Select three to four main branches with lots of green mass, remove the remaining branches. Cutting the leader will encourage additional leaders to form. Pruning Junipers. Junipers trees are a type of hardy evergreen that can grow almost anywhere in the world. Michigan State University; Conifer Corner; Nicholas Gooch, et.al. If you can’t find a junction, simply cut the branch to match the overall shape and height of the bush. Make a rough cut of the plant to shape it into a cone. Follow the steps below to keep your juniper … However, this pruning takes several years and requires a lot of attention and effort. I've always wanted to have a go at creating one of these cloud-layer trees, the ones with pads of foliage on long bare branches, and I got a chance, back in 2016. In the springtime, it’s easier to see the general shape of the tree and cut the branches without having to worry about accidentally harming new growth. Juniper is a coniferous plant belonging to the cypress family. Winter pruning is a great option because it ensures that the plant is pruned before new growth begins. It was an ugly lump of gray conifer in the front yard. Conifers are trees and shrubs that have needle-type leaves and produce cones instead of flowers. September 2020 update. Shorten any of these back to make them more bushy when new growth emerges in the spring. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 44,999 times. Cut the protruding branches to a junction where the branch splits into 2 branches to encourage new growth. Instead, prune lightly and regularly, just before new growth begins in spring. The twigs and foliage should be trimmed as close to the main branch trunk as possible. Wire will rub against them. These types of shrubs are trimmed so that the foliage is left only on the tip of each branch in a manner that resembles a pom-pom or puffball. Get your tools ready. Leave 1 to 2 feet of foliage at the top end of the selected branches, however. Use pruners and the hand saw to cut and trim all twigs and foliage off the chosen branches. It’s important to work before new growth begins so that you don’t have to worry about damaging new branches. Use pruners and the hand saw to cut and trim all twigs and foliage off the chosen branches. Cloud pruning, when done right, creates some beautiful results. How to Cloud-Prune a Juniper. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Tree ties tend to be sturdier than twine, but they’re more expensive. You can find them at most home improvement stores or garden centers. Shape the remaining foliage on the top of each major branch into horizontal ovals or circular, using shears and pruners. Pruning an upright juniper is essential to keep it looking its best. Jun 8, 2019 - Explore Lisa Beth Ruggerole's board "cloud pruning", followed by 265 people on Pinterest. round, interfering with adjacent growth of other plants and trees. Pruned plants in this style is trendy. Begin training your juniper to the shape and height you want while it is still young. Junipers need little if any pruning. After a year, you will need to remove the ties, and the branches should remain in place without the ties. Last Updated: March 29, 2019 The only exception to this rule is pines, which should be pruned before the candle growth develops in the spring. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Use a sharp pruning saw to cut larger limbs. Use a hand saw to cut all the unchosen juniper branches off the shrub. The cloud-shaped foliage needs to be at varying heights to add visual interest. This article has been viewed 44,999 times. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Take note: to cloud prune your masses into clouds, choose a small bonsai hand pruner cleaned with alcohol beforehand to avoid spreading diseases, and then start cutting the branches that stick out of the cloud. This requires pruning individual stems rather than shearing. Since junipers and other conifers produce new growth in spring and fall, and do not grow much in summer, prune them in early spring in warm regions or early summer in cooler regions. This video is about cloud pruning - how to create a shape and how to maintain it afterwards. Always wear gloves when using pruning equipment to protect your hands from cuts and scrapes. Doing the cloud pruning: step by step Step 1 . One good place to start is the removal of any dead or leafless branches – these can be cut off at the trunk. Beneath the oute… Pruning is a matter of cutting the branches so that a more desirable plant is attained through compact, controlled growth. The best fast growing trees for a natural fence→, Evergreen shrubs with tiny flowers and red berries→. It will survive, but it will be weakened. I am having a hard time typing, thanks to all the prickles and blotches, which explains the unusual lack of acerbity and remarkable shortness of reply. "We have lots of ground junipers on our property. Select a mature juniper bush that has from three to five healthy branches with good foliage on the ends of the branches. See more ideas about garden design, plants, cloud pruning. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If the dead zone makes up the majority of the plant, dig up the juniper and replant a new shrub in its place. The cut-off, unchosen branches should include all dead and scraggly looking branches. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Cut branches at a 45-degree angle to the trunk of the juniper. At first, when you go to choose the plant that you are going to use, make sure it has some interesting branch formations. See more ideas about cloud pruning, beautiful gardens, garden design. Yes, Junipers do not do the skin any good at all. If you've decided you definitely want to proceed then start by drawing the outline of the existing hedge. For more tips on how to prune your juniper, including how to thin creeping and semi-upright junipers, keep reading! Doing this helps to prevent disease in the bush and allows more light to reach the buds at junctions toward the center of the tree. To start cloud pruning, take off any shoots or growth from the bottom of the branch, and any that sprout directly upward. Proper juniper pruning will prevent irreversible damage to the health and beauty of your specimen. Start pruning your juniper tree by removing dead limbs and branches with loppers. As the name suggests, cloud pruning creates the visual effect of foliage of a tree floating like a cloud above the graceful forms of branches. Wichita Blue Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) is a popular plant for hedges and borders because it holds its shape naturally without much pruning. If you are working during the springtime, there likely won’t be much new growth to avoid. Then draw, in strong simple lines, what you would like the finished hedge to look like. You can also remove any branches that are overlapping or sticking out too far. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. How to Prune Conifers. The key to pruning juniper is to leave areas with dormant bud on each branch you trim. You can easily prune your juniper tree to control its shape and encourage new growth! Step 2. After you trim the branches to the junctions, keep an eye out for new growth. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Early spring is the ideal time to do this. This will give you the freedom to trim as needed to attain the perfect shape. If your garden has a Japanese or Chinese theme then cloud p… Juniper trees do not support top cutting. But while hair will grow back in a couple of weeks, junipers in Utah grow only in the spring. Caring for it can be a real challenge. This will help us to properly prune to enhance the appearance of our flower bed.". There are rules that you have to follow. Aim for organic shapes and avoid repetition. How to Prune an Overgrown Juniper While overgrown juniper pruning has its limits, it is possible to trim your plant down to a more manageable shape. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. If you attempt to shorten it, you will end up needing to prune the sides as well. This article has been viewed 44,999 times. As a result, you can get just fantastic-looking juniper. Shape the remaining foliage on the top of each major branch into horizontal ovals or circular, using shears and pruners. Cut all unwanted branches to ground level. Tree branches look like clouds (hence the name). References. In this case, it’s okay to cut into the dead zone because the branches are already dead, and there will be more space for new growth to expand on the outer area of the bush. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. The best time to prune your junipers is in the winter or early spring. But occasionally you will need to prune a Wichita Blue Juniper to maintain its size and promote healthy growth. Prune evergreens according to their growth habits. The initial wiring is in place; this is very rudimentary at this stage. In one of my gardens, I found a rather nondescript, nothing-in-particular Juniper (type of Conifer) growing in a rockery. In a few years, you will get a unique form of juniper. If a juniper gets pruned too far on the top, will it come back? Juniper Characteristics. This may not be to everyone’s taste but when it is done well, cloud pruning will have a dramatic effect on your garden every day of the year! Snip off new growth that may appear on the trunk and branches of the juniper, using hand shears. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. % of people told us that this article helped them. For more tips on how to prune your juniper, including how to thin creeping and semi-upright junipers, keep reading! Cloud pruning OTOH is all the rage….. Prune junipers annually to correct their shape. Ideally the cuts should be made when the plant is young as the pruning cuts will disappear with age leaving behind attractive bark. The overall effect is that the shrub resembles a mass of clouds. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Quite simply, it is trimming a bush or conifer so that the foliage looks like clouds floating on the ends of branches. It's best not to cut older juniper branches if you can avoid it. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Do not use wire to do this unless you are also using tree straps around the branches. They are vigorous plants! Another type of pruning is the formation of a cloud or as it is called Niwaki. For example, if the length of a protruding branch is 24 inches (61 cm), you should prune 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) off of the branch. Cloud pruning can transform an overgrown, unsightly juniper shrub into an attractive, sculptured work of art. Cloud pruning is an art form that is widely practised in Japan. http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/pruning-evergreens, http://www.landscapeadvisor.com/how-to-prune-upright-junipers/, https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2003/3-7-2003/pruneshrub.html, http://www.finegardening.com/article/pruning-arborvitae-junipers-and-chamaecyparis, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Using secateurs or a pruning saw, remove unwanted branches and twigs from the centre of the plant so that the main branches are bare. Use pruners and the hand saw to cut and trim all twigs and foliage off the chosen branches. After the initial thinning, creeping and semi-upright junipers can be pruned as normal. There are many different species, but they all have certain characteristics in common, including a narrow shape, fragrant blue fruits, and unique branch texture. Create a layered effect by pruning the length of the branches from top to bottom – shorter branches on the top of the juniper and longer branches on the bottom of the juniper. Conifer trees have only one main "leader" or trunk that extends all the way to the top. Cloud pruning is a traditional Japanese method of pruning trees, typically used in the art of bonsai, but also frequently seen in landscapes all over the world. When to Prune. It was a thick mess of twigs and foliage, about 1m tall and 1.5m wide. Step 3 Prune branches just above the ring of bumpy tissue known as a branch collar, where branches meet larger stems. It depends on the age of the tree, but varies between 0.5 and 7.6 m (1.6 and 25 ft). The sideways growing twigs are what you want to keep. Junipers can be trimmed any time from spring until the first freeze of the year. Be careful not to trim the branches too close to the center of the tree! It’s easier to see the dead zone in the early spring when there isn’t much new growth. This technique is especially popular in the Far East and in USA but has yet to really catch on here. Hedges also surround my yard, but it is formed of thuja.eval(ez_write "Basic Elements of Pruning"; Nick Federoff; 2006. Upright Juniper Pruning. Useful in hot sunny sites Propagation Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings Suggested planting locations and garden types Low Maintenance Wildlife Gardens How to care. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Scary stuff! Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. To find out more about this highly skilled technique, Monty travels to Dorset to meet Jake Hobson, a leading expert in this field. This video is about cloud pruning - how to create a shape and how to maintain it afterwards. Using cloud pruning can keep a juniper shrub from becoming larger and taking over your landscape. That being the case, pruning before the growth flush allows new growth to cover any mistakes you might make. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Cloud pruning is a traditional Japanese method of pruning trees, typically used in the art of bonsai, but also frequently seen in landscapes all over the world. Sometimes, if the juniper is very mature, the dead zone will be extremely large. Cloud topiary is a popular, traditional form of pruning shrubs in Japan. The "how-to" is a little more complicated. Crucial Instructions to Take Care of the Hollywood Juniper Tree. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. While pruning is not necessary for good health, people do prune junipers occasionally to keep them compact, maintain a desired shape or increase the density of foliage. Gardenerdy tells you how to care for your Hollywood Juniper … Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Never use shears to shape the tree as they can damage the branches and stop growth. Using cloud pruning can keep a juniper shrub from becoming larger and taking over your landscape. Sep 30, 2020 - Explore Laura Lynn's board "pruning junipers", followed by 305 people on Pinterest. Shape the remaining foliage on the top of each major branch into horizontal ovals or circular, using shears and pruners. Cloud Pruning a Conifer: When I first moved into my house a few years ago there was only one thing that annoyed me about the place. Don't cut into the collar, but angle the cut right above it. With all due respect to beauticians and barbers, pruning junipers is a lot like giving a haircut. Upright junipers are tall, shrubs/trees that … Unfortunately, some have been allowed to grow to 30 - 40 feet. Linnie, do catch up….Cloud computing is SO yesterday. Hollywood Juniper is a large shrub or a small tree that is known for its rustic and artistic appearance and unusually twisted and upright branches. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Remove those branches at the base. Cut the branch where it meets the parent stem or at a branch junction. Start young. It is best to allow these plants to assume their natural shape. Junipers can certainly be pruned, but unfortunately there is no way to discourage new growth by pruning. Three to four times a year, trim the foliage to the original shapes. Yesterday I did the stage 2 prune - pulling and tying every branch down to around a right-angle to the trunk. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. How to Prune Junipers & Coniferous Evergreens. By using our site, you agree to our. Once all of the visibly dead branches have been cut, shape the tree by pruning protruding branches at the top of the tree and on the sides. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. If you are wondering how to prune an upright juniper or have other questions about upright juniper pruning, read on. Examine the plant for long branches that originate under other branches and can be removed without leaving a bare spot. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Prune-a-Juniper-Tree-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-a-Juniper-Tree-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6a\/Prune-a-Juniper-Tree-Step-1.jpg\/aid9874315-v4-728px-Prune-a-Juniper-Tree-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"