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Is it ok to heavily prune Vibernum tinus now?
Mountainranger
Posts: 37
in Plants
Hi
Is it ok for me to heavily prune my Vibernum tinus now. I intend to take off at least a third of the bush.
0
Posts
It's quite difficult to kill off one of these so you would probably be OK but I prefer to cut back flowering shrubs when flowering finishes. I might also reduce it over two years, rather than in one go.
Hack it back to base when yoy like, it will come back.
But, as Logan says, you'll lose the next lot of flowers.
I'd take it right back, I think the future shape of the bush is better after that than just cutting back a bit
In the sticks near Peterborough
Don't do it when frost is forecast. It will damage any new buds that start to form and can also damage the cells at the newly cut edges and that lets in disease.
Viburnum tinus is supposed to be tough but I had 5 wiped out completely by severe frosts in 2009.
I chopped down my 10 foot high viburnum ( it had the viburnam beetle all over it), to ground level all in one go - with the idea of getting the roots out later on. Of course I didn't and the new stems (so far beetle free, but I don't expect that to last) are about a foot high. Therefore I suggest you do what you like it will recover!!
I also chopped to ground level a laurel hedge that was at the front of our house when we bought it 19 years ago. It was not possible to get the roots out due to a wall, pavement and busy road. Every time I saw new leaves I cut them off- - yes, it is still trying to come back. Quite amazing after all tis time - I'm almost emptied to let it after all it's efforts, but won't because I really, really dislike laurel! Ditto 'Rose of Sharon' which I also removed but which still comes back, not only where it was 19 years ago, but in several new places as well - and believe me, I've not planted any! Some plants are just determined - usually the ones you don't want of course - the list of those I'd like to behave like that is quite long - sigh, that's gardening for you huh? Got to love it ……….