Previously, I was constantly tormented with pines on my site, because they grow too quickly, and I would like to see dwarf trees. As a result, we always had to cut down trees at some point, otherwise they would darken neighboring areas. So I decided to go online and look for a solution to this problem.
The first thing that came to mind was to buy special dwarf pines from the nursery. They are not so huge and require significantly less moisture. However, when I saw the prices for them, I was stunned and decided to somehow cope with the pines of the usual size.
In May, I am in no hurry with pruning, because then the shoots will simply grow very quickly and after a couple of weeks they will need to be shortened again. When the trees are very elongated, but the conifers have not yet started to grow, I take a garden shears or a sharp pruner. I shorten the young strong shoots in the upper part of the crown by about two-thirds. It is not worth cutting off any more because this can cause severe damage to the plant.
This is what I do with freshly planted trees, but in the case when it is necessary to restrain the growth of an already fully formed pine, I leave very small "hemp", about 2-3 centimeters. On the lower branches of this seedling, I lightly pinch weak candles, and cut the upper ones in half. When I first learned how to handle trees in this way, I was not too careful, because of which trees could die. However, over time, I learned to cut off the excess very carefully so as not to damage the delicate needles. The main thing to remember is that in places with old needles there will be no more new buds and such branches will dry out completely over time.
This method worked for me despite the fact that it is very painstaking. Now I spend much less effort, time and money on my pines. Previously, huge trees could dry up from thirst, but now they require less watering due to their smaller size. And most importantly, I no longer have to cut down trees that have grown too much and they can please me and my family with their appearance for a long time. I can't get enough of the fact that now such trees will remain on my site for decades. If you have a similar problem, be sure to try this method.
