Help required

Hello, first time poster here. Can anyone tell me what the attached are photos of and more importantly when and how should I cut it back ?
thanks in advance

 

Hello johnnydun and welcome to GC.

It looks like a Callistemon viminalis but I have never cut mine back so cannot advise on that aspect. However, I am sure another member will come along shortly and let you know.

It may be useful if you tell us your location.

 

Hello johnnydun,
It's Callistemon, although the one most usually grown in the UK is rigidus. If it has bright red bottlebrush flowers, that's the one. Here's the RHS link. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4403
Best to leave any pruning until next Spring when the frosts have finished. As for how much to prune....as much as you like, although it probably won't flower until the following year.

 

Thank you Victoria,
for future reference I am in Cork in Ireland

 

Hello noisette47, that is indeed the one with bright red bottlebrush flowers, it looks fantastic in the summer but has become a bit unruly and as I am a complete amateur gardener I don't want to "kill" it as my good lady would never forgive me :-)

 

Hallo there johnnydun,
to Gardeners Corner. Hope you have had a chance to wander round and that you like what you see. A great bunch of people on this forum and MANY of them know what they are talking about when it comes to giving good advice.
Enjoy,
Jenny namaste

 

Quite right too! It's an impressive specimen. As Victoria said, if you could give us a hint as to your location, that would help, as the advice varies from Aberdeen to, say, Penzance. Generally speaking, though, you could chop the stems by half, then give it a feed of balanced fertiliser.