How to Prune a Jack Pine Tree

Jack pines are a common type of pine tree often found in areas of sandy soil. They are not often used as decorative plants due to their size and relatively low aesthetic value, but they can occasionally be found on certain types of residential properties. Like most pine trees, the common reason for pruning a jack pine is to prevent the spread of diseases or insects within the tree itself, although cosmetic pruning may also be warranted from time to time.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Locate any dead or diseased branches on your jack pine and remove them with your pruning shears. The branches should be cut just below the diseased portion, or at the point where it connects to the tree if the branch is completely dead.

2. Prune back all shoots save one at the top-most whorl -- the small knob on the branch where shoots grow out -- of the branches you cut back. This will help encourage the remaining shoot to become a leader branch, which will then direct the growth pattern in the desired direction.

3. Cut off any branches that sweep against the ground. Again, make sure you cut them off at the base of the branch where it connects into the main trunk. These branches may become abraded and infected because of their constant contact with the ground.

4. Make any desired aesthetic pruning cuts in the same manner. Full branches should be cut off at the base, while thinning cuts should have all but a single shoot removed from the branch to encourage the remaining shoot to grow at the desired angle.

References

• Maine Department of Conservation; Pruning to Manage the White Pine Weevil; July 2007
• Michigan State University Extension; Pruning Red Pine; Don Johnson; May 1989