In the back corner of our yard are two large evergreens that I believe are white spruce about 10' from each other. The larger and healthier of the two is approximately 50' tall and about 15-20' diameter at the base. The other is probably 40' tall but is all but dead up to about 10 feet and sparse above that. Where the two trees "overlap", the branches of the larger tree are dead as well. The dead branches are covered in lichen. Additionally, the neighbors on both our side and back have 15' hedges that block a fair amount of light, which I imagine has contributed to the issue.
I have two questions:
1. Can I safely remove the dead branches without further endangering the trees? If so, can I just use a handsaw to cut the branch right next to the trunk, or is there a better way to do it?
2. I would like to limb the larger spruce up a bit to lessen its footprint and to allow that corner of the yard to be better maintained & visible. I'm thinking about 8', but could certainly do less to simply allow us to mow more easily and gather the deadwood underneath.
Will this harm the tree? Especially given that this is my in-laws house, I don't want to risk killing the tree, though I have their permission to clean things up. I've read that limbing exposes the tree to pests/disease and possible breakage of branches due to the weight of snow not being sufficiently supported. We live in southern Ontario in Canada, so snow is certainly a consideration.
Thank you for your advice!
imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/BC72c?#0
