Growing Things: This is the best way to prune your spruce hedge

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Q: I read your column every week. The question I have is about a blue spruce hedge. The hedge runs along the side of our property, stretching for around 50 meters and containing around 30-40 trees. They were probably planted around 1948 by a previous owner. The trees are about 3 meters high. Every year I climb a 10-foot ladder and cut off the little tips that grow out. Normally it takes me almost a week.

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I’m a little worried about climbing the 3 meter ladder every year to do this and the question I have is: can the trees be topped? In other words, could I have about 1.5 to 2 meters cut off at the top? I know it would probably look ugly at first, but I’m hoping that with time and more pruning I can turn the trees back into something that looks somewhat decent and that I don’t have to risk life and limb if I do I climb the ladder. The hedge is really beautiful and provides privacy and habitat for birds and squirrels.

A: You can prune the trees just as drastically as you describe. However, I would do it gradually and not all at once. In the first year I would cut back 30 cm, the next year another 30 cm and finally in the 3rd year the last 30 cm. I would also do the pruning very early in the spring before the buds swell. It is best to prune trees when temperatures are below zero. The trees will actually take on a beautiful shape again.

I was at Home Depot the other day and noticed a long-handled electric pruner. This could be ideal for your job. It was inexpensive and had a chainsaw blade at the end of an extendable handle. I think if I remember correctly the extension would easily reach 3m. You could stand on the ground and still reach the treetops.

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Q: I love all the great advice you give. I hope you can help me answer a question. My mother tells me that I should only water my African violet from the bottom. Is that correct? I watered it from above.

A: Don’t you know that mommy is always right? In your case, mom is absolutely right. The African violet should be watered by placing it in a bowl of water or a sink and allowing the water to soak into the soil. However, you can also water from above using a watering can with a long spout. The trick is to avoid getting water on the leaves as this can cause spotting, among other things.

Growing Things Outdoors is published weekly online at edmontonjournal.com or, if you prefer an e-paper format, at epaper.edmontonjournal.com

Learn more by emailing your questions to [email protected], reading previous columns, or reading my book Just Ask Jerry. You can also follow me on Twitter @justaskjerry01.

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