On Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:19:59 GMT, Eddy
wrote:


Some seasonal help, please.

Some years ago, maybe five or six, the previous owner of this house
planted outdoors a small pine tree which had served indoors as a
Christmas Tree.

But unfortunately this little pine tree was planted about 10 feet from
the side of the house. It is now well established and healthy but it
has now reached a height of about 8 feet.

I'ld like to leave it where it is, but can it be controlled? Can I turn
it into a kind of ornamental shrub which will be trimmed each year, like
other ornamental conifers?

If I trim off the top 2 feet (reducing it to 6 feet), and then prune all
the branches below that level to create a narrow cone of branches, will
its branches sprout and cause the tree to thicken with needles?

Or will such a pruning kill it? (Since pines have all their needles at
the end of each branch, the pruning back will certainly remove all the
current greenery/needles.)

If pruning is OK, when would be the best time to do this? Now, or
early/mid/late spring? Or later?

Many thanks.

Eddy.

Unless you are heavily into bonsai, get rid of it. The Japanese train
pines into fantastic shapes, but you would have had to start training
it before now. Let it go.






Pam in Bristol