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Conifers (pine trees) are plants that bear cones, and they come in all shapes and sizes.
They're not very picky about their soil, and they can grow almost anywhere in the country. Some people plant conifers and let them grow as naturally. However, with a little artistic touch you can
turn a natural looking conifer into a beautiful spiral topiary.
Suggested Materials
dwarf Alberta spruce or conifer of your choice
flagging ribbon or tape
grass shears
pruning shears
Step 1: Make a template
Attach the ribbon to the top of the tree, and wind it
around the tree like a candy cane stripe to be your guide. With the grass shears, follow the spiral of the ribbon and cut a line into the tree. Remove the ribbon, and you should have a
clearly visible template for your spiral.
Step 2: Cut the spiral
Following the template, prune away the foliage, right down
to the trunk. The spiral should reveal the trunk from top to bottom. Don't worry about harming the tree. The dwarf Alberta spruce is a very tough tree and takes quite well to shearing.
You can choose to cut the spiral on an steep angle or you can choose to cut it on a flatter plane.
Step 3: Finishing touches
Trim off about one-half inch of the outer growth to
round out your spiral nicely. Use your grass shears for the finishing touches.
To keep the tree at the same height, simply cut off the top. Or
if you'd like a taller tree, allow the top to continue growing for another year or two, and continue the spiral. To keep your topiary spiral in shape, using the grass shears trim your
spiral topiary at the beginning of summer, as the new growth for the season is hardening off.
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