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Training a full standard to “grow downwards”

lawrence 804lawrence 804 Posts: 22
in Plants
Hi,

We have several large full standard shrubs: a Photinia, Camelia and a Portuguese Laurel.

The trunk part of the shrub is now too tall on all of these, and they exceed the height of our fence, such that the “bush” part of the shrubs are beginning from just above the fence.

Is it possible to train the “bush” part of a full standard to start growing from further down the trunk?

Will pruning the top part of the shrub trigger this type of downwards growth?

Many thanks!

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    yes to the Portugal Laurel, I don't know about the others
    You can cut PL right back to base to achieve a multi-stemmed bush


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • lawrence 804lawrence 804 Posts: 22
    nutcutlet said:
    You can cut PL right back to base to achieve a multi-stemmed bush
    When you say "base", do you mean I can cut it down to anywhere on the trunk, and it will start to grow from there?
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    in my experience, that's what happens


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Nuts right,we sawed  ours off to the ground, they grew very quickly into thick bushes.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • lawrence 804lawrence 804 Posts: 22
    Interesting!

    However, do you know how would I make it start growing lower, without lopping the whole head off?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Cut it off lower than where you need it, if .you have 6’ fence and want the lollipop look at the top, then cut it at about 3’  And start again with the ball shape trimming. 
    Without a photo and not knowing what you want to achieve, it’s a bit difficult to give device. 

    I know for a fact, because I have done it , is cutting the Camelia to the ground, or wherever you want it. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • lawrence 804lawrence 804 Posts: 22
    Lyn said:
    if you have 6’ fence and want the lollipop look at the top, then cut it at about 3’  and start again

    Ah I see, so to get it starting lower, you really do need to chop the head off and start again.

    Currently:

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    Your Suggestion (Tomorrow):

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    (Forgive the ASCII art, those are shrubs btw! Too dark to take photos currently!)
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited March 2019
    I agree, it might be best to post a few photos, especially of the Camellia. Photinias can lose their leaves around the base and grow sparse when the conditions are not too favourable. Examples - very exposed site, the soil is very compacted or getting very little sun.

    Normally, they will both rejuvenate when pruned back very hard, but if your shrubs have lost their lower section growth, it could be due to years of pruning away any new branching lower down, or you have quite a bit of dense planting around its base that have blocked out light to the lower sections. Without knowing that, it's hard to judge whether your shrubs may re-grow back well. 
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