten shoots with well-developed needles, we can disfigure the tree.It is difficult not to get rid of the needles during the procedure.The longer they are (e.g. in Himalayan pine), the more undesirable the effect is.
We keep a nice shape
Continuous shortening of the shoots changes the appearance of the tree. It becomes denser and grows in breadth. Then it often loses its natural habit typical for a given species.Pruning the shoots does not mean that the pine will not want to grow tall.Therefore, from time to time you can make more radical cuts in the form of shortening the branches.
The overall appearance of a tree is better influenced by removing the entire shoot than by trimming it in half. In this way, you can cut out branches that overly thicken the crown. This will make the plant look he althier and much more natural.
Trimming guide
The trimming of the guide has the greatest effect on the size of the tree.Thanks to this, it will become wider and so low that it will be easier to shorten it in the future.
Bonsai style
Pines can be successfully grown in bonsai style. It requires a lot of skill and, above all, intuition. Thanks to this, we will give the trees a fancy shape. In addition to a pruner, a wire will also be useful for forming.It is important, however, to trim the plants in the phase of shoot elongation.Species that are naturally smaller, such as small-flowered or dwarf pine, are suitable for shaping.
Cultivation and care
If we want trees to grow slower, we should provide them with appropriate conditions. Most pine trees are shade-loving and undemanding plants.The soil on which we plant them should not be too fertile, because then they will have long annual growth.Another important thing is care.
In summer, fertilization and watering should be kept to a minimum. In summary, if the pine trees have a poor and dry ground and a sunny position, they should grow more slowly.
Remember, however, that in the case of several species, e.g.White or Himalayan pine, poorly rich soil can lighten the needles.The least sensitive to the quality of the substrate are pines: common, black and three-needle.Limited maintenance, however, will not inhibit tree growth enough to resign from pruning.
