Pruneing Rowan

I received a Rowan for Christmas upward growing red berries white flowers, [no name] it's about 7-8' tall now and I was told I could prune the leader, can I and by how much and above or below a bud, help please.

 

As has been said Rowan is extremly slow growing, a maximum spread of around 9' and height of 20' after around 15 years or more.

In likely hood it will stay farr smaller, personally I would leave it be save for removing any crossing branches or dead wood.

 

Hi wee tattie,

Can I ask why it is you are considering removing the leader? In doing so you will remove the tree's apical dominance meaning that it will no longer grow upwards but spread out instead. By keeping the leader the rest of the crown will stay in check, but if you remove it then all lateral branches will grow thicker and faster.

 

Ummmmm. I didn't realize it was slow growing, and as I'm in my very early 70's would like to see it bear fruit before I expire. :-)) as I bought it for the birds, so maybe taking the leader down a foot or so is the answer? I only put it in the ground in January, and as far as I know it hasn't borne any berries, it's only got buds, I'm in a worse quandary now, any further suggestions?, but many thanks for helping so far.

 

There'll be no berries until mid to late summer, and as it has had a bit of a trauma (having been uprooted, relocated, re-planted), it might not bother much this year. Personally I would leave it to settle in and get comfy before even contemplating doing anything else to it.

 

Thanks for that advice, and I expect you're probably right, though the wee birds are using it as a handy stepping stone to the lime.