How to Prune Aleppo Pines
- 1). Check aleppo pines for disease, winter-damaged or dead branches, before new spring growth begins.
- 2). Cut off unhealthy branches. Use pruning shears for branches less than 3/4-inch in diameter, loppers for branches up to 2 inches in diameter and a handsaw on branches thicker than 2-1/2 inches. Make pruning cuts just outside the branch's bark collar. Cut the branches cleanly; jagged cuts are more difficult for aleppo pines to heal.
- 3). Remove crossed or rubbing branches to improve air circulation through the tree's boughs; healthy airflow reduces the risk of fungal or botanical diseases taking hold.
- 4). Eliminate some of the vertical fingers of new spring growth to encourage bushy development or control the tree's size and shape.
- 5). Remove the lower branches from aleppo pines when they turn brown to keep the trees looking healthy and attractive.
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