David wrote in message
...
"JennyC" wrote in message
...
I'd not prune them at all !
Though I suppose it might make it bush out. They don't grow very quickly
though,
so I'd wait a year or two.
Sorry - no idea about the rust.
Jenny

"Eyebright" wrote in message
...


in my opinion........i'd throw the advice lable away and go with your
own instincts or the opinions of a reputable garden writer.

the " rust " is more likely to be merely old leaves showing their
age...gather them from the soil surface once they fall if you feel
like.

with very young shrubs it can be worth preserving energy by not
allowing fruits to mature so you could remove those if you want.


--
Eyebright

Hi, thanks to you both for your replies. My intention is to allow my
Mahonia
to "bush" out as much as possible, albeit at the moment it is a young
shrub. I see that there are a few treatments available for rust at my
local
garden centre, if it persists then I may be forced into taking action,

thanks again

David


Hi David,

Just looked at your pictures. As the others say, I don't think you need to
worry about pruning unless, as advised, you want to remove the berries.
Personally, I have always found that the birds take them. Also note that
small birds sometimes take nectar from the flowers. It's not a problem -
just enjoy watching them. Your plant is still very young, and will branch
out as it grows.
As to the 'rust' problem, I'm not even sure it is rust. I peered as closely
as I could at those markings and they seem sunken. Most rusts present as
raised spots. Have another look at the affected leaves. It may just be
that they've been grazed by some bug or other, and in all probability the
bug responsible is long gone. Don't be in too much of a hurry to spray;
small infestations of either rust or bugs can be simply dealt with by
removing the damaged leaves - both from the plant and from the ground. If
you're convinced it's rust, after cleaning up, mulch the ground under the
plant to prevent spores reinfecting. Since the weather's been dry, water
the plant well before applying the mulch.

Spider