Spoiling the View

Help and advice wanted please. I have an eight foot high ceanothas which has been cut into a lollipop shape so it could be underplanted. Now it is so dense it is blocking the view from our conservatory. Can it be chopped low or do I have to dig it up? It would be a shame to lose it because it is glorious in May. Any ideas?
The ceanothas and the blocked view

 

Mmmmm - with the way that is shaped especially below the globe I would be loathe to cut it short- not sure it would shoot so if you can't live with it where it is, I'd be inclined to try and move it - perhaps just a little further back into the corner. But you would need to take as much rootball as possible the less you disturb the roots, the better the chance of success.

 

Professional gardeners have a process they call 'stooling' which is to cut back part of the shrub and allow it to shoot, then, when the new shoot has reached a viable proportion, cut back the other part.

I would suggest that you try this with the smaller stem first, cut it back to about 12-18" of leaf bearing limbs. Leave it for a couple of years and see how it does. When it has shown it will thrive then trim the bigger one.

It's a risk as the shrub may not like it but I believe ceanothus to be fairly hardy. You will also have to live with a lopsided shrub for about five years but it should be worth it in the end.

During the process of regeneration, keep it trimmed and thinned out so it doesn't overdevelop again.

[ 13. October 2005, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

I would bite the bullet & cut back hard. :eek: It is likely that you would loose it (the larger leaved varieties like 'Yankee Point' can cope better with this treatment);
but then you could plant a fresh one in a better position. Ceanothus are not keen on having their roots disturbed.