Our Autumn Brilliance serviceberries, planted about 12 years ago, are awkward looking. Early on they grew quite rapidly and, not knowing any better, we topped them. We did some pruning that helped correct the waterspouts that formed. Now they are too tall and congested at the top, with the lower branches dying out. How and when should we prune them to shorten them by about 1/3 and make them more graceful?
Hello I think the services of ISA certified arborist may be needed the tree on the left in the first picture has to have a truck removed if not more. ultimately it may be a better idea to remove the tree as from its appearance it was never a good form. The trees also appear to be too closely planted. In the event that you have the first one near the arbor removed you could always have the middle tree transplanted so that the trees are spaced more appropriately. If you still are considering doing the pruning your self, don’t top but rather remove top growth down to a lateral limb that is at least 1/3 of the diameter of the cut. If you are concerned about more water sprouts wait until the leaves are fully formed and then do the pruning, this way you will decrease the amount of water sprouts that will grow in response since you are removing limbs with sap. Your water sprouts should be about a third of what you would get if you were to prune in fall or winter
Remove crossing, damaged, dead, diseased, or deranged growth. In the event you have disease on the trees, clean your pruners between trees and you could spray the cuts with a 10% bleach solution in water
After reading the above suggestions, I am considering removing the tree near the arbor that needs the professional surgery and the one next to it, just leaving the one near the driveway. It has the best shape of the three, and I think we can handle pruning it to reduce size and congestion. I think it will be pretty well balanced by the other trees and shrubs in the front yard.
