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Viburnum Dawn

debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
in Plants
Hi, my daughter has moved into her first home and has s large garden. Mostly lawn but one area has shrubs including a large Viburnum bodnantese Dawn. It is looking very tired, almost no flowers just a few on the ends of branches. Any tips on rejuvenating it? She loves the shrub it was on her wish list but this is a sorry specimen. Thanks in advance for your advice 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited March 2019
    A photo may help us identify if there's a problem.
    I have had one for many, many years.
    I don't give it any special treatment. It sends up very long shoots in summer which I cut back, but only to keep it at around 6-7ft. It flowers well in the winter (but does look a bit bedraggled now). I also cut some old stems out at the base every year or two to encourage new growth from the base.
    When the leaves appear in a few weeks it looks very healthy again and grows quickly.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Viburnum x bodnantense is a hybrid, 'Dawn' is one of the cultivars. They are not all 'Dawn' and some are inferior


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    They can look tired at this time of year. There are loads of them planted around the estate where I live. Some look quite tired looking, others are just starting to form leaves.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited March 2019
    The usually recommended way to rejuvenate a Vib. Bodnantense is to prune out around a third of the oldest stems from the base, after flowering ... so any time now. 

    A general feed with Blood, fish & Bone and a mulch with some organic something to help the worms to improve the soil. 

    Dont forget it may well have struggled in the drought last summer ... a bit of mild tlc should perk it up. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Thanks Dove will do that. They are lovely plants and I would like to give it a chance. The garden has been somewhat neglected but is looking better all the time. 
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