If a few evergreen trees border your property and some of their branches are overgrown and wilting, the following steps will assist with pruning the trees and promoting healthy growth. After completing the instructions listed, outline the trees with large rocks and add a layer of gravel to the center of each outline to draw attention to the trees and prevent weeds from growing next to them.
Materials
- ladder
- safety harness
- garden gloves
- pruning shears
- loppers
- pruning saw
- rake
- wheelbarrow
- measuring tape
- colorful rocks
- gravel
- shovel
Assess The Trees And Trim Overgrown Branches
While standing next to the evergreens, assess each tree to determine how much needs to be trimmed from each branch. Decide to cut the same length from the branches so that all of the trees have a uniform appearance when finished. Put on a safety harness and a pair of garden gloves before setting up a ladder next to one of the trees. While standing on the ladder, hold a pair of pruning shears with both hands and cut through each branch at an angle.
Avoid cutting branches rapidly. Take your time to administer each cut so that damage does not occur to the branches. A pair of loppers can be used to cut through thin branches. Loppers resemble scissors and are utilized in the same manner as scissors. A pruning saw may be required if any of the branches are thick and the other tools won't effectively cut through them.
If you're not confident in your ability to trim your trees properly, make sure you contact a professional tree service.
Add An Outline Around Each Tree
Use a rake to collect evergreen branches. Pick up the branches by hand and place them inside of a wheelbarrow. Move the wheelbarrow to the edge of your property and dump the contents so that a waste removal company can pick up the items. Purchase large, colorful rocks and bags of gravel from a landscaping business or home improvement center.
Place rocks around the base of each tree to create circle or square-shaped outlines. A measuring tape can be used to help you create outlines that are the same size. Press the rocks against the ground's surface to secure each one.
Use gravel to fill in space between the trunk of each tree and the rock borders. Use a shovel to add the gravel to the center of each outline and a rake to spread the gravel pieces across the surface of the ground in an even manner. Maintain the trees by pruning them every year and eliminating damaged branches if necessary.
