The juniper is considered to be well tolerated by pruning if you do not shorten too many branches. Shape cuts stimulate the plant to form dense branches. You should not cut too much at once, but rather use scissors several times.

Juniper is best trimmed a bit regularly

time

Start topiary in the first year after planting to create an attractive shape. Since the juniper is extremely robust, it can be cut at any time during the growth phase. This refers to the shape cut. You should avoid radical pruning of the juniper, as the wood no longer sprout from the old wood.

For more intense pruning, choose a cool, overcast day in spring or fall. Juniper is pruned before budding or the winter break between September and October. If there is a risk of frost, the branches should no longer be shortened, as they are quickly damaged by frost.

hedges

When trimming a hedge, a trapezoidal shape is aimed for, because the juniper tends to quickly become bare under a lack of light. Therefore, the wood is not suitable for cuboid hedge trimmings. Due to a trapezoidal growth habit, the lower shoots get enough light. To increase the incidence of light, edges are rounded. You can stretch strings for better orientation. There are special templates from the garden market that make shaping easier

Method:

  • remove bare and dead shoots
  • cut from crown to base
  • Guide the hedge trimmer (€77.00) parallel to the plant
  • after topiary in spring, it can be pruned again in autumn

bonsai

If a juniper is bare from the inside, it can be transformed into a bonsai through targeted pruning measures. Remove stray branches at their base. You can focus on diseased and dead branches. Also remove other branches that disturb the overall picture. Cut off any bare shoots on the remaining branches so that they end in a small crown. These branches are wired and bent into a horizontal shape. For more stability, you can anchor particularly thick branches to the ground with a wire rope. The small crowns are reminiscent of plateaus.

Here's what you need to pay attention to:

  • keep upper plateaus smaller than lower ones
  • continuous topiary required
  • preferably cut at the top, as the trees grow more strongly there

Category:

Trees