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Evergreen ceanothus with dieback?

CopperdogCopperdog Posts: 617
in Plants
Hello there I have started to cut back this very hard - although I know they aren’t keen on pruning but I’m giving it ago before it gives up completely from what I assume is dieback? The wood has gone almost a red colour - I wondered if it might be fire blight?  It is in the narrowest bit of a bed and been neglected if food and water really. It’s always looked so good every year smothered in blue flowers in May but there is a lot of brittle wood through it now which I’m trying to cut out completely. This may work or I may have to take it out. Any other advice please? Many thanks 

Posts

  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    edited May 2020
    I don't believe Evergreen Ceanothus recover from a hard pruning  :# .The branch on the right is dead its not going to grow or regenerate , , they aren't the longest lived shrubs more like 10 -12 years give or take . They tend to suffer more from cold winds / cold winters or waterlogging , not sure if flightblight effects them ? Hopefully the green bits left will fill back in. 
  • CopperdogCopperdog Posts: 617
    Thanks @perki yes I felt as though I couldn’t just leave it as a big chunk was brown and the other three quarters wasn’t too bad. Yes I’ve head they hate hard pruning too. I was more concerned if it was just dead wood or diseased. I’ve now cut fair chunk of the dead away. I think I’ll leave it until autumn and if it’s not managed to sprout much new growth I’ll have to take it out. It’s around 15 years old x
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