Pruning Amelanchier Lamarckii

Hi everyone,

In the spring I bought a couple of Amelanchier Lamarckii multi stem trees. They were about 80cm high then but have grown a decent amount this year. There seems to be a lot of new growth coming from the bottom of the plant below ground level. Should I remove these branches? Ultimately I'd like to have a multistem tree with a lifted canopy so I can see through the truck etc.

I have attached some pics

Many thanks,

Ed

 

They often produce little suckers @machtucker and it's a good idea to remove them when you see them. I just pull them off.
I don't know if that's the correct method, but often, if you remove that type of growth with secateurs or similar, it doesn't work properly, and can have the opposite effect by creating even more rapid growth. It can also depend on whether a plant is grafted or not. I expect someone will be able to confirm all that if I'm correct, or correct me if I'm wrong! They're easy enough to pull off when small though.

 

I do what @fairygirl describes on a multistemmed Bay laurel in one of my borders which sends up suckers frequently. Try to remove the soil to expose where the sucker originates and just pull it off, not using secateurs. Many shrubs do this. It can be a response to stress so just check that your Amelanchier is well watered while it gets established and you could also add some organic mulch to the area around it, but not touching the stems.

 

Thanks very much, I've just pulled them off and they came off very easily. I will mulch and hopefully that will retain some moisture

 

I'm sure they'll be fine @machtucker . As already said, just make sure to water thoroughly before mulching, and keep that watering up until autumn/winter, when they should be ok for moisture. Once established, they should be fine, but that'll be next year.
If you get a lot of long dry spells in your area next spring/summer, it's also worth making sure there's enough water for them during thst time too. Not light sprinkles of water - a good canful then repeat a few days later if there's no persistent/consistent periods of rain.
Keeping the soil nice and hearty is the best solution for ongoing health though, so that it can sustain the trees well as they grow. The site can make a difference to moisture content as well - ie the edge of a border/bed with lots of other planting can be much drier than a more open site with less competition.

 

Well since I whipped off the sucker shoots at the bottom of the trunk both Amelanchiers are looking unhealthy. Leaves being eaten by something and yellowing leaves and also blotchy leaves. Any ideas what's going wrong?

 

My Amelanchier Obelisk also has leaves which are yellowing and blotchy, although I water the tree regularly. A previous Amelanchier I had also looked like this. I wonder whether this may be because of my dry, sandy soil, although they are supposedly adaptable to most soil types. I have incorporated organic matter in the border and I fed the tree with blood fish and bone in Spring. They may fare better where you are @fairygirl perhaps?

 

Glad I'm not the only one. The soil is pretty good I think as it's a good mix of light clay underneath (natural soil), well rotted manure and top soil which I bought. Moisture wise I have been watering regularly.

 

I have two Amelanchier Canadensis multi stemmed about five years old, i have clay soil and a high water table, they sat in water for most of winter and spring and survived but now we are in drought conditions with no measurable rain since May. The leaves have mostly dried and fallen off, it's impossible to keep watering them with our high temperatures, i can only hope they will be okay.

 

I get some blotchy leaves on mine @Plantminded , but generally, it's fine, as it's now more mature. Biggest problem is pigeons sitting on the young branches to eat the berries, and breaking them!
Mine is in a very narrow raised bed, next to my back fence, and the base faces north west, so it doesn't dry out easily, but our conditions are generally easier for managing them. I've never fed it, other than some B,F&B when planted, and it hasn't really been watered other than the initial watering, and maybe a couple of times that summer. It'll have got some water occasionally because of the nearby plants that got some at some point. Usually just sweet peas or similar.
We had three established ones in the last garden, along the fence that separated a little courtyard area from the main plot. They were always fine, and never needed any attention, but I think yours are so newly planted @machtucker, that conditions probably haven't been ideal this year for them to get roots down well yet. It may take a couple of years for them to really do well.
All you can do is keep adding organic matter and be sure they're properly watered until you get autumnal/winter rain.
The other planting around them is always competition at this stage too, but resist feeding them other than the mulching.