Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more
exotic plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground
(i.e. will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more
exotic plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground
(i.e. will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I suspect they are almost indestructible a bit like buddleias, but there
is always the exception that proves the rule. Cutting back all the old
wood hard and half of the nicer bright stems would be my vote.

I prefer the variegated forms myself - a bit less vigorous.

And a Happy New Year to everyone!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more
exotic plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground
(i.e. will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.




I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

In article ,
Spider wrote:

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground
(i.e. will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.

Thanks. The larger plants were all very single-stemmed, so I bought
a smaller one that wasn't. One 2012 and one 2013 shoot. I'll just
plant, and might see about another.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

Unlikely. But it might be happy planted deep.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more exotic
plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground (i.e.
will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.


Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

-E


--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 01/01/2014 18:51, Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more exotic
plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground (i.e.
will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.


Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

-E





Great! Very helpful information, which may just tempt me to try again.
Thanks for that, Emery.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 01/01/2014 20:29, Spider wrote:
On 01/01/2014 18:51, Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more exotic
plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground (i.e.
will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.


Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

-E





Great! Very helpful information, which may just tempt me to try again.
Thanks for that, Emery.

Here with our high rainfall plants in shade root like weeds.
When you start to prune stick the prunings back in the ground and you
should get your clump much quicker.
David @ a saturated side of Swansea Bay

In article ,
Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

Thanks, everybody, for the advice. I shall now go offline, as I
am going skiing - I am probably the slowest parallel skier on the
slopes, but hope to get some sun! UK winters do not suit me :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 01/01/2014 21:09, David Hill wrote:
On 01/01/2014 20:29, Spider wrote:
On 01/01/2014 18:51, Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/01/2014 13:08, Nick Maclaren wrote:
Impulse purchase for a gap, where I have failed with a few more exotic
plants :-)

My question is how happy they are to be pruned back to the ground
(i.e.
will they reshoot from the rootstock or only the stem).
From the ones I have seen, I suspect that they will be happy,
but those might have been multiple plants, planted deep.

I didn't do very well with mine by treating it that harshly as a young
plant. I have read that the better treatment (esp if you want to
maintain a show of red stems) is to leave it unpruned for the first
2-3yrs in order to gain a bushy plant, then subsequently prune out
older
wood, leaving the younger, redder growth as your display. Even within
that regime, it is worth pruning out dead and diseased wood so that it
is healthy and looks attractive.


Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

-E





Great! Very helpful information, which may just tempt me to try again.
Thanks for that, Emery.

Here with our high rainfall plants in shade root like weeds.
When you start to prune stick the prunings back in the ground and you
should get your clump much quicker.
David @ a saturated side of Swansea Bay



Thanks for that David. I was going to do it a season or two back when
Sacha recommended it (having seen her stems root in a vase), but my
plant was so poorly by then it was obvious nothing would take.

All I need now is a nice new plant:~))!

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 01/01/2014 21:12, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Emery Davis wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:20:26 +0000, Spider wrote:

Yes, I actually killed one by pruning a new plant back. I guess it
didn't have the roots to get it going again. So I agree, give it a
couple of years. Once established you can cut it back to the ground if
you want.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it is stem-rooting, which would
allow deeper planting and, probably, more stem production. Does anyone
here know?

They are indeed. Should be no problem planting it deep. Very easy to
root cuttings or just dig up a rooted stem. We're filling in an empty
section of hedge with plants obtained this way.

Thanks, everybody, for the advice. I shall now go offline, as I
am going skiing - I am probably the slowest parallel skier on the
slopes, but hope to get some sun! UK winters do not suit me :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.




Enjoy the skiing, but wear a helmet. I understand it can be very
dangerous :~(. Take care.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay