Freshly bought, it looks impeccable with its cone shape, umbrella needles and exotic expression. But will it stay that way? Does the Japanese umbrella fir need regular topiary or pruning all the way down?

The Japanese umbrella fir does not actually need pruning

Cutting - only necessary in exceptional cases

The Japanese umbrella fir generally needs no pruning at all. Once purchased, it retains its basic structure and only gets bigger over the years. Overall, it can grow up to 10 m high here.

It has a natural, even, cone-shaped growth habit. Nevertheless, a cut can be useful:

  • remove brown needles and dead branches
  • takes up too much space across the board
  • too big for pot culture
  • Diseased parts of the plant should be cut off

Shape cutting is unnecessary

Thanks to the natural cone shape, it is not necessary to trim the Japanese umbrella fir every year to retain its distinctive shape. The growth is also extremely slow with an average of 20 cm and a maximum of 30 cm per year. It is also extremely dense, so that the shoots do not have to be shortened to encourage them to branch.

When is the right time to cut?

Would you still like to cut the Japanese umbrella fir? Then winter, outside of their main growing season, is the best time to do so. Pull out the pruning shears or saw between mid-February and early March. But beware: Only on a frost-free day!

Do not cut the leading shoot, cut the side shoots

It is fundamentally important to never shorten the leading shoot when pruning the Japanese umbrella fir. Whoever does this should not be surprised if the plant stops growing. Only the side shoots should be shortened if necessary.

tips

If you cut off parts of plants that are affected by diseases, do not throw them in the compost. The pathogens often survive and can later spread to other plants in the compost. Instead, destroy diseased parts in household waste, for example, or incinerate them.

Category:

Indoor plants