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Pruning Hebes
artjak
Posts: 4,167
I have a Hebes on the top of the rock garden and it is getting too big for the situation; can it be pruned perhaps later in the growing season?
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Hi artjak There's an old thread on pruning hebes ............. here it is
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/hebe-help/4223.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've pruned a few different ones which outgrew spaces but I found little and often was usually better than a severe haircut - some of them didn't like hard pruning, but that also may be down to weather here. They took a while to recover - and sometimes didn't....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Dove, thank you for that link; problem is all the advice says to prune after flowering; but this hebe is in a pretty shady location and I can't really say that I have ever noticed it flowering! It is probably about 10 years old, small leafed and this year has become just too large.
Any further thoughts?
I have one in a big pot that grew down and into soil. One I inherited so no idea what it is, it's never flowered but last year I cut a good amount from it and moved it. I was amazed at the sap that leaked out, I expected it to die. Some parts looked a bit black.
It hasn't died, it has regrown leaves but hasn't flowered but not knowing much about them I don't know when it should flower. Just nice foliage sitting in a pot in an "awkward " place. It has had a treat of FBB and I'll see what happens. Don't want it in the graden & don't want to re-pot, so we'll see.
Basically no help to you at all Artjak
I had a buxifolia type one in a pot at the front door of a previous house art. It got virtually no sun and only ever had a few flowers because of that - in fact it's a wonder it survived at all! I kept it more as a box 'replacement' and trimmed it now and again to keep it tidy. Could it be that type? I have three vernicosa ones at the moment which I've just put into big terracotta pots for that same purpose - they're similar to box too. I can put a pic on if you want to compare. Perhaps you could prune it a few times over the course of the year and gradually get it back.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
when i eventually get off the phone from scottish power i will go and take a photo. i may be quite old by then
Fairy I'd like to see a pic of your hebe to see if mine is same.
No probs KEF
Not a great pic but you should be able to enlarge. I can take a better one if necessary
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here's a better one. I even went out in the rain to take it....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...