These were planted about 5 weeks ago. I eventually want them to be round at the top and bushy and tall enough to be somewhat over the top of the fence. YouTube says pruning on late September but don't want to miss the window to get them going with a good main trunk and thick foliage. Anyone got any advice? Do they need stakes? Thank you
by cth123456789
2 Comments
Spring, i.e., September. Prune them now, you’ll slow them down, they don’t have many leaves to photosynthesise with as it is. Let them be until Spring. Also, these guys are often multibranched which is what allows them to bulk out. Cut them away, and you’ll have sticks with a bunch of ugly little side sprouts.
This tree of mine was left to do its thing. This is after two summers.
https://preview.redd.it/bscyx0dsfxyg1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=632dbb4eb5e081931baef551b3071dde2f285be2
If you want a standard (ball on a stick) topiary, start cutting the lower branches now to develop a straight trunk. If you just want a nice big ball, let it grow a bit more, then start tip pruning to get more branching/ thicken up.