Junipers comprise a group of evergreens ranging from low, spreading shrubs to trees. Many upright junipers have a neat pyramidal shape, while many prostrate junipers have an irregular and angular growth habit. Junipers have two types of leaves: prickly, needlelike immature leaves and soft, scaly mature leaves. Junipers may outgrow and overgrow their spaces, especially if they are not trimmed regularly. When trimming junipers, not cutting down to bare stems is crucial: always leave some green foliage, because bare wood will not grow foliage. Trim junipers anytime except during freezing temperatures; early spring, just before growth starts, is best.
Using pruning loppers, cut out all dead, damaged and diseased limbs. Cut such branches back to their origin or to a "Y" branch junction where the remaining branch still retains green foliage.
Remove some center branches on creeping, spreading and semiupright junipers to allow light to reach buds and to prevent disease. Trim remaining center branches to a branch junction with a green, upward-growing branch or twig.
Prune out all overlapping and protruding branches to a branch junction with a healthy, upward-growing branch on all creeping, spreading and semiupright junipers to improve the shrub's health and appearance.
Using pruners, trim side limbs to reduce the size of the juniper. Again, cut branches to a branch junction with a vigorously growing twig. Shorten side branches by about one-quarter to one-third of their length.
Using a pruning saw, cut out multiple leaders from pyramidal juniper shrubs to prevent breakage due to snow, ice or storms. Leave only one center leader.
Things You Will Need
- Pruning loppers
- Pruning saw
- Cut down overgrown junipers if pruning will result in mostly bare wood. It is easier to replace such junipers with new, smaller shrubs than to try to rejuvenate old, nearly bare wood shrubs.
- Severe pruning of junipers growing in shade may disfigure the shrubs, because new growth rates under such low-light conditions are slow.
- Shearing is not recommended for junipers, although it is often practiced for pyramidal junipers when a formal look is desired. Shearing causes dense outer growth, which shades the interior of the shrub and makes it more susceptible to needle browning and branch dieback caused by drying winds.
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