This is a close up of one.
What to do with the bushes?
My wife wants them gone as they have gotten so big, taller than me. I do not know if they can be trimmed, I am not sure what they are. Ok I know we have some experts here, so what do you think? I don't really want to take them out. I want to work with this area. I know, I need to rake the trimming up.
This is a close up of one.
This is a close up of one.
Last edited by tomf on Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DoubleDogFarm
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ja-gardener
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They look like they are probably mugo pines. You don't have to remove them. You will want to make reduction cuts of the tallest branches back to where side branches grow off from it. Heck you will probably want to reduce most if not all the branches back to a side branch, even the side branches.
It will look a bit odd the year after you make all of these cuts, but it looks like they are young enough so that they will respond by back budding deeper inside the plant.
I would make these cuts before spring. If you are really aggressive and don't mind it looking a bit sparse, you could probably take then down a couple of feet.
You will also want to "candle" the new growth in late spring before it starts to get stiff. To do this you can cut the new growth with pruners or just snap it with your fingers (if it is too hard to snap with your fingers you may have waited too long). Snap or cut the "candles" in half or less after they have expanded a couple of inches.
It will look a bit odd the year after you make all of these cuts, but it looks like they are young enough so that they will respond by back budding deeper inside the plant.
I would make these cuts before spring. If you are really aggressive and don't mind it looking a bit sparse, you could probably take then down a couple of feet.
You will also want to "candle" the new growth in late spring before it starts to get stiff. To do this you can cut the new growth with pruners or just snap it with your fingers (if it is too hard to snap with your fingers you may have waited too long). Snap or cut the "candles" in half or less after they have expanded a couple of inches.