Need new leader on my blue spruce tree

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kilrtep1 Downers Grove, IL May 06, 2012

Can I force a new leader by bending a lower branch upwards and tying it to a stick? Without a leader, would that be why the new growth is mostly at the top? Can I prune the new growth to improve the shape of the tree? The tree is about 6' tall.

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Cearbhaill Russell, KY(Zone 6b) May 07, 2012

A photo of the top of the tree would be most helpful.
Pruning can help but you need to choose your cuts very wisely.

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yardener Greenfield, OH(Zone 6a) May 07, 2012

I'm not an expert but I have a norway spruce that had its leader die back a couple winters ago. Now, one of the top lateral branches has started to turn upward. The trees itself is between 5 and 6 feet.

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altagardener Calgary, AB(Zone 3b) May 09, 2012

The tree will replace its leader on its own.

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kilrtep1 Downers Grove, IL May 09, 2012

Thank you for your help. We put a star on it at Christmas time and during a windy day, the star just whipped around and caused the leader to break. And I was told by my son-in-law that the tree would never form another leader. So now I'll just wait and watch.

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kilrtep1 Downers Grove, IL Jun 26, 2012

Really old (40 years), really healthy, really huge Japanese spreading yews at the front of my house's foundation facing the street need severe pruning. I don't want them trimmed to look like a hedge--I like the spreading habit, but what's involved to get them back to a more manageable size and still maintain the spreading shape? Can they be sheared and then selectively pruned back several branches of each yew? Some of those branches look like they'd need a chain saw! Or would it be better to just have them pulled out and replaced with something else? I'd rather not pull them out. They're so carefree and look so classy, but we're not 30 years old anymore, either, and I don't want to take on more than we can handle. We have a lawn service guy who will shear them, but shaping them isn't in his area of expertise. Anyone have any experience with this?

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