pruning pyracantha
 

Hello all,
How are you supposed to prune pyracantha? I planted one in front of my
house thinking I'd be here to espalier and take care of it, then spent its
second year in Montana. It grew to be a monster, and I can't figure out how
to cut it down without leaving big stubs and such. It's right up against
the front of my house in a corner between the entrance and living room
windows, I love the way it grows and the red berries look great against the
peach brick. I'm wondering if I should just cut the big long thick branches
back to the ground and start over - or do one a year maybe? It seems to
grow long thin branches from the base or near it, and boy do they shoot up
fast! My years gardening in Montana didn't prepare me for this. ;)

Cindy

Cindy wrote:
Hello all,
How are you supposed to prune pyracantha? I planted one in front of my
house thinking I'd be here to espalier and take care of it, then spent its
second year in Montana. It grew to be a monster, and I can't figure out how
to cut it down without leaving big stubs and such. It's right up against
the front of my house in a corner between the entrance and living room
windows, I love the way it grows and the red berries look great against the
peach brick. I'm wondering if I should just cut the big long thick branches
back to the ground and start over - or do one a year maybe? It seems to
grow long thin branches from the base or near it, and boy do they shoot up
fast! My years gardening in Montana didn't prepare me for this. ;)

Cindy


I finally gave up on that high maintenance spiny drunk berry bush. I was
always available to train it to grow around my two front windows but it
grew into a dominatrix to which I could no longer submit. It looked
really neato when I put red twinkle lights into it at Christmas but the
other 11 months were spent in indentured servitude. I now have Pride of
Orleans holly in its place.

My suggestion would be to replace it.