This week I’m going to tell you how to, and how not to, prune evergreens.Let’s start with the juniper family … we have low spreaders, the "vase" shaped growers, and the pyramids. The low spreaders should always be pruned from the bottom. Pull aside the shortest branches on the top to expose the stems of the longest runners underneath. These long branches should be cut back as far as possible, preferably within a few inches of the main stem. This pruning will reduce the diameter of the plant, and the shorter stems cover up where you removed those long branches. When you get under all that growth, most often you will find a lot of brown foliage. This is caused by the shade created by the branches above, so pruning from the top down would expose all that brown … pruning from the bottom eliminates it. The only branches I prune off the top are stems that loop back over the crown instead of radiating out from it. These branches are sure to become a headache later, because they shade the growth beneath them, and if you have to remove them later, you will end up with a brown streak where they were. Often, I see people try to limit the size of this form of juniper by trimming the edges. The result of this pruning will be an edge of layers of dead "stumps" … not at all attractive! The vase-shaped junipers are the type that people often shear into a mound or box form. They will tolerate this type of pruning for a while, but eventually you get to a literal "dead end." Junipers cannot be cut below where there is green growth, so after several years of shearing, the only green growth that is left is on the very tips of the branches. Any stress to the plant will result in dead areas that cannot be renewed, so you get to start over. As I mentioned, this is a vase form, meaning the branches arch up and out from the center of the plant. Correct pruning is accomplished by cutting these longest arching branches back, generally removing about half of their length. Again, the shorter branches will cover up where you made the cuts, and in the next season, those will be the branches you cut back. Remember not to cut past where there is green growth. The stem you cut back will branch out and continue to grow. Keeping up this schedule of pruning annually will keep this form of juniper looking great. Our last form of juniper is the pyramid. Other than topiary forms, this is the only form of juniper that is pruned by shearing. Start early and be persistent. Shearing will result in the pyramid staying full and tight. You have to allow for a little growth each year, so you will be restricting the growth, not eliminating it. Shearing is best done in spring … the other pruning can be done anytime … just be sure to get to it! We work a lot more years at keeping our junipers from growing too big than we do waiting for them to get big enough. The arborvitae family of evergreens is different from the junipers in that they respond well to shearing in either the upright or globe forms … again, don’t wait until they are too big to get started. I prefer to do my shearing in the spring, because soon the new growth will cover up were I did the shearing. Pruning later in the season will leave the cut ends visible until the next season’s new growth covers it up.