We inherited this (I believe Fraser fir according to an arborist) tree when we bought the house a year ago and it’s about 7’ now. I love it and it seems very healthy but I’m afraid of how tall it might get as it’s right in front of our house. We really value the natural light in our house, and I would hate for the tree to grow too large and block the view of the house from the road. I’ve read a lot of conflicting comments about trimming the leader and potentially harming the tree. Obviously if we opt to keep the tree I would like it to be healthy, but if there is no way to prune it and maintain a reasonable height I may be tempted to move it or remove it. Thanks in advance!
by Aggressive_Fruit_414
20 Comments
From what I understand about fir trees, cut the leader and it won’t grow any taller.
Just do what the ISA Certified Arborists that work at utility companies say to do and top it. Pines and spruces respond well to topping they say, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Gotta love Utility “certified arborists” lmao
Edit: This is a jab at utility companies and not good advice. Do not top a tree ever. Maybe a company with a tree spade can move it. Trees grow tall and wide, generally in the upward direction. Idk man it’s just what they do. Perhaps a shrub would be more appropriate for this spot.
Growth regulator could help.
Top it, prune it in a conical shape, but eventually it will simply be a shrub.
Take a bonsai class.
I’m surprised no one has said no. I’ve done it a number of times on different evergreens. You can’t fully stop it from gaining height, but you can slow it down. In your 4th picture I’d cut it level with the bottom left house window and slightly shorten the top tips of the widest branch tips left. Repeat every few years as needed.
A tree is gotta do what a tree’s gotta do.
Take it out while it is still cheap and easy.
Then plant the tree you want where you want it.
Get what you want and don’t even think about settling for less.
Remove it. Plant a shrub that will has a mature height and spread that is suitable for the space it is in, or at least one that responds well to heavy pruning. Do your research before you plant, not after.
No.
TGR’s (Tree growth regulators)
You’d be better off removing and replacing with a tree that’s not going to want to grow 40 feet tall. The tree is always going to try to continue to grow despite whatever pruning is done.
Whenever I see these questions on here with quick growing conifers, I think the person should just enjoy the tree, cut it down when it becomes troublesome and plant another right next to it. You don’t have to let a yard tree like this one live for an eternity and they are great while theyre around.
God this sub is so fucking annoying
It will keep growing, you can pinch the cones in spring to keep plants smaller, amd keep new leaders shorter but you let the top one get super long this year so it will look odd to suddenly start pruning it after not doing that for years
You have your own xmas tree for this season.
In the spring, plant a new tree that will grow to the size you want (maybe a Japanese Maple?)
It’s a tree. It’s going to get tall unless you mutilate it. What you need to do is get something else to put there instead that won’t get tall.
Trim it back exactly like you want to. It will be yearly maintenance, but you can keep it christmas tree sized basically forever. Just like any other bush you trim regularly
Move it somewhere you don’t mind a tree. And replace it with something appropriate.
FB marketplace. Someone will dig it up for you and take it home with them.
The short answer is “yes”. I know I could keep a fir compact for a long time, but not indefinitely the same size. With clever pruning I could be made to look good while slowing the growth 70-80%. You could also see about getting an arborist to use growth regulators, but in my experience things like spruces and firs are pretty resistant to its effects even using the high rate.
In the words of the Queen of Hearts: “Off with its head,” and then every year you trim it by removing the dead branches.
It’s a beautiful tree I would leave it who cares about your natural lighting lol