Home Depot Store Associate, Orange County, CA
Let’s say you have a nice Juniper bush in your front yard that you have faithfully trimmed a number of times each year to keep its shape, but now you are considering a change. If you don’t want to dig it out and put in something new, just change the shape of the one you have!
First of all, you’ll want to be sure that your juniper bush is at least two years old so that the root system is well established. Your first task is to decide what kind of shape you would like to mold your juniper into. If this is your first time, I suggest something simple. Perhaps a smaller version of the round bush that it was? If you’re having a little trouble visualizing the finished product, try using a cardboard cutout in the size and shape that you want your juniper bush to be. Select the branches that you’re going to use and the hold the cardboard cutout up to the juniper while making your cuts with a sharp trimming tool.
When trimming your juniper, be sure to leave some green on the top portion of the plant so that it is able to absorb the needed sunlight to recover from its heavy trim. Depending on the previous shape of your juniper, you may be able to leave some of the branches on the area to be reshaped. If not, you may need to go back for a second trim after the bush has recovered from the first one.
Timing can also be critical. On your first trim, do not remove more than 25% of the branches and to stimulate growth use an organic fertilizer. When spring arrives you can then continue with your trimming project by removing another 25% of the branches so that you can get the desired shape.
An older juniper can be very resilient. It you dare, you can try to do a severe trim, but be sure to leave some smaller branches on each larger branch you trimmed. It’s best to do this kind of trimming in late fall or early spring. The risk here is that you may shock your bush and it might not come back. I have done it successfully twice now with my juniper and it has come back very nicely.
Have fun with your gardening projects and above all, be safe.
You can find Rick as “RicksPicks” on http://community.homedepot.com.
Similar Posts:
- Onions are an Easy Crop for Gardeners
- Give flowering plants attention now to ensure another stellar performance
- 不喜春华旖旎，独爱秋凌萧瑟
- Spring Garden Project: Create a Container Garden
- How Much Paint Will I Need to Paint the Exterior of My House?
