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Viburnum titus

claremcdaidclaremcdaid Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Like many I have got into gardening this year. I have never touched the shrubs at the back. Buddleia crazily overgrown, berberis and viburnum Titus bare at the bottom. I have take at least 50% off the buddleia and berberis. How can I help the viburnum? It’s completely bare for 3/4 with the growth at the top. How can I encourage growth lower down??

Posts

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    I took a large Viburnum tinus  down almost to ground ; it was infested with Viburnum beetle which more or less defoliate the shrubs .
    Better to wait until the Spring though ; be as drastic as you like , they soon recover .
  • claremcdaidclaremcdaid Posts: 2
    Thanks Paul. Maybe the Acer will recover if I do that as there’s no growth really at the side next to the viburnum. Think will take the berberis and buddleia down more in spring as well. There’s a wall so difficult to get anything to grow behind the wall that will stop the weeds. As all the bushes have lost the growth low down.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited October 2020
    Buddleia would normally be hacked right back in spring anyway as it flowers on the new growth. Not pruning it means the flowers are all at height. The others can be hacked back in spring as @Paul B3 says, and they'll grow away again. Berberis and V. tinus are virtually indestructible, as is buddleia  :)

    An Acer is different. Where is it in the photo? If it's been shaded out by other planting, you may need to shape it in a better way. That's best done while it's dormant, not in spring. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    If your tinus is multi stems you could cloud prune it or shape the top and leave the stem bare as this will enable you to underplant with spring bulbs, hardy geranium for summer and hardy cyclamen for autumn or hellebore or heucheras.
  • selinasallyselinasally Posts: 166
    I hacked back my huge vibernum
    this spring due to beetles and thought I would Just kill it I was so fed up -regrow the started all around. The base ! 
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