Hi,

about 5 years ago we purchased a small, potted (3ft) fir tree which
decorated our front garden and we put lights on at Xmas.

We have since moved house and brought this tree with us which we removed
from the pot and planted in the garden. It has since grown approx 12-18"
each year and is now approaching 7 feet tall. It has taken a definite spurt
in growth since we took it out the pot which has taken us by surprise and in
its current position, we don't want it to grow much taller.

Is there anything we can do to stop it growing without killing the tree? Can
we snip off the single top growth (which is already showing buds where new
side shoos etc are due to split off?

I've no idea what species it is other than to say the pins are soft to the
touch and very tightly packed on the stem, For a fir tree it has a nice
touch rather than jaggy.

ta,
g

thanks,

its defo not a leylandii - I've planted a few of those to form a hedge.

Its defo a fir, spruce, whatever - very much like a traditional christmas
tree but with soft needles.
Its kinda like this -
http://tinyurl.com/nwyvox


g.

"Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
"Fat Freddy's Cat" wrote in message
...
Hi,

about 5 years ago we purchased a small, potted (3ft) fir tree which
decorated our front garden and we put lights on at Xmas.

We have since moved house and brought this tree with us which we
removed
from the pot and planted in the garden. It has since grown approx
12-18"
each year and is now approaching 7 feet tall. It has taken a definite
spurt
in growth since we took it out the pot which has taken us by surprise
and in
its current position, we don't want it to grow much taller.

Is there anything we can do to stop it growing without killing the
tree? Can
we snip off the single top growth (which is already showing buds where
new
side shoos etc are due to split off?

I've no idea what species it is other than to say the pins are soft to
the
touch and very tightly packed on the stem, For a fir tree it has a
nice
touch rather than jaggy.

It may be a Leylandii http://preview.tinyurl.com/mbvo5z. which grows
very tall and can be troublesome because of its eventual size. There is
much written about it. Whatever it is you can control its height by
pruning but that will cause it to grow out of shape and somewhat
unsightly. You may decide to get rid of it and replace it with one
which is suitable for the location.

"Fat Freddy's Cat" wrote in message
...
Hi,

about 5 years ago we purchased a small, potted (3ft) fir tree which
decorated our front garden and we put lights on at Xmas.

We have since moved house and brought this tree with us which we
removed
from the pot and planted in the garden. It has since grown approx
12-18"
each year and is now approaching 7 feet tall. It has taken a definite
spurt
in growth since we took it out the pot which has taken us by surprise
and in
its current position, we don't want it to grow much taller.

Is there anything we can do to stop it growing without killing the
tree? Can
we snip off the single top growth (which is already showing buds where
new
side shoos etc are due to split off?

I've no idea what species it is other than to say the pins are soft to
the
touch and very tightly packed on the stem, For a fir tree it has a
nice
touch rather than jaggy.

It may be a Leylandii http://preview.tinyurl.com/mbvo5z. which grows
very tall and can be troublesome because of its eventual size. There is
much written about it. Whatever it is you can control its height by
pruning but that will cause it to grow out of shape and somewhat
unsightly. You may decide to get rid of it and replace it with one
which is suitable for the location.

I've got a couple of unspecified firs in my garden. Each spring I cut off
the top shoot, and that keeps them both to about 8 feet high. Gentle side
trimming of one of them at the same time stops it bushing out too much, and
they both look fine.

jim, Northampton

On Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:57:36 +0100, "Fat Freddy's Cat"
wrote:

Hi,

about 5 years ago we purchased a small, potted (3ft) fir tree which
decorated our front garden and we put lights on at Xmas.

We have since moved house and brought this tree with us which we removed
from the pot and planted in the garden. It has since grown approx 12-18"
each year and is now approaching 7 feet tall. It has taken a definite spurt
in growth since we took it out the pot which has taken us by surprise and in
its current position, we don't want it to grow much taller.

Is there anything we can do to stop it growing without killing the tree? Can
we snip off the single top growth (which is already showing buds where new
side shoos etc are due to split off?

I've no idea what species it is other than to say the pins are soft to the
touch and very tightly packed on the stem, For a fir tree it has a nice
touch rather than jaggy.

It sounds very like a traditional Christmas tree, usually Norway
Spruce.
If you cut the top you will get several more leading shoots from the
top. It will never regain that elegant Christmas tree shape.
Why don't you cut off the top half and use it as a tree indoors this
Christmas and buy a new one for the garden.
However if you don't want it to grow too tall, as Spruce naturally
want to do, go for a less vigorous tree.
I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly. Others may make better suggestions
I'm sure.


Pam in Bristol

Pam Moore writes
I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly.

There's a dwarf form as well, also producing the blue cones very young.
--
Kay

In article ,
K wrote:
Pam Moore writes
I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly.

There's a dwarf form as well, also producing the blue cones very young.

I have just removed mine, which had grown from about 1' to 17'7" in
30 years. I originally reckoned that it would need removal after
about 20, but I pruned its lower branches to make it less obtrusive.
Sad, but it was getting too big for the garden.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

writes
In article ,
K wrote:
Pam Moore writes
I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly.

There's a dwarf form as well, also producing the blue cones very young.

I have just removed mine, which had grown from about 1' to 17'7" in
30 years. I originally reckoned that it would need removal after
about 20, but I pruned its lower branches to make it less obtrusive.
Sad, but it was getting too big for the garden.

My dwarf one has grown to about 30 inches in 20 years :-)

--
Kay

In article ,
K wrote:

I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly.

There's a dwarf form as well, also producing the blue cones very young.

I have just removed mine, which had grown from about 1' to 17'7" in
30 years. I originally reckoned that it would need removal after
about 20, but I pruned its lower branches to make it less obtrusive.
Sad, but it was getting too big for the garden.

My dwarf one has grown to about 30 inches in 20 years :-)

Do you lend your guests a magnifying glass, so they can admire
its cones? :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

writes
In article ,
K wrote:

I had a much admired abies koreana (Google it) which is a very
attractive fir tree with almost blue cones. It will grow big
eventually but not too rapidly.

There's a dwarf form as well, also producing the blue cones very young.

I have just removed mine, which had grown from about 1' to 17'7" in
30 years. I originally reckoned that it would need removal after
about 20, but I pruned its lower branches to make it less obtrusive.
Sad, but it was getting too big for the garden.

My dwarf one has grown to about 30 inches in 20 years :-)

Do you lend your guests a magnifying glass, so they can admire
its cones? :-)

The cones are full size :-)
--
Kay