Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Pruning a Laburnum at the 'wrong' time.

Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
in Plants
Searching online, a Laburnum should only be pruned from late summer up to the end of the year, otherwise it can bleed and infection could set in.
There is a long horizontal branch that is getting whipped around in this very strange windy weather. I worry that the branch will be ripped off in the next windy period, causing severe damage to the trunk.
I think i have 3 choices.
1. Leave it and hope it survives to 'normal' pruning time, then i can take it off.
2. Prune it now leaving about 2.5 cm of a stub as I've read that is recommended online.
3. Prune back to around 30.cm, then prune back to 25.mm at the end of the year.
Any thoughts?
Sunny Dundee

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    *Bump*  :)
    I don't have a clue about laburnum, but l would be inclined to cut it back now to avoid any further damage. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Any chance of finding an old fashioned clothes prop type of pole/branch to support it … like folk used to do with heavy apple branches?

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





  • Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
    AnniD said:
    *Bump*  :)
    I don't have a clue about laburnum, but l would be inclined to cut it back now to avoid any further damage. 
    I'm leaning to option 3 at the moment.
    Sunny Dundee
  • Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
    Dovefromabove said:
    Any chance of finding an old fashioned clothes prop type of pole/branch to support it … like folk used to do with heavy apple branches?
    I don't think that would work, as it is a young tree, and the whole trunk bends over in the wind. Any support would just be knocked over as the branch in question is too flexible for propping up.
    Sunny Dundee
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Then I'd go with Option 3 ... needs must when the devil drives and all that ... 

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





  • Balgay.HillBalgay.Hill Posts: 1,089
    Dovefromabove said:
    Then I'd go with Option 3 ... needs must when the devil drives and all that ... 
    It's my own fault. I had been training it against a wall, with branches tied in horizontally.
    I decided i didn't like the look, so untied it earlier in the year. The branches weren't used to supporting themselves, and this one branch especially was lethal in the wind. Others will get a proper prune later in the year.
    Sunny Dundee
Sign In or Register to comment.