Fatsia how to prune.....

Hi All
Nice wet murky night .....

I was asked in work how to prune a Fatsia, she a good friend so need the best advice hey and I thought GC :yess:

• 5 braches from the ground
• about 6 feet high
• its gone bare at the base (wants to encourage new growth from base)

Spruce

 

You can cut them off where ever you like, once established they wont die easily.
I've always pruned mine about April.

I dont think you will get suckers, so best to leave a decent length of stem for side shoots to develop.

 

perhaps do it in stages

start off this year by cutting the top growth so as encourage the shrub to produce side growth

I'm just guessing here?

 

Hi Pete
I will sugest cut down 3 out of the 5 what do you think or just go for it and do it all at once , or maybe then take out the others next year ??

Spruce

 

Fatsia will tolerate quite hard pruning if done at the right time.

Wait until spring or early summer, when the plant will be producing plenty of new growth.

If you look at the stems, you should notice new shoots appearing at various points up the length of the stem.

Simply cut each stem back to just above one of these shoots at about 2 or 3 feet from the ground.

The new shoots will rapidly respond to the increased light levels and grow away in no time to form new healthy, dense growth.

(I have seen Fatsias which were cut down virtually to ground level by contractors doing exterior decorating, they survived and came back stronger and bushier than ever!)

 

I'd just cut all five at varying heights in April.
It will look bad, but by mid summer it will be all new leaves.

As long as its a dark green it should be OK, if its looking yellow a good feeding would help a lot.

 

I would agree with Pete , prune all five in late April, as this will give it time to regrow and harden up before winter ..
Dave

 

Re hardiness...I have tonight covered mine against further frost and snow...I was advised on here not to worry about them sagging, but they were starting to look really poorly with some leaves going black ...so I've built mini wig wams over them.I would hate to lose them.

 

If its a bog standard one (japonica) I wouldn't worry about it; ought to be hardy to -15C, but some shelter would be prudent if your garden is very exposed.