A general rule of thumb to not stress a plant is to not remove more than 30% of its canopy or mass while trimming or pruning. So depending on how much you want to cut them back and reshape, it could be a multi year project.
Those look like a some kind of arborvitae. They can be trimmed back, but not too far at once. If you part the branches you'll see the greenery is only on the outside of the bush, the inside is bare branches. You can not trim back to the bare branches, they can not sprout fresh foliage there.
I just had to cut down some giant arborvitae at the house we moved into. They had been allowed to grow way too large for the space where they were planted and trimming them back to the needed space would have eliminated nearly all the greenery.
I hated to do it, I helped plant them about 25 years ago, but they were rubbing on the roof and eaves (a bigger variety then you have here) and from on the porch you were just looking into the bare branch interior of the bush.
You kind of have to cut them back. They're obstructing the garage and the walking path to the door.
I would cut them back beyond the bed edge so they're not obstructions. You may need to use loppers. Remove equivalent amounts from around it to keep it from being lopsided. Round it again with shears.
I would also bring them down to below the windows before rounding. Do those first then match the height on the garage blocking one if you want them to look the same.
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Can I trim these? Is there any right or wrong way to trim these? Please advise. | Spyke
8 replies
A general rule of thumb to not stress a plant is to not remove more than 30% of its canopy or mass while trimming or pruning. So depending on how much you want to cut them back and reshape, it could be a multi year project.
Those look like a some kind of arborvitae. They can be trimmed back, but not too far at once. If you part the branches you'll see the greenery is only on the outside of the bush, the inside is bare branches. You can not trim back to the bare branches, they can not sprout fresh foliage there.
I just had to cut down some giant arborvitae at the house we moved into. They had been allowed to grow way too large for the space where they were planted and trimming them back to the needed space would have eliminated nearly all the greenery.
I hated to do it, I helped plant them about 25 years ago, but they were rubbing on the roof and eaves (a bigger variety then you have here) and from on the porch you were just looking into the bare branch interior of the bush.
They look like conifers, you should only trim them a bit at a time over several months.
Maybe just round them off at the minute then see what they look like in the future.
Go too deep, too far, and that section will die off never to regrow.
Yeah if you have a look they're probably hollow inside. If you prune the outer branches back you'll reveal holes into the brown, dry interior.
Monketman has it right. If you don't want bare spots, cut carefully.
Yep. All the way to the stump. And then get a chain and pull the stump out of the ground. Then burn it in afire. Fuck Hake.
then get plants that are sized correctly. and dont plant them so close
You kind of have to cut them back. They're obstructing the garage and the walking path to the door.
I would cut them back beyond the bed edge so they're not obstructions. You may need to use loppers. Remove equivalent amounts from around it to keep it from being lopsided. Round it again with shears.
I would also bring them down to below the windows before rounding. Do those first then match the height on the garage blocking one if you want them to look the same.