turn tree into multi stemmed bush

hi all, i have just moved house and have a very small but completely blank garden so i have plans!!!!!

i had amelanchier in last garden and have just ordered one which should be delievred soon (bare rooted)however i would prefer to grow it as a multi stemmed bush rathe rthan a tree. how do i go about this? Is it just a matter of pruning it to encourage new growth? if so when is the best time?

ooh and when it comes i know i have to plant it straight away but is it ok to plant in a large pot until i get my clay garden sorted??

 

thats what I was hoping! but thanks anyway

 

Is it not just a case of trimming it down to just above the lowest 2 or 4 buds? Works for most shrubs.

 

Hi flower-power, to create a multi stemmed tree you need to prune it back to almost ground level once it has reached 3-4ft in height (but not below 5 or 6 inches), do this in winter when it is dormant. Doing this will stimulate it to produce several shoots in the spring, after a couple of years reduce the number of shoots to 3 or 5 and remove all the others. This should produce a well shaped tree that will grow and mature from there onwards. Any future pruning would be just a case of pruning back to buds as Clueless says.

When it arrives you don't have to plant immediately, you're best waiting for a mild day with no frost. If kept longer than a week though you could pot it up and plant when you're ready, just make sure its kept frost free if not potted up.

Hope this helps

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Flower Power

Sorry, i'm just Veg & Wildflowers department

 

thanks for the replies!! i think that when tree arrives I am hoping it will be about 3-4 foot high so guess I will be chopping it down straight away. Thats a shame!!

and thanks Zigs- I may have some wildflower questions for you as well!!

 

If it was me I would let it establish for a year and chop it next winter