Pruning Advice please

dugo

Hi

I have a couple of plants in a garden that are quite big and out of control; I'd like to cut them back to reasonable size - and am wondering if now is an OK time to do it - bearing in mind the frosts etc approaching. Rank amateur here - no idea what they are so posting some pictures - taken a couple of weeks back.

One is a bush now measuring about 6ft tall by 4ft across. I believe it started the year at about half the size or smaller; has pink flowers in the summer. Other is a strange half tree/half bush - suspect it was cut way back before so there's a central trunk close to the ground - but branches spreading out from that to height of around 1oft. Again - I think it put on half that this year.

a) What are they - can you tell from the leaves?

b) What are my options for cutting these back? Can it be done now? The tree/bush is encroaching on a drive so I really need to do this but I don't want to kill the thing.

c) What's the best technique for this for each - cuts in relation to branches / bud locations - how much to remove etc

Bush:


Tree/Bush:



Thanks for any advice

Dugo

jezko

dugo wrote: »

Hi

a) What are they - can you tell from the leaves?

b) What are my options for cutting these back? Can it be done now? The tree/bush is encroaching on a drive so I really need to do this but I don't want to kill the thing.

c) What's the best technique for this for each - cuts in relation to branches / bud locations - how much to remove etc


Thanks for any advice

Dugo

Plant one...

Variegated Weigela... Tends to be smaller and less vigorous that Green types...
As far as I am aware it flowers on the second year wood.. and you are better to prune right after flowering / late summer... You can Prune hard now it will survive but flowering may be poor next year..

Sorry can't Id the second photo Bush/tree ...reminds me of something but just can't put a name too it If you could take one of it showing it's shape/form...

mountainy man

Hi I agree with jezko about no.1 no.2 i recon is a goat willow which is a large shrubby tree and they are pretty indistructable and can take being cut down to almost ground level, regardless of how much you take off it i would wait till spring at onset of growth but would do little harm if you need to do it now , new shoots can grow 3-4 ft in a season so a good chop every two years or so will keep it within bounds. good luck

dugo

Thanks guys; sorry, didn't get to reply till now - but got your messages and have acted upon them.

Not entirely sure the second tree is the goat willow - but it does grow like the clappers - and seems robust - so could be!

Cheers.