Too soon to renovation prune this viburnum?

I've never really paid it much attention before, but this year it looks really ill. One cluster of flowers and bare of leaves. I'm presuming that it needs a good cut back to regenerate fresh growth?

It's looking rather ugly, so I'm keen to do it as soon as possible, or am I jumping the gun a bit?

Thanks again !

 

I think you need to look at where it's sited @Nickoslesteros . There's a good chance that's why it isn't thriving.
You say you have sandy soil too, which tends to be less nutritious, and also very free draining. When you add that to the site - planted very close to the wall, that all makes it difficult for it to get enough moisture, and retain that moisture. They do best with heavier soil, as long as it drains well. Wind can also cause additional leaf drop, even with the evergreen varieties, so if it's in the direction of the prevailing wind, that can be another factor, and it also dries soil out quickly.
You can certainly prune it just now, but you may have to add a lot of organic matter to the area. Check the soil too, to see what it's like.

 

So you are on to something with pretty much all of your points. I guess, shirt of removing it, the only variables I have are soil and pruning. I'll give it a good hard prune and massively improve the soil and see how we get on. Thanks again!

 

I'd be wary of cutting it back too hard, just in case it pops it's clogs. Improving the growing conditions is the best solution if you want to try and keep it, but don't be tempted to start feeding it. Leave that until next year if it starts to show a bit of life through spring/early summer.

 

I'll give it a tidy instead! Superb. I'll get the soil improved. I've noticed before, often thanks to you and other members, that some soil / culture improvement has made huge differences to ailing plants in my gardens

 

It's always better to feed the soil. Regular mulching with home made compost, rotted manure or leaf mould [that's particularly good] are helpful for any type of soil. If you don't have any of those, even using some cheaper purchased compost will help, although you can also get soil conditioners which are usually manure based. Spent compost from annuals is also fine. Basically -any organic matter available to you will help the soil and benefit the plants.
Extra feed in the form of either commercially produced ones, or even home made brews with comfrey or nettles etc, are mainly for perennials and annuals, and generally for ones which are heavier flowering. Excess feeding can, at worst, cause problems, and can be a waste of the product, and money, at best.
For anything woody, a bit of B,F & Bone is useful, but not needed on a very regular basis - mostly when planting or in the early years of a plant. A sprinkle around a shrub in spring is all that's necessary if want to do that.

 

Excellent. Got compost and manure In. I'll wait for ofr the spring for a harder cut back and a bit of a feed. I do make home compost, but it often comes out a bit wet and heavy. Maybe I need to give it a bit more time!

 

My compost is always wet, and colder, but if you add plenty of 'browns' that will help - cardboard, paper etc. If you can turn it reasonably regularly , that also helps with keeping it aerated better, which means it's less prone to becoming solid, and will break down a bit more quickly.
Mine takes a couple of years to be usable, and even then, I have to think about how and where I use it. It would need longer if I wanted it for seed sowing, for example, and I'd need to sieve it, which can also be tricky as it needs to be drier to make that viable.
Cold compost is supposedly better than hot stuff too, so - every cloud...