Hard Pruning a Pieris

We cleaned up this properties back garden last autumn and I put off doing the front saying we'd better leave the Camellia until after flowering... but there's this Pieris next to it. They want everything in the bed, which includes easier ones – Berberis, Choisya, Spirea, Yew to end up at half this height so I should be taking two thirds off to allow for re-growth. I can't take the Camellia down and leave the Pieris up in the air

I'm sort of reviving an old post here in the hope that more people will see it and someone will maybe say it's ok to do. Nobody before thought Pieris would respond very well – if at all, butGeorge E Brown who was in charge of the arboretum at the royal botanic kew gardens says in his book - The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.... “growth is more likely to be healthy and typical in a sheltered position and, provided the plants are strong and healthy, they will respond well to a hard prune although it should not be resorted to more often than is necessary” -- he also says about P. formosa (that's 'Forest Flame') in particular - “often these shrubs will break forth, even when they have been cut hard back close to ground level”George Brown's book hasn't always been able to tell me everything I've needed to know but he sounds quite positive about Pieris - while they're not difficult to grow, they do have certain preferences - the one in my picture is certainly not 'strong and healthy' and thinking back, I have seen many more second than really first rate plants.So has anyone actually hard pruned a strong and healthy one - and what happened to it?

Replies

pete April 24, 2010 at 9:40pm

Thanks John -
I do think the Pieris looks crap - the lady of course doesn't want me to ruin it - but the gent would like it halved. The Camellia will be alright and will come back quicker than the Pieris - but I'm thinking I'll do these two bit by bit until I'm down to as near half as I can without leaving them looking daft.... then BF&B, maybe a soaking and my compost. The whole border is more or less this height, the tall stuff in the wide photo is either next door or on the other side of the road.
pete April 24, 2010 at 9:59pm

That's good to hear Colin

I couldn't move it PG - this lady is pushing ninety!
T & S Plants April 24, 2010 at 10:03pm

Hi Pete

Pruning both the Camellia and Pieris is fine now, or at least when they finish flowering.

I moved one in my Mum's garden last Autumn, it had been in place for 20 years or so, and pruned it back, say 15% all over last month. Now there is new growth apearing all over it.

Pieris are generally fairly shallow rooted, so if you have to move it, dig a fair sized rootball around it, and give loads of water.

Good Luck

Steve