help on pruning these back

Hi all

After a few years neglect the St Johns Wort is thriving. But there is also something else growing through it.



Both need reducing ideally about 2-3 feet as they are over hanging what should be lawn under them.

Any advice appreciated.

Dpk

 

Hiya Dpk
You can cut your hypericum as hard back as you like....I posted a picture of mine here a few days ago. I prune hard every year and it recovers to make a floriferous shrub 5’ high and more across. Pruning this way creates a nice compact plant and is an effective way of keeping hypericum rust at bay
Not sure what the intruder is but there are one or two experts on the forum at identifying plants

 

Have you seen the other shrub flower @Dpk are they pink? Wondering if it might be Rhododendron ponticum...

Rhododendron ponticum - Wikipedia

Nick

 

No not seen it flower yet though it seems to be forming flowers at the moment. Will keep an eye on it before doing anything to it. Will post picture if it does.

 

It is a rhododendron but is already flowered for this year.

I would do as verdun says with the hypericum and then judge the shape of the rhodi yourself, if its leggy and all over the place cut that back hard as well about 30cm / foot from the ground or higher pending on how well its shaped .

 

Hi guys

Cut both back really hard last year and thought I should post a picture of what happened. The wort is a lot better this year and will shape it a little more later in the year. The other one seems to have come back as well.

 

Sorry also meant to say thanks for the advice.

Doug

 

Hypericum looking a lot better @Dpk . I would consider moving the Rhodi or hypericum they are to close together / competing, just move them left or right to give each plant some space ( the rhodi is possible the easier one to move )

 

Thanks Perki

I was wondering about moving it. My only problem is its crept in from next doors plant. They have a great big one just the other side of the fence.

Would it be a separate bush or part of the main one?

doug

 

Which plant has crept in from next door the Hypericum ?

 

The Rhodi

 

I cant see it being the same plant Rhodi don't sucker from what I am aware of , they can layer there self ( branch touches ground and roots can form on the branch )

 

Thanks Perki

That could well be the case. next door changed owners about 3 years ago. The old fella who owned it,96 when he passed, never had a fence up. The new owners put one up almost immediately, we gained about a foot of garden down that side. Don't think they wanted to deal with the holly trees.

I'll do some research on move Rhodi's before I dig it up.