Pieris advice please!

Hi all
I have 2 pieris in a large pot, they have been in the same pot for all their lives [about 10 years]. One is Forest Flame, and the other is a Flaming Silver. Recently they have become quite leggy, with leaves in tufts at the end of the branches. When would be best to prune them, and should I prune half the branches at first and the rest the following year? They both have healthy growth and beautiful rad leaves early in the season, just greening off now. I think it has happened because they are in a somewhat shady position.

 

not sure, but I would wait till autumn, then prune and repot them in larger pots with good compost/potting soil

I would give them a good fertilizer in the meantime though

 

I'm not sure about the pruning side ...sorry ...but when you do pot them on make sure they are in ericacious (sp) compost and use only rain water to water them....they are acid loving plants...and they'll thank you for it

 

Mine are all in the garden and I never prune rain water and the occasional feed of ericacious feed .

I would only ever prune if there were dead bits to tidy the shrub but have not needed to do this

 

Thanks all. They do get only rainwater and I top up their soil with ericacious compost every year. It is a very big pot so I don't think I can manage to move them now! I will feed them, though.

 

Here is a picture [excuse quality] but perhaps you can see why I want to prune it.


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