How to Prune Potted Spruce Trees

Clip out dead limbs to keep the potted spruce healthy. Use pruning shears, hedging shears or a handsaw depending on the thickness of the limb, snipping it back 1 to 2 inches past the dead area. Hedging shears are mainly used for pruning small stems, such as new growth, while pruning shears, or clippers, are used for branch thicknesses up to 3/4 inches. Lopping shears work well for branch thicknesses up to 1 1/2 inches, and hand saws are needed for larger branches from 1 inch to 4 inches thick. Cut limbs at a 45-degree angle in front of a node branch split.

Cut out limbs at the base of the spruce to keep them from hanging over the pot and dragging on the ground. This keeps fungus and other disease at bay. Remove the limbs with shears or a handsaw depending on the thickness, taking them off 1 inch from the trunk.

Trim branches to maintain shape. Snip branches with pruning clips just in front of a node to remove excess growth and bring a branch back in line with the others, or trim all branches to reduce the overall size. Do not cut more than a third of the length of a branch, in order to maintain a healthy tree. Removing too much at once may cause it to go into shock or die.

Cut the leader, or top upright branch of the spruce tree, to keep it short, snipping just 2 inches above the location of the first row of branch growth. Remove all but one of the top growths just below the leader, and train the one that is left in an upright position to maintain a properly shaped tree. Use string to tie the new leader to the 2-inch stub of the old leader.