When to prune ?

I am now absolutely convinced it's a spirea, and that it is the bridal wreath.

Something I learned from David Lloyds wisdom-there are no hard and fast rules, this is hard for the learner as they need them.

Something I have learned for myself-if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck-chances are it's a duck.


That plant is a bridal wreath.

 

Thats good then

Mine is obviously just a late started! Seen loads at the garden centres all in full bloom and also driving around there are absolutely loads along the country roads and again all in full bloom, hence why I was starting to think I had something completely different! Will wait for it to bloom now and probably leave it the summer then hack it to death before autumn so that next year its not so big and out of control .... dont wanna end up looking at the bare twigs underneath the green all summer!

Might get my mum in to do the honours though, have never pruned anything in my life (oh apart from a lavender bush that then took two years to sprout anything else lol).

 

Start little and often from when its finished flowering is my advice. Start with the bit that is worst offending at squashing another flower/shrub, and then walkway or seating area.

If you do it in stages, then you don't have to look at a brown mass or a big hole which the plant was filling. It also my benefit the shrub by putting efforts into new growth in just one area rather than all of it at once.

It will need a good feed when its all been done, as it will be draining the soil putting on new growth.

Hope this Helps!

 

I will offer different advice, now to take one in every three main stems out from the base of the plant. Then when you have done that to trim the whole bush back down to at least 6 inches lower tha you wish it to be-but remember I am a butcher at heart

 

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I know what you mean Lollipop! I am too, but as a novice pruner, I would suggest they take it slowly, and take little off and often.

I would personally have a good butcher at it, but over the summer a snip here and a snip there will have the same outcome!

 

I think my mum follows the same "butchering" skills but then she has been gardening for many many years - am trying to do as much as I can without her this year though as my grandad has just moved in with her as he is not well so she has enough on her plate without me asking her to come sort the plants out every five seconds!

Although i might invite them round for a cuppa while i do it lol

If i start with cutting out every third branch to thin it out a little and then chop a few inches off the branches and see how it goes. Will wait till it finishes flowering though and do a bit at a time so I dont end up with a brown twig lol

 

A couple of update photos ... I finally have white flowers :D

 

Looking just like Spiraea Arguta - Bridal Wreath. I can't believe how late it is!!

 

I know Kristen, its only just started getting more white flowers in the last week or so! Usually its covered all over so still waiting for that to happen.

Maybe its cause its so overgrown its flowering so late ? Dunno !

 

Mine was covered in flower, in fact just starting to go off, on 26 April !!

I'm South of you, but not that much ...

 

Well I am still waiting for all the buds on the lower branches to open yet!! Its covered in buds so will keep a close eye on it.

I dont know whether its late blooming is because its so overgrown or because of its age ? It was in the garden when we moved here and was probably that size then if not bigger so im guessing its pretty old

 

It's not particularly late, each garden-infact different parts of each garden, have their own microclimate.


I would take it down to just above those new buds now Sam-it's looking good.

I really like this shrub because of the way it sways in the breeze, and although they a a nuisance to sweep up I have a soft spot for watching spring blossom floating down and covering the ground.

It is an old plant-I would reckon at least 15 to 20 yrs old, it can take a hard prune-probably been needing one for a long time now. This will probably speed up flowering to a more "normal" time next year too.

 

Hmmm now if i understood what that actually meant Do I need to wait for it to finish flowering ? I thought then I would take out every 3rd branch as suggested and then trim it down in height a little, although the height isnt really the problem. Its too bushy for the area (if that makes sense)

Oh god, watch me kill a plant that has survived that long :(

 

Okay, just do as you were going to anyway and it will be fine. As long as your secauteurs are sharp and you don't accidentally spill weedkiller all over it, you'd be hard put to kill it.