How to Trim Spruce Trees

Spruce trees are an important addition to the landscape. They keep their needles all year round, providing much-needed green color during bleak winter months. Spruce trees are virtually maintenance-free, and will continue to grow without human intervention for many years. If your landscape requires that you trim your spruce tree, prune it sparingly to avoid damaging the tree's health. In some cases, it is better to completely remove a spruce tree rather than cutting it back severely.

Instructions

1. Remove any diseased branches. Unusual colors, bumps or other raised areas on a branch are most likely signs of disease. Cut these branches all the way back to the trunk.

2. Prune branches that no longer have any needles on them. These branches are most likely dead. Cut them back to the main trunk. Leave branches with brown needles on the tree, as they may still put out new growth.

3. Evaluate the shape of the tree carefully before removing the bottom branches. If you live in an area with a lot of snowfall, removing the bottom branches could be detrimental to the tree. The snow-filled branches of spruce trees are supported by the branches beneath them. If you remove the bottom branches, the tree's lower branches may break off and die under the weight of the snow.

4. Trim the ends of the branches back to a live lateral branch to reduce the size of your spruce tree. Do not leave stumps; no new growth will emerge from them. Maintain the tree's general shape and trim sparingly.

Tips & Warnings

• Prune spruce trees and all evergreens any time from late winter through early August. Consider completely removing a spruce tree that has outgrown its space, rather than cutting off the bottom branches.

References

• Trim Spruce Trees
• Prune Evergreens