Hard pruning a tamarix

Discussion in 'Other Plants' started by nikirushka, Jul 6, 2017.

  1. nikirushka

    nikirushka Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2012
    Messages:
    211
    Ratings:
    +93
    I've got this wayward tamarix, I posted about it a year or two ago. I suspect it has some sort of weeping gene/mutation as apart from a solitary branch this year, it has a downward curving habit. most of it is 4ft high at most but it's a good 15ft across now.

    2017-07-06 09.29.08.jpg

    This is very pretty especially in full flower, and the dogs love it, but it makes mowing round and under it almost impossible!

    Next year I'd like to put a planting bed round it so I don't have to mow round it any more (assuming I still haven't renewed my lawn with a low-mow option by then as it's still not going to be managed this year). This was the plan all along, but it's just been overtaken by other projects. To do this though I'll need to prune it back, and hard, because it's almost at ground level right from the base. It would have to go back to only a few feet across and lose some big branches.

    So, three ponderings:

    1) Will it cope with this?
    2) When's the best time to do it if it will?
    3) Suggestions for low-growing plants that are happy in dappled shade and don't require much maintenance please! For a time I thought about just sowing lawn daisies under there - I thought the colours would be a nice contrast to the pink/green of the tam - but I'm not sure they'd be dense enough to have a decent chance at out competing weeds. I don't mind some weeding but it's very difficult once the tam has spread out over the ground.
     
    • Friendly Friendly x 1
    • BeeHappy

      BeeHappy Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Feb 19, 2016
      Messages:
      4,316
      Occupation:
      Mother Nature's Garden Apprentice
      Location:
      Happy in the Garden of W' Eden ;)
      Ratings:
      +6,133
    • Verdun

      Verdun Passionate gardener

      Joined:
      Oct 16, 2012
      Messages:
      7,475
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      West Cornwall
      Ratings:
      +17,486
      Nikirushka
      You can prune hard in spring. It will respond well.
      Thereafter, prune every year after flowering to keep it floriferous and compact.
      Low growers for dappled shade? I suggest brunneras ...there are some beauties; hadspen cream has delightful forgrt me not flowers in spring. Geranium phaem Margaret Wilson is perfect for dappled shade....it is unusual in its foliage which is a very nice white grey and it produces lilac flowers in late spring. Campanula Birch Hybrid is a vigorous evergreen perennial with velvety purple blue flowers all summer and will grow well there. For a change of form liriopes will love the shade to produce short spikes of blue flowers in autumn. A lovely almost white foliage variety, Blondie, too.
      Arabis ...different varieties incl variegated ones....will produce white or pink flowers in early spring. V nice.
      Pulmonarias.....superb spring flowering plants for shade.
      For superb blue flowers in spring and early summer on semi evergreen foliage check out corydallis....they are mat forming,,wide spreading, weed suppressing beauties. They go dormant in early summer but look good from winter (foliage) to late spring with blue flowers.
      Hope this helps
       
    Loading...

    Share This Page

    1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
      By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
      Dismiss Notice