I have 3 of these evergreen conifers on my property (approx 30 ft tall). I
was thinking of pruning the lower branches of the tree to promote higher
growth on top and to clear the area for mowing/people, etc. Some say its OK
to prune off branches up to 10 ft or so, others say I should not do this and
just mulch around the trees. Which is best? Also if I were to prune these
branches, when would be the best time of year to do so? I live in the
Northeast (NJ). Thanks for any and all input.

From: "joseph musolino"




I have 3 of these evergreen conifers on my property (approx 30 ft tall). I
was thinking of pruning the lower branches of the tree to promote higher
growth

www.na.fs.fed.us/.../ howtos/ht_white/white.htm

Joseph,

If by "...pruning the lower branches" you mean removing the lower branches,
you can do it anytime. However, removing lower branches will have little or no
effect on top growth.

--beeky

joseph musolino wrote:

I have 3 of these evergreen conifers on my property (approx 30 ft tall). I
was thinking of pruning the lower branches of the tree to promote higher
growth on top and to clear the area for mowing/people, etc. Some say its OK
to prune off branches up to 10 ft or so, others say I should not do this and
just mulch around the trees. Which is best? Also if I were to prune these
branches, when would be the best time of year to do so? I live in the
Northeast (NJ). Thanks for any and all input.