Pruning Juniper Tree/Shrubs..

13 years ago

Hello,
Trying to get my new home up to speed. One of the areas I'm not too sure in is pruning what I think is Juniper Tree and Shrubs that line my front yard. The Juniper Trees have branches that are drooping down. I tried cutting them off and made what I found out was the rookie mistake and exposed the "dead zone" and it looks horrible. Trying to avoid that again. What can I do to fix these drooping branches? It's hard to tell from the pic, but I used that one because you can see right next to the tree are also the shrubs. They are REALLY overgrown. I've been reading some people say just take hedge trimmers to the shrubs and others say that is a horrible idea. What should I do? The Shrubs are at least 50 feet long..there's no way I could do that all branch by branch without hedge trimmers..right? Anyhow, appreciate any advice and your time!

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Comment (1)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
hi

congrats on your new home ...

i doubt.. hedge trimmers will solve your problem ...

your inherent problem.. is that those plants are way past their prime.. you need to firmly get a grasp on the fact.. that they will need to go.. sooner or later ... there is simply no way around this ...

in the mean time.. you could experiment.. and 'try' to save them ...

my best suggestion.. is to get some good pruning shears .... and trace back the floppers.. into the interior.. and cut them off deep inside the plant.. insuring you ONLY cut off the flopping part .. not big gobs of greenery .... the plants will grow back and cover brown areas .. but being trees.. and talking in tree time .... it might make a year or two ....

you did NOT make a rookie mistake.. you simply dont like the result ..

if you were to give them a haircut.. at height.. for every one cut.. you will make 2 or 3 buds trigger into growth ... and in doing so.. over the years.. create the potential.. for more floppers ... unless you are prepared to shear them 2 or 3 times per year .... and that is either going to take up to 3 weekends per year.. or cost you a lot of money ...

i dont know what your checkbook status is.. but if it were me.. having a small budget .. i might invest one weekend in digging up maybe a third of them.. and replanting some new things.. then.. perhaps in fall.. doing the next third ... and planting some more things.. and then finishing the job in the third planting season ...

or in the alternative.. i would get really angry.. and just get the job done... slaughtering the whole line.. while cursing whomever planted them in the first place ...

never confuse yourself into thinking the prior owner had some brilliant insight in what they created ... it would probably be closer to the mark to say they simply moved because they created a nightmare ...

let me put it this way.. you bought a glorious home.. but the kitchen was tiled in fushia ... would you mess around 'living' with that problem.. or would you renovate the kitchen ... it should be no different out in the garden ... time to renovate.. IMHO ...

i wish you luck

ken

ps: and do not think about replacing with those other plants that are so horrible in CA .... and of course.. i am blanking ... FF??
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