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Pruning (of sorts)

katvetkatvet Posts: 45

My husband decided to help with the garden - aggressively pruning every plant and shrub with a hedge trimmer (magnolia, lavender, camellia, acanthus etc - literally everything!). most of my magnolia has gone. Are things likely to recover?!

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    More to the point, will he ........ ??? image  image


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





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,065

    You'll need to go round with sharp secateurs and trim any torn edges on stems and branches to reduce the likelihood of disease and pests attacking damaged tissue.   Give the magnolia and camellia a drink of sequestered iron to encourage them but I suspect you've lost any wood and buds that would have flowered next spring.

    I suggest you hide or disable the hedge trimmers so he can't do it again.

     

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,697

    Don't let him near the garden without a grown-up.

  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    I'd probably check that any cuts are back to some buds as well. 

    Magnolias usually respond well to a prune....but if its more of a hack they may take a while to recover!

     

     

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