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Floppy elaeagnus!

Steve the Gardening VetSteve the Gardening Vet Posts: 1,630
in Plants
During the building of our extension an elaeagnus that is now at the edge of the patio has become a bit horizontal. It is growing nicely but has vertical shoots coming from the horizontal branches.

Question is, do I chop it back to make it grow vertically again or is it worth tying it up and hoping it will eventually hold itself in the new shape?

Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited February 2020
    Not sure which ones you are growing, but most Elaeagnus shrubs should be fine with branches lopped back. In half a year, they should grow back new shoots, and the new branches will start to mature again.

    The more mature your shrub, the more quickly it will recover, so difficult to know without seeing a photo, but based on what you say, sounds like the branch is fixed in the new position so any new growth will just grow upwards. Training back upwards may be a long winded thing to do. If the branch is very woody, I don't think it is worth doing that, just prune it back.
  • Steve the Gardening VetSteve the Gardening Vet Posts: 1,630
    Thanks people, I thought I would be on a hiding to nothing but worth an ask. Now cut back! (Pansy, it would have been nearly as tall as I am)
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Can you add a photo to let us have a look at it? 
    If you cut the ends off bit by bit, you might find you get to a certain stage and it'll bounce up a bit. Maybe!
    Devon.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Viagra?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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