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  Nick Donaghey @ Garden Gurus April 12, 2010 at 8:03pm

  I wouldn't worry about the cotoneaster too much, They're tough and in my experience always regenerate well.
  The Pieris is a different matter though. Again, in my experience, they don't handle hard pruning well and new growth is weak, creating an odd-shaped plant (if it regrows at all).
  
  I'd also be interested if people have had a different experience when hard-pruning Pieris though.,
• PRO

  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd April 12, 2010 at 8:45pm

  I agree, the Cotoneaster should be fine to prune but I would wait until the risk of frost has passed.
  
  As for the Pieris, I wouldn't be at all confident with any hard pruning and would be surprised if it regenerates well
  
  -Ni ck
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  Claire Brown April 12, 2010 at 9:17pm

  agree, - don't expect the Pieris to grow back, - I wouldn't prune at all unless to remove dead shoots.
  
  The cotoeaster is fine to prune whenever, although sooner rather than later, - it will flower in a few weeks (very small and insignificant, but these will be the berries in the Autumn, which you do want. - Always prune to a shoot.
  What type is it? - there are ground cover ones, through to Trees.
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  pete April 12, 2010 at 10:00pm

  It says in my book “The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" by George E Brown... he was in charge of the arboretum at the royal botanic kew gardens.... “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”
  
  So I reduced one to a hat-stand for a young, very well off couple in whose garden we'd worked at since we started, we'd been out for drinks and even for the occasional meal but... we fell out – you know the saying, don't mix etc --- and I never saw how their Pieris coped.
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  Andy Lawrence April 14, 2010 at 8:33pm

  Claire Brown said:

  agree, - don't expect the Pieris to grow back, - I wouldn't prune at all unless to remove dead shoots.
  
  The cotoeaster is fine to prune whenever, although sooner rather than later, - it will flower in a few weeks (very small and insignificant, but these will be the berries in the Autumn, which you do want. - Always prune to a shoot.
  What type is it? - there are ground cover ones, through to Trees.
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  Andy Lawrence April 14, 2010 at 8:35pm

  Not sure exactly the type of cotoneaster, though it defintely isn't the horizontalist ground cover type.
  
  Thanks again for everyone's help on this.
  
  Andy
  
  Andy Lawrence said:

  Claire Brown said:

  agree, - don't expect the Pieris to grow back, - I wouldn't prune at all unless to remove dead shoots.
  
  The cotoeaster is fine to prune whenever, although sooner rather than later, - it will flower in a few weeks (very small and insignificant, but these will be the berries in the Autumn, which you do want. - Always prune to a shoot.
  What type is it? - there are ground cover ones, through to Trees.