Watering, fertilizing and cutting are probably the most important jobs in the garden, apart from weeding. But can all plants be pruned or do some perhaps not tolerate it well? The Serbian spruce belongs to the latter group.
The Serbian spruce should be pruned with care because it grows very slowly
The characteristic growth of the Serbian spruce is relatively narrow. The trunk is usually very straight, the crown narrower than that of the common spruce, but also conical. The branches grow along the entire trunk, are relatively short and sag slightly in the middle. Practically no other plants grow under the Serbian spruce. Underplanting is hardly possible.
How fast does the Serbian spruce grow?
The Serbian spruce is said to be relatively fast-growing. The annual increase is about 40 centimeters per year. Because the trunk carries branches down to the ground, it is sometimes planted as a privacy screen or hedge. It is often overlooked that the Serbian spruce is a stately tree after ten to 12 years and the hedge is more than a man's height.
What happens if I trim my Serbian spruce?
The Serbian spruce does not need pruning at all, it can destroy the harmonious overall picture or the "picturesque growth", because cut branches and twigs usually do not grow back. Ugly gaps remain, which are usually only inadequately covered by other shoots over time.
The same applies when cutting or shortening the Serbian spruce. It will always lack the signature lace. As a rule, the tree tries to fill the gap by growing side shoots upwards after cutting, but the success is moderate at best. This may be acceptable within a hedge, but less so for a specimen tree. Perhaps a dwarf spruce should be planted here from the start.
The essentials in brief:
- characteristic narrow growth
- Cutting not required
- cut gaps grow extremely slowly
tips
Unfortunate cuts and the resulting gaps can hardly be concealed and can be seen for many years, so good planning before cutting is important.