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Pruning a flamingo tree. A little scared!!

alan544alan544 Posts: 36
in Plants
Hi. I purchased my 9 flamingo trees around August 2020, so didn't prune them last spring as I wanted to leave them to grow a little more. Now the time has some to prune them and I'm a little scared. Where do I start. I can see it being like a comedy sketch where I take a little bit off one side, then a little off the other and it doesn't quite match so keep doing it until I'm left with a tree stump :smiley:

Any tips would be much appreciated so I don't make a dog's dinner of this job.


Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    What's the look you're trying to achieve?
    At the distances they're planted, they're going to grow into each other anyway, unless you hard prune them into lollipops.
    If you want more of a pleached tree effect, you would just take off anything that's a bit wayward and growing out of that general shape. 

    You'd really just take off anything dead or damaged, and then shorten the stems which are too long. Do it gradually, and keep stepping back to avoid that 'ever shortening fringe' that you're trying to avoid  ;)
    It wouldn't be the end of the world if you cut a little bit too much off. They'll regrow  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • alan544alan544 Posts: 36
    Fairygirl said:
    What's the look you're trying to achieve?
    At the distances they're planted, they're going to grow into each other anyway, unless you hard prune them into lollipops.
    If you want more of a pleached tree effect, you would just take off anything that's a bit wayward and growing out of that general shape. 

    You'd really just take off anything dead or damaged, and then shorten the stems which are too long. Do it gradually, and keep stepping back to avoid that 'ever shortening fringe' that you're trying to avoid  ;)
    It wouldn't be the end of the world if you cut a little bit too much off. They'll regrow  :)
    Really appreciate your input. Yep, they do grow into each other and look great when they do so I'd want to keep that. I think, as you said, if I just take off anything that's a bit all of over the place that should do the trick.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    A little at a time, and just keep looking. That's the easiest way. You can always snip a little more off, but you can't stick it back on  ;) 

    I know it can be a bit daunting, but you'll get more confident the more you do it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Verdun had one of those, and he said to regularly reduce all the long whippy shoots so that you get the pretty new leaves.  I think he said he clipped it two or three times a year.
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