i always cut just above the node that i want to be the end of that branch. the little extra will dry up and fall off. the distance between the nodes is and indication of the light level. close nodes is an indications of sufficient light. more than say a half inch between nodes means your plant needs more light. some of us can not provide enough natural light all year long, so we prune yearly or so. hope that makes sense Doug

Chester: Part of what you say is confusing. You have certainly not, I hope, cut back three or four "years" of growth--you mean you cut back to 3 or 4 side shoots. Right? These weevils seldom eat down past the prior yearÂs growth. Where Norway spruce are reasonably fast growing I would say they destroy about 2/3rds of the prior yearÂs growth, and after they stop eating, the best side shoot usually grows beyond the top limit of that prior yearÂs growth. You may not find any grubs because they may have exited. After they reach a certain growth stage they leave the shoot and drop to the ground where they live until they mature and fly or crawl up another (or the same ) tree the next spring to continue their devilish work. If you don't find grubs at the lowest level where the shoot looks like its inner bark has been eaten out, they have all left, and there is no point in doing any more trimming--you can just leave the damaged top with its dead shoots, and after the next year's growth, that will not really be noticeable. Also, these weevils like really strong fat leaders, so after one top is weeviled, they usually donÂt come back to infect the same tree two years in a row. Sometimes they do, but not usually. As for the relatively wide trees: that could have several causes, including intentional pruning back, possibly for Christmas tree production, possibly for height control, possibly to cut out disfigured tops from weevil damage. I donÂt know. Also, there is considerable genetic variation in NS, and what you see could also be partly the result of that. In any case, how wide a tree is now will not ultimately affect its shape as it grows and matures. It will revert to its basic genetic "programming" in combination with the effects of its current and future growing conditions. --Spruce

You might want to look at Steve's Blinds. I learned of the website long ago here on GW and ordered several TDBU cellular shades. Steve's carries several manufacturers' products but we purchased "Steve's own" brand. I believe they are made by a subsidiary of Hunter Douglas but this may be incorrect. We already have several similar blinds in the Hunter Douglas brand and have found the Steve's product to be comparable in quality. Would definitely order from the company again. I am linking the results of a quick search on the website using made-up dimensions and specifying "Steve's own" brand. Please note that there are many other options available on the website, and you will need to carefully enter the particulars for your windows instead of relying on the numbers I used. There is an up-charge for the TDBU feature as well. The website is kind of junky and confusing but you can call and get some customer service assistance. Here is a link that might be useful: Steve's Blinds

Yes, based on your photos it looks like an undersill inside a J-Channel. Pretty standard. I don't know if there is a specific tool for unbuckling the top piece of siding from the undersill trim, but you could try a vinyl siding removal tool like this: It's meant for removing one piece of siding from another, but it might be helpful to get it out of the undersill trim, too. Fortunately the end of your undersill trim is accessible, so just start at an end and slide the removal tool in and work your way along, horizontally. It has a little hook on the end of the blade which could help pull the undersill trim outwards. As you do that, pull down on the piece of siding with your hand. Hopfully it will un-click. Once you get it off, you'll need to cut the piece of siding down a bit to the correct height (don't cut it too short!), and then re-punch the top edge with a vinyl siding punch like this one: If I remember correctly the punch is a little pricey at around $30 but it makes a specialty hole/impression that clicks into the undersill trim. Probably worth it to have the correct tool. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.