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#1
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Need a better way to prune the tops of a thick oleander bush
On 5/9/13 12:12 PM, Danny D wrote:
Trimming question ... I made a mistake buying the Echo HC-150 20-inch hedge trimmer: http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12891035.jpg The trimmer is (way) too small to make the tops flat of my Oleander bush. I can't get the 20-inch blade across the top, while standing on a step ladder, from the one side. The problem is that the other side is wholly inaccessible to a ladder, so I can only trim the top of the bush from one side. http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12891079.jpg The Oleander bush is something like five or six feet across, and something like nine or ten feet tall, for something like a few hundred feet along a cliff-like extremely steep hill. I can easily climb up on a step ladder to cut the side, but, I can only lean over about three or four feet across the top with the puny 20-inch 21.2cc hedge trimmer - and even that is risky because one fall could be dangerous with a hedge trimmer (I've already sliced my thigh with the thing in the past). So, I'm mostly asking if there are better ideas for how to cut the top of a tall and thick Oleander bush when you can only access it from one side, and when your trimmer is 20 inches while the bush width is at least three times that. http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12891105.jpg Any helpful suggestions? Oleander is really not suited for trimming as a formal hedge with a flat top and flat sides. It grows too fast. You would need to trim it monthly. If you think the hedge is overgrown, use a pruning saw to cut each plant down to about 20 inches from the ground. Within a few months, it will again be a hedge. However, if you are in southern California, forget it. Oleanders are dying from a blight for which there is no cure. See http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7480.html. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean, see http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary |
#2
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Need a better way to prune the tops of a thick oleander bush
On Thu, 09 May 2013 17:51:39 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:
If you think the hedge is overgrown, use a pruning saw to cut each plant down to about 20 inches from the ground. Within a few months, it will again be a hedge. My wife loves the white flowers but it's crowding the driveway so I have to lop off a foot or more to trim it back on the sides. On the top, I just want it to look neat'ish. The flowers are just starting. Is now a 'good' time of year to trim them? |
#3
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Need a better way to prune the tops of a thick oleander bush
On 5/9/13 8:34 PM, Danny D wrote:
On Thu, 09 May 2013 17:51:39 -0700, David E. Ross wrote: If you think the hedge is overgrown, use a pruning saw to cut each plant down to about 20 inches from the ground. Within a few months, it will again be a hedge. My wife loves the white flowers but it's crowding the driveway so I have to lop off a foot or more to trim it back on the sides. On the top, I just want it to look neat'ish. The flowers are just starting. Is now a 'good' time of year to trim them? It will not bloom continuously all summer. Wait until it stops blooming before cutting it. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean, see http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary |
#4
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Need a better way to prune the tops of a thick oleander bush
On Fri, 10 May 2013 03:34:26 +0000 (UTC), Danny D
wrote: On Thu, 09 May 2013 17:51:39 -0700, David E. Ross wrote: If you think the hedge is overgrown, use a pruning saw to cut each plant down to about 20 inches from the ground. Within a few months, it will again be a hedge. My wife loves the white flowers but it's crowding the driveway so I have to lop off a foot or more to trim it back on the sides. Just trim off branches that encroach the driveway. On the top, I just want it to look neat'ish. Looks fine to me. If you get a "loner" branch trying to grab too much attention, use this. http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-9240-T...pr_product_top That "wild" look suits me, and you don't have much choice with oleander anyway. |
#5
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Need a better way to prune the tops of a thick oleander bush
On Fri, 10 May 2013 15:25:51 -0500, Vic Smith wrote:
use this. Fiskars-9240-Telescoping-Pruning-Stik I do have one of those: http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12898805.jpg The fiberglass pole is cracked, but still serviceable. |
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