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What are these and how to prune?
Robert Andrews
Posts: 6
in Plants
These two shrubs are in my front forecourt garden.
What are they and how and when should I cut them back?
One in particular is getting nice and full, but they are now packed in too tight and are encroaching on each other. I think they may also be blocking sunlight from the inside side of my front hedge, which is getting bear. The whole front forecourt faces north, taking shadow from the house.
Many thanks.
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0
Posts
pieris, they need little pruning
when pruning, please avoid the temptation to just " tidy it up" into a blob.
Take some stems back further than others leaves it looking like it's grown that way and not just had a pudding bowl haircut.
The one with the green and white leaves is pieris as hostafan has said, the other with the buds is a rhododenron. Your hedge is suffering without doubt, cutting it at an angle, wider at the base less wide at the top may help, plus a good feed, now may help, but light may well be the problem. It's more likely to be the tall trees than the two smaller shrubs which are the cause. The hedge looks to be privet, which can go leggy if not trimmed correctly. I'd feed the hedge now with a general purpose fertilizer, and in march cut it at the angle I've described. It won't hurt it, and cutting stimulates new growth.
I can't see any reason to prune the other two shrubs at this point in time.
The pieris is doing better than the rhododendron though. If it flowers this year you can decide how much you like it. If you are in luck it could be a small growing variety like Yakushimamum. For me, the thing that is going to be a problem is that conifer. You will probably have to decide between it and the rhodie!