Thinning procumbens juniper is straightforward. Remove downward-growing shoots, shoots that emerge from branch intersections and shoots that extend beyond the desired pad silhouette. Thin remaining shoots to facilitate wiring.
Procumbens juniper – before thinning
Before thinning – below
Removing a downward-growing shoot
After thinning
After thinning – below
Branch pad after thinning
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bonsology says
This is great! I have a procumbens juniper and wasn’t sure where to begin. With things cooling off quite rapidly where I am, things are starting to harden off and the clock is ticking.
Phil work says
Very interesting. It would be great if you could take the before and after photos from the same angle.
Regards
Phil
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endsurg says
Hi Jonas, good tips on pruning procumbens. I noticed that you had some browning of needles at the base of some new shoots. I have the same thing. I thought it was some kind of fungus or microbial infection. Is this a normal growth pattern for procumbens. If it is not normal, should it be sprayed with an antimicrobial?
Jonas Dupuich says
The yellow or brown at the base of new shoots is natural – healthy shoots turn this color as they mature, shedding needles and becoming small branches. More troublesome is when the tips of shoots turn brown or yellow.
endsurg says
Hi Jonas, since they are so unsightly, especially when they browning gets to be one inch is there any harm in removing them or do they eventually fall off by themselves?
Jonas Dupuich says
It’s hard to recommend cutting without seeing a tree, but dead foliage can be safely removed from junipers, and it’s recommended as thinning foliage lets more light and air into the tree’s interior. In general, there shouldn’t be significantly more brown on branches that you see in the photos here after thinning.