Care guides for Cloud shaped pines
Watering: Ensure the plants are watered regularly over the growing season, from April/May until Sept/Oct depending on the weather conditions.
The cloud pines in our nursery are in containers. We water them three times a week during the summer, hosing in enough water so it comes through the bottom of the pot.
If your plants are in the ground then a computerised irrigation system would help to ensure the plants are being watered regularly. If not, then someone watering them on a regular basis would do fine.
REMEMBER plants can be over-watered as well.
Feeding: Feed the plants over the summer months with a good quality liquid feed into the ground surrounding the plant. Use a liquid feed that is compatible with your local water (hard or soft) and does not encourage flower growth. With topiary any flower growth can take energy away from the leaves and they become yellow and tired.
On pines the product of the flower is a pinecone and these should be removed as soon as you see them.
Trimming: Trimming should be done at the beginning of the season, (the beginning of June). Just trim lightly at this point re-shaping the clouds and removing any obvious pieces that don’t look right
Trim again at the end of the season (late August) again re-shaping the clouds.
It is natural for the plant to get brown needles; this encourages the new growth. Shake the plant vigorously to remove these or just trim them off.
When you trim the plant it will ooze resin, which is incredibly sticky. I have found that white spirit is the best thing to remove the resin from your hands and shears.
