Pruning Cornus

Do you think I need to prune these cornus plants, this is there 2nd year

 

We planted 3 cornus four years ago and pruned them in their second year (and every year since) and they are now very large and vigorous.

 

"Do you think I need to prune these cornus plants"

Definitely IMHO

 

Here are a couple I pruned earlier .... sorry, haven't got a picture of them with their winter-branches on, but this is how hard we pruned them every year, and they always looked fabby. Be brave!

 

No rush, is there? (i.e. I ain't sure, but I would be inclined to wait a bit)

 

Sounds right to me. But don't do a rush job :hehe:

 

I pruned my elderly neighbours ( remember the nightsoil neighbour?) last Sunday, and she said if I just shoved the stronger ones into the soil they would root. I hope she`s right, because I did it.

Her words were "they`d root stuck into t`moon".


I`m beginning to get very very fond of this woman.


I have shoved them in as supports for my gladioli, and I haven`t ever grown them before. They`ll do as supports for the year I s`pose even if they don`t root.

 

This neighbour sounds great!

 

She`s what`s known as a right `un! Always correcting me, telling me when I`ve done summat wrong, full of complaints about her children-they don`t bother with yer when yer`ve got nowt!


I can`t believe I never found her out before.

 

Cut em down. When it thickens do a 1/3 now and 1/3 later in April, leaving colour all winter. I do that proportrion every year and it works !!

 

you might like to get the blackbird's opinion first.

You are growing them in a pot - did you use a siol-based compost. If not, I would re-pot using soilless and plant them a bit deeper so as to get a more stems at the base.

ps. do as Lollipop says and stick the cuttings in a spare spot.

 

They do root very easily,I just cut out old bits and leave the pretty red ones for winter colour and flower arranging.

 

Many thanks everyone will let you know what happens :thmb: