Cistus

I have 3 of these that were planted before I moved into my house. They were quite small and seemed to take a long time to grow, they were planted about 18" apart, and as I don't really know much about gardening I just left them to grow. The shrubs now are taking over, they're 4" high (I lop the top off as and when they look straggly) and about the same wide. I've looked on the internet and it says that they'll grow to a huge size (it's the one with the very dark green leaves and the white flowers with a yellow centre). They're pushing my hebes out of the way. I know that I shouldn't prune them right back, so the question is should I get rid of them, get rid of 2 of them, prune them and see what happens or leave them be, the bed that they're in is about 3.5 - 4" wide and 6" long with 3 small hebes at the end (although they're being pushed over by the cistus now and have lost half their foliage).

 

You lost me with semi-ripe heeled cuttings, but I shall look in one of my mums books and if all else fails I'll cut some off and give them to the kids to plant in pots (my daughter managed to get 2 plants this way and they were duly sent to Grandma).

 

Thanks Wiseoldowl, I'm still undecided what to do with them. They're too crowded and my garden too small to save them all. As they were put in to close together they've grown in through each other, I think if I dig one up I'll be damaging the roots of the other two. I went out with a tape earlier and measured, theres 1' between each plants main stem. Is now a good time to take cutting from them or not? I think I may have to take all 3 out, but if I take a few cuttings hopefully one will root and can be planted back.

 

Take cutting then get rid, Cistus are resistant to pruning and have a life span like lavender and ceanothus, however they are all easy to take cuttings of.

The trick is tlo have replacements rooting even whilst the old plant is flourishing.

 

so I can prune them then? The growth were I've cut them back pretty hard is always a really pale colour and small, it's next to the path and I need to be able to get in and out, lol. These would have to be cut back really really hard though right down onto the old old wood (they're a maximum of 7 years old). They look nice as they're green all year and have nice flowers on them. but when you look into the actual plants themselves they're pretty bare.

 

Pruning every year you can get away with, same with lavender ets but hard pruning of a neglected bush is likly to result in a dead one or die back.

Personally id start again

 

Okay, then I'll have to take some cuttings as it's a nice plant, but the 3 of them are taking over the small bed they were put into (I'd have just put one in, but I think they had loads of plants left over and just bunged them into my garden - I had 13 cotoniasters in a space about 4' across and 6' long but it was a triangle shape, 13 japanese honeysuckle bushes (the large sized ones) in about 6' x 6' )