Shaped tree for the garden: Here's how to succeed in cutting one

The small trees shaped like linjakkas bring a touch of European style gardens to the garden. The appearance of valuable plants is maintained by regular cutting or picking.

Fine pine shavings fall to the ground at a steady pace as the Olli Wuokko scissors for a neater shape-cut look. A shape tree cannot stay in its shape without a person.

“The most common sin in the care of shaped trees is forgetting to trim them regularly. The shape will be ruined in just a few years,” reminds Wuokko, who works as a conifer specialist at the Viherlassila garden store.

It is difficult to restore the original shape of the tree after the damage has occurred. Very few species used as ornamental trees can withstand severe shearing at once.

“Depending on the species, shaped trees need to be trimmed with scissors once or twice a year, but their care in itself is not demanding at all. Despite the need for pruning, they are much easier for me than, say, summer flowers or group roses.”

In Wuoko’s opinion, geometrically shaped trees are definitely at their best in a built environment, for example in a garden with a classical or modern style. They are valuable and spectacular eye-catchers that are given a parade place in the garden.

Read also: Conifers for the garden – this is how you succeed in choosing, planting and caring for the right species!

Witness stubborn or pluck with your fingers

The purpose of caring for shaped trees is to keep their lines clear and the growth a dense thicket despite natural growth. This happens by cutting off most of the fresh annual growth so that there is always a little bit of new growth left.

With conifers, it is easy to recognize new growth, especially in early summer, by its different color from the rest of the growth.

“Ordinary kitchen shears are well suited for cutting the thin and fragile young shoots of cypresses and cypresses,” advises Wuokko.

He finds it easiest to pick annual growths of pine trees with his fingers. Rubber gloves protect against resin oozing from annuals.

If there is a lot to pluck, hedge shears are also a work tool, but the result of the work suffers.

“You can clearly see the difference between picking and cutting in pine trees. When plucking, the needles do not break like with scissors. The cutting surface of a broken needle turns brown.”

Boxwood cutting. — **Boxwood thrives in the southern parts of Finland. In other countries, the plant should be wintered in, for example, a cool warehouse. The bush keeps its shape with regular trimming.** © Teija Tuisku

The shape tree takes shape from many things Ageany

The familiar boxwoods are the most common shaped trees, but in addition to them, many other successful conifers in Finland are also suitable for shaping, for example cypresses, junipers, firs, yews and larches.

Hemlocks can also be cut, but according to Wuoko’s experience, they cannot be shaped very precisely.

“I think pine is the easiest and most durable. In addition to the usual forest pine, I recommend trying the European black pine, which is a nice deep green. It is scarier than the forest pine, but it thrives at least in the Turku region and elsewhere on the southern coast,” advises Wuokko.

Also often used as fence plants, the diamond holly ‘Smaragd’ and the cone holly ‘Brabant’ are perfectly suited as frame shaped trees. There is less to cut in the denser-growing diamondback.

Mootopuu. — **Coastal pine is hardy as far north as Finland. Its needles are a beautiful dark green and the body is grey-brown.** © Teija Tuisku

An alternative to boxwood

The skillfully cut evergreen boxwoods, known from European landscaped gardens, or dogwoods, have become common in Finnish gardens.

Due to climate change and resistant varieties, they succeed quite reliably in southern Finland, in favorable growing places even in zone 3.

“Boxwoods in Europe suffer from a couple of serious plant diseases, and that’s why their use has decreased in recent years. If you already have boxwood trees growing in your garden, you should consider purchasing new seedlings, because we have the same disease threat,” says Wuokko.

He recommends getting to know the species that resemble the pugs. For example, Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) resembles a box but is healthier. However, there is little information about the durability of its varieties.

Cut your own shaped tree

Cut conifers every year once or twice a year, depending on the species. The cutting time depends on the species, for example, a tuja that is very resistant to cutting can be cut in spring and late summer.
Thin conifers, such as cypresses, can be shaped with ordinary kitchen scissors. You can also use garden shears. Pines can be picked by hand. The gloves protect against resin stains.
The wood can be cut into, for example, one big ball or several small pompon balls or Japanese-style clouds. Designing a spiral requires more skill. Just cut the new growth!
Sometimes look at the progress of the work from a distance, that way you can see the shape better. Shake the wood to be cut lightly from time to time so that the loose cutting waste stuck to the growth falls off.
Treat trimmed conifers like other conifers. For example, Canadian hemlock thrives in acidic soil, while European black pine prefers limed soil. Most conifers thrive in regular, nutrient-rich garden soil.

The story was published in Maalla magazine 5/2024.

Source: kotiliesi.fi

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