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Pruning Cotoneaster Horizontalis

BoristheBoldBoristheBold Posts: 18
in Tools and techniques

I have a Cotoneaster Horizontalis which is currently taking over my front garden.Does anyone know when I can prune it and how? It's in a corner and underneath (creeping in front) of our lounge window.

I'm a gardening novice so a 'gardening for dummies' type reply would be appreciated.Many thanks!

Posts

  • gardengirl6gardengirl6 Posts: 223

    I had one of these taking over my garden and the pavement too when I moved into my present house.   I hacked it back regularly at any time of the year when it just needed it.   But here is the offical RHS advice from one of their books : "prune formal hedges and wall-trained plants back to the fading flowers or nearest berry cluster in mid- or late summer.   Trim again lightly in early autumn if fresh growth obscures fruit display."   I might just say, mine was too vigorous to just prune lightly, and I found it rooted in everywhere it touched the ground.    In the end, for the sake of people walking past the house, I dug it up.

  • Pennine PetalPennine Petal Posts: 1,540
    I have recently cut mine back to stop it taking over. It never seems to do any harm, and I tend to chop it back on a regular basis. Still get lots of flowers which the insects love and berries later on.
  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    Mine doesn't seem to resent some fairly drastic chopping. I tend to do it when I feel like it as there as so many flowers and berries that the wildlife doesn't miss out.

  • BoristheBoldBoristheBold Posts: 18

    Thanks everyone

    I'll give it a trim.  It doesn't sound like I can do too much damage.

    Just need the rain to stop!

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    You'd have a job to do it much harm, they are super plants when well trained and trimmed, but can, as you are finding out, be rather a handful.  There is a very little one for rockeries or anywhere a small plant is needed, which is very good, grows about 4 inches high and so far - about 3 years on - about 2 foot across. Usual bee loved white flowers and red berries to follow.   I assume the birds eat these but I cannot see it when indoors so haven't seen that, but they go as the winter progresses. 

  • BoristheBoldBoristheBold Posts: 18

    Thanks Bookertoo

    I'll trim it a bit at a time and see how I get on.  It had lots of bees all over it a few weeks ago - so many that I was worried that we had a nest!  

  • BookertooBookertoo Posts: 1,306

    O course it is not impossible that you do have a hive of bees near at hand, but it is most likely that the bees are just delighted to find your cotoneaster - they really do love the flowers, also pyracantha seems to be a favourite of them here too.

    When you cone to prune it, don't be too delicate or yu will get lots of thinwhispy shoots looking rather untidy, cut a deent sized bit off if it is where you don't want it, and don't worry, it will make new branches afterwards.  There is a very good small RHS book on pruning, virtually foolproof - I know, 'cos I'm fairly foolish, and I can follow it - not that I always do but that is something else again.

  • Mega Plot99bMega Plot99b Posts: 1

    brilliant - neighbour has decided to rplace the boundary fence with a wall which is right next to my cotoneaster, on reading this I am hopeful (mid June) that I can get a good shape and re-gain control of the top of it !image

  • Grandma GardnerGrandma Gardner Posts: 1

    Thanks everyone - lots of good advice.  I was going crazy looking at how much it had grown and grown over my other plants

     

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