seb@mtgzy.UUCP (s.e.badian) (04/21/86)
I just moved into a house with well-established landscaping. I can't say I'm too thrilled with the landscaping (the former owners lacked imagination in this area; their idea of visual interest was strict symmetry), but I'm not ready to rip it all out, yet. My problem is that most of the shrubs and roses have been pruned horribly, and I'm not sure how to proceed. Should I prune them like I would a well- formed shrub, just thinning and cutting out the dead wood? Or should I get the ax? Or should I let them grow out some and then attack them with the pruning shears? (If you're curious, the shrubs all look like vases, even the poor forsythias, even a dogwood tree! Horrors! They all look just like the "don't" diagrams in the gardening books.) Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzy!seb
eac@drutx.UUCP (CveticEA) (04/21/86)
> I just moved into a house with well-established landscaping. I >can't say I'm too thrilled with the landscaping (the former owners >lacked imagination in this area; their idea of visual interest was >strict symmetry), but I'm not ready to rip it all out, yet. My problem >is that most of the shrubs and roses have been pruned horribly, and >I'm not sure how to proceed. Should I prune them like I would a well- >formed shrub, just thinning and cutting out the dead wood? Or should >I get the ax? Or should I let them grow out some and then attack them >with the pruning shears? (If you're curious, the shrubs all look like >vases, even the poor forsythias, even a dogwood tree! Horrors! They >all look just like the "don't" diagrams in the gardening books.) > >Sharon Badian >ihnp4!mtgzy!seb I wouldn't get out the axe yet. From your description, if you shaped them up too abruptly, all you would have left is leafless sticks. Start shaping them up gradually. Thin and shape by the rules. The roses might benefit from a major cut back now, if they haven't leafed out yet. Check the roses out carefully this summer. To much neglect may have left them 90% suckers, if this is the case, start over. Betsy Cvetic ihnp4!drutx!eac
ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) (04/22/86)
How to prune depends heavily on the particular shrub. Forsythia is easy: when it has finished flowering, cut it back as much as you like, then leave it until next year. It is almost impossible to cut back a forsythia too much. If you mow the thing down to the ground, you will have six-foot branches by fall. Forsythia, lilac, and some other spring-flowering shrubs bloom only on last year's growth. Thus the object of the game is to get as much growth as possible this year to maximize the flowers next year. Pruning after flowering does just that. Pruning in the fall just cuts off the flower buds. It's hard to say what to do about the others without knowing what they are.
mangoe@umcp-cs (04/24/86)
In article <1739@mtgzy.UUCP> seb@mtgzy.UUCP (s.e.badian) writes: >My problem >is that most of the shrubs and roses have been pruned horribly, and >I'm not sure how to proceed. Should I prune them like I would a well- >formed shrub, just thinning and cutting out the dead wood? Or should >I get the ax? Or should I let them grow out some and then attack them >with the pruning shears? (If you're curious, the shrubs all look like >vases, even the poor forsythias, even a dogwood tree! Horrors! They >all look just like the "don't" diagrams in the gardening books.) Actually, that last is a very important piece of data, because different species are going to need different treatment. The roses can probably be pruned normally. Same with the forsythia, except that thinning the thing might help. If you have any japanese holly, get the shovel. These things are massively monolayered, and eventually any pruning is going to thin them to the point where the frost will take them out. It'll be easier to start over with something else. Chinese and american holly can take more radical pruning, so you can try to reshape them. One thing you might try with them (and with the dogwood too) is studying up on Bonsai techniques and forms and then pruning them as if they were giant bonsai. The conifers are going to be the worst problem. THey'll all have holes where they abut each other, and they don't send out shoots from old wood. You therefore have to be really careful about thinning them (whereas with the deciduous plants it's less of a crisis). Probably letting them grow out (with a little judicious pruning) is the best course. Azaleas will take care of themselves fine. Good luck! C. Wingate
smh@mhuxl (04/27/86)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh > Forsythia, lilac, and some other spring-flowering shrubs bloom only > on last year's growth. Thus the object of the game is to get as > much growth as possible this year to maximize the flowers next > year. Pruning after flowering does just that. Pruning in the fall > just cuts off the flower buds. I prefer to prune forsythia they way I prune raspberries; remove all the 2 year old canes. On an old plant you remove the oldest half of the canes, the ones that look like they have bark on them. You should see how beautiful our forsythia was this year until we got snow.