Ceanothus question

 

We have a Ceanothus shrub, about seven feet tall.  It was badly damaged
in the Winter, becoming completely brown.  However, on advice from this
group, we left it alone, and now there are a few green shoots on the
lower part but quite profuse growth high up.  The question is, should it
be cut down/ pruned a bit or just left alone?

Regards and thanks in advance

Syke

 


The basic rule - unless the plant has a disease like dieback - is to leave
it alone.  Wait to see how well it grows back and from where.  If some of
the branches fail to show any new growth, then scrape a little of the bark
away on those branches, starting near the tip, and working your way back to
where the branch joins the trunk.  As soon as you see any green, stop.  If
there is no green anywhere, in my experience it is usually safe to cut the
branch off where it joins the trunk.  Otherwise, cut at the last non-green
scraping and wait.  You can always tidy up and cut across the dead part
later.

As always, watch for any fungal disease attacking the branch, as these often
start with dead wood and work their way down.  However, as far as I remember
Ceanothus doesn't seem to suffer in this respect.

--

Jeff
 

 

Jeff Layman wrote:

Ours turned totally brown a year or two ago. This was in late summer, so
nothing to do with temperature, but it recovered completely