Potentillia
 

PA, about a 5b

I have a yellow Potentilia Fruiticosa that is, maybe, 7 years old. It's
getting rather large (which is OK for me if it's OK for the bush) but took
*forever* to green up last season. Once it came alive it still bloomed well
and long... just not quite as well and long as before.

I've seen where some people trim these with hedge sheers. Is this a good
idea... and is it OK to do that now as opposed to during or after the
season? How aggressively should I rip into it, ideally?





thanks


ralph

Potentillia
 

Ralph D. wrote:

PA, about a 5b

I have a yellow Potentilia Fruiticosa that is, maybe, 7 years old. It's
getting rather large (which is OK for me if it's OK for the bush) but took
*forever* to green up last season. Once it came alive it still bloomed well
and long... just not quite as well and long as before.

I've seen where some people trim these with hedge sheers. Is this a good
idea... and is it OK to do that now as opposed to during or after the
season? How aggressively should I rip into it, ideally?





thanks


ralph




Don't know about the pruning, but I have 5 that are about 15 years old
doing very well without ever beeing pruned.

Kevin

Potentillia
 

You can do some pretty serious wacking in the fall after the blooming is done.
They are hardy and the trim will encourage new growth and might even make it
thicker next spring.

Good luck,
Laura B.

I have a yellow Potentilia Fruiticosa that is, maybe, 7 years old. It's
getting rather large (which is OK for me if it's OK for the bush) but took
*forever* to green up last season. Once it came alive it still bloomed well
and long... just not quite as well and long as before.

I've seen where some people trim these with hedge sheers. Is this a good
idea... and is it OK to do that now as opposed to during or after the
season? How aggressively should I rip into it, ideally?





thanks


ralph

Potentillia
 

You can do some pretty serious wacking in the fall
after the blooming is done.

I was hesitant to post to this because, while I had
yellow potentilla bushes, I couldn't find a picture
of a Fruiticosa to compare. Mine were just plain
old potentilla. Anyway, I would trim/prune at least
twice a year, sometimes three times and they would
flower after each pruning (except the last, which
was done after the bushes stopped putting out new
growth.)

Tracey