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Photinia Red Robin pruning?

I have a well established Photinia Red Robin, which had lovely red shoots that are now maturing and turning green. I know that if I prune it back this will encourage new red shoots, but I can't remember when to do this. Is now a good time?

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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066

    Yes.  Round here it's often grown as a hedge so gets pruned/trimmed regularly over the summer and produces new red shoots every time.

    If you're doing yours with secateurs, prune back each stem to just above a leaf node to keep it looking good.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806

    Thanks for that. Now all I need is for the rain to hold off long enough, and I'll be out there with the secateurs.

  • I bought a red robin but then had three weeks of heavy rain before I could get to plant it.  It's now looking very sad.  Is there any chance it might recover, can anybody tell me?  It actually looks dead..............

  • fotofitfotofit Posts: 73

    Hi there - difficult to say whether your "red robin" will survive - perhaps, plant it anyway with well rotted compost in a sunny site and wait to see what happens during the next few months.

    We have several of these and grow them in hedging, specimen shrub, small shrub and small tree !! Which it is depends on whether it's me or my husband doing the pruning !!!! I grow one as a small shrub and prune different shoots to a leaf node throughout spring, summer and early autumn to maintain the red leaves. A friend advises to prune after a full moon as apparently the plants can tolerate the loss of limb/leaf better at this time of the month. The next full moon is 3rd July so I'll be busy then !!!!  image

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066

    Did you water it?  Rain isn't enough for plants in pots.

    Or maybe over water it and drown it?

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • I think the rain drowned it - I didn't have any way of sheltering it.  I bought two plants - the robin and a buddleia and they both had to sit outside in the rain for ages before I could plant them.  And now they both look dead.  All I can do is wait and hope..........

  • JuneaJunea Posts: 2

    This is probably too late for you now as your Photinia will be alive and kicking or gone to garden heaven.  Someone planted a Photinia in open space near my old home.  It looked like it had died and I really didn't think it would survive.  6 months later and it looks lovely.  Sprang back to life.

  • Can the cuttings be grown. If so what is the best method.

  • Hi. My Red Robin of approx 15 years has matured into more of a tree than a bush now and is taking over my not so big garden.

    I have prunned it over the years but not being a knowledgable gardener I obviously haven't done it enough. If I give it a good prune it will be left with no leaves.....will this kill it. I prunned my orange blossom once and killed that so don't want to do it again. 

  • HelgaHelga Posts: 24

    Hi Wilesy 100 I had the same problem last year and decided to take a chance & cut back hard to about 2foot high. It has regrown to a much more manageable size with new shoots red as they should be. Give it a go

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