My tall arborvitae hedge has several large branches sticking out. Can I cut those off or should I tuck them back into the hedge? It is also losing needles on the lowest branches. What should I do?
Arborvitae and other hedges often have large branches that stick out. Sometimes trimming them off leaves a big hole. If tucked in, they often just fall out again. The straggling branch can be tied to another branch inside the hedge to keep it from falling out again. You can tie them back in place using flexible plant ties. Most garden stores sell rolls of flexible green plastic that will stretch. Ordinary twine will cut through the bark and damage the branch. I have also used flexible ties that are used to fasten a tree trunk to a stake. If removing the branch would not leave a hole, I would simply cut it off.
All hedges should be trimmed so the branches are shortest on the top and get gradually longer as you go down. If the higher branches are longer on top than on the bottom they shade the lower branches. The purpose of the leaves is to produce food for the plant. If they do not get sufficient light to produce food efficiently, the plant will drop them.
I like to start at the bottom when I prune hedges or any shrub. I prune just enough at the bottom to make the plant uniform and conform to the maximum size I want or sometimes a little less so the plant has room to grow. As I go up the plant, I prune succeeding levels just a little shorter than the one below. When trimming any hedge or shrub it is important to prune more off of the upper branches than lower ones. The upper branches grow faster than the lower ones and if the same amount is trimmed, the lower part of the hedge will be narrower than the upper part. Hedges do not have to be square in shape. I find them more attractive if they are rounded on top.
