Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Trim Arborvitae Shrubs
How to Trim Arborvitae Shrubs. Arborvitae is an evergreen plant species that is a member of the cypress family. It prefers cold climates and grows mostly in the northeastern United States. When pruned regularly, the plant remains a small to medium-sized shrub. When left unpruned, it grows into a tree, reaching heights of up to 30 feet. Trim...
Arborvitae is an evergreen plant species that is a member of the cypress family. It prefers cold climates and grows mostly in the northeastern United States. When pruned regularly, the plant remains a small to medium-sized shrub. When left unpruned, it grows into a tree, reaching heights of up to 30 feet. Trim arborvitae shrubs to keep them a manageable size and to shape the shrub's appearance.
Things You'll Need
Pruning shears
Wait until early spring to prune the arborvitae shrub, just before it starts to produce new growth.
Look at the top of arborvitae shrub and make sure there is only one main vertical branch in the center. If there is more than one main branch, cut 3 to 6 inches off the tip of each remaining branch using pruning shears. Trim only the top one-third of the shrub in this manner.
Move down to the middle section of the shrub and cut the tips off here as well using the pruning shears. Reduce the amount that you cut off to between 3 and 4 inches so that the shrub starts to flare out slightly.
Move down to the bottom one-third of the shrub and trim 1 to 2 inches off the end of each branch using the punning shears.
Stand back and look at the overall shape of the shrub, which should be slightly conical. Trim the tips of any additional branches that stick out of the natural conical shape so that the outer edges slope smoothly downward.
Tips & Warnings
If you have a Green Giant arborvitae shrub, cut 1 to 2 inches off the topmost vertical branch to control the growth. The top tips on these varieties grow much faster than the other parts of the shrub.
When pruning the tips, do not cut them back to where no green foliage is growing or you will always have a bare spot.
