Posted by Sacha on March 9, 2010, 4:32 am
>> Tie it to a post? I seem to have experience of them being very
>> rambunctious and ready to take on the universe!
>
>
> Not sure that would look too artistic! I wondered if i could cut the
> most annoying branches back a bit or would you get a lot of die back
> with this shrub?
> It's got a lot of growth anyway, so it wouldn't look too unbalanced,
> however most books say not to prune ceanothus, is that because those
> branches won't regrow or because something more dire will happen?
>
> Janet
AIUI, they respond differently depending on which they are. The
received wisdom seems to be that the evergreen ones can be cut back but
if you cut into older woods, you may not get any regrowth, which would
be unsightly. But you can take off half the length of over long
branches if you're not going into old wood and apparently, it's best
done after flowering. The deciduous Ceanothus can be trimmed to
promote new shoots each year and new plants can be cut back to outward
facing buds to create the framework of the shape required in the end.
But very mature overgrown Ceanothus don't like being really cut into
and won't sprout new growth to cover their wounds!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon
Posted by Charlie Pridham on March 7, 2010, 7:57 am
steve@tropheus.demon.co.uk says...
> wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:07:31 GMT, Janet Baraclough
> >
> >>
> >>> I have two Ceanothus shrubs, the leaves on both of which have turned
> >>> completely brown. Are they probably dead, presumably because of the cold,
> >>> or is there anything that likely can be done to save them?
> >>
> >> Wait and see. I have two; the prostrate one has been badly browned a
> >>(it's in a low, sheltered corner of the garden where freezing air
> >>collects and covers the bush).
> >> I shall give it until at least June to see if it puts out new growth.
> >> The tall one ( "Italian Skies", I think) is completely exposed to icy
> >>east wind from Siberia but is unharmed, leaves green. That gives me
> >>hope that the stems of the prostrate one have also withstood the cold
> >>of this winter and it's just the leaves that have been damaged
> >>
> >> Janet
> >>
> >>
> >GQT said that they are VERY short lived. Mine lasted less than 10 years, my
husbands' one
> >is hanging on after 17 yrs. They were both the same variety.
> >
> >What do other people think? Is this true?
> >
> >Kath
>
> How short is short? There is a Ceanothus in my garden that was already
> fully grown when I moved in. That was 25 years ago so I would think
> the Ceanothus is at least 30 years old. I've no idea which species it
> is. It's deciduous, blue flowers and shiny leaves.
>
> Steve
>
>
I would say 10-15 years is average, being a chapperal plant from
california they would normally be burnt by fire before that age!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea
XML site map
>> rambunctious and ready to take on the universe!
>
>
> Not sure that would look too artistic! I wondered if i could cut the
> most annoying branches back a bit or would you get a lot of die back
> with this shrub?
> It's got a lot of growth anyway, so it wouldn't look too unbalanced,
> however most books say not to prune ceanothus, is that because those
> branches won't regrow or because something more dire will happen?
>
> Janet