Conifer ID & possible to limit height??

[Nelly30]

Hi all!

 

Could you help me identify the following tree please. Has great conical shape and dozens of pine cones higher up.

 

Was told by a tree surgeon it would grow to double it's current height. About 5m now and I'd like it to remain at current height. Seen videos such as this:

https://youtu.be/DUxkjvVOWQ8

 

Question I have is whether pruning the leader will halt height?? And then annually removing suckers? Or will trimming leader cause it to lose shape?

 

Many thanks

[openspaceman]

I would guess Picea omorika because of its slender form. If so it will top out at about 25metres. Cutting the leader will result in multiple leaders forming from lower branches.

[Nelly30]

8 hours ago, openspaceman said:

I would guess Picea omorika because of its slender form. If so it will top out at about 25metres. Cutting the leader will result in multiple leaders forming from lower branches.

Thank you! Wow 25m!!!

So basically I have little choice but to shear it annually to keep the shape if I want to limit height by pruning leader... 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Nelly30

[Lowestoft Firewood]

14 minutes ago, Nelly30 said:

Thank you! Wow 25m!!!

So basically I have little choice but to shear it annually to keep the shape if I want to limit height by pruning leader... 

Yes and will probably end up looking pants. Grow it as high as you dare then fell and replant with something of a smaller form and that responds to reductions better. 

[benedmonds]

16 minutes ago, Nelly30 said:

Thank you! Wow 25m!!!

So basically I have little choice but to shear it annually to keep the shape if I want to limit height by pruning leader... 

It will look awful if you cut the top out IMO. Leave it until it is too big then remove it.  There is NO reason to then only plant something small, plant what you like. Trees do NOT have to be left to reach maturity.  Grow it for 25 years, enjoy it and then remove it. You can do this in a cycle rather than just plant a crappy sorbus..  Removing a tree every 25 years will arguably not cost much more than the maintenance of a smaller species.

[Nelly30]

3 hours ago, Lowestoft Firewood said:

Yes and will probably end up looking pants. Grow it as high as you dare then fell and replant with something of a smaller form and that responds to reductions better. 

Thanks - can you suggest something that may only be 5m tall? That said, space is limited, so even if the stump is ground out I don't see how I could grow anything as a replacement

[Nelly30]

3 hours ago, benedmonds said:

It will look awful if you cut the top out IMO. Leave it until it is too big then remove it.  There is NO reason to then only plant something small, plant what you like. Trees do NOT have to be left to reach maturity.  Grow it for 25 years, enjoy it and then remove it. You can do this in a cycle rather than just plant a crappy sorbus..  Removing a tree every 25 years will arguably not cost much more than the maintenance of a smaller species.

Thanks Benedmonds,

 

That's why I was wondering whether I could just trim the top 6 inches and shear, rather than topping completely which would look pants! Or did you mean, look pants because it will then go mad as they all vie for dominance??

[Lowestoft Firewood]

1 minute ago, Nelly30 said:

Thanks Benedmonds,

 

That's why I was wondering whether I could just trim the top 6 inches and shear, rather than topping completely which would look pants! Or did you mean, look pants because it will then go mad as they all vie for dominance??

Its all to do with the hormones. Remove the apical dominance and trees sprout like mad and look unnatural. 

[Lowestoft Firewood]

6 minutes ago, Nelly30 said:

Thanks - can you suggest something that may only be 5m tall? That said, space is limited, so even if the stump is ground out I don't see how I could grow anything as a replacement

Deciduous trees are easier to shape nicely and keep 'under control' and will take a while to get to 5m if planted quite young. Plenty of options, acers have lovely leaves some grow slower than others. We have some whitebeam around the perimeter of our offices which were planted several years ago and still aren't very large. I find them rather nice with a nice shape.