I wonder if i can check something from anyone who knows.
A friend bought some time ago, a vib. Carlessii from Wisley, (she liked
the look apparently)
Anyway she planted it in front of a window................
Apart from that she suddenly asked which leader she ought to cut back so
it looked more like a tree. Intrigued i went round to have a look to
find she had left two zonking great 'suckers' of the ordinary viburnum
opulus grow up from beneath the ground. The calresii is still only about
4 foot at most whilst the suckers are now 8 or 9 foot high.
I didn't know but i am assuming Vib. C. is grafted and if so do i tear
the suckers off the stem or saw them off for her? Which would be best
and what height should a Vib. carelssii eventually achieve?

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 2009-10-24 10:09:16 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

I wonder if i can check something from anyone who knows.
A friend bought some time ago, a vib. Carlessii from Wisley, (she liked
the look apparently)
Anyway she planted it in front of a window................
Apart from that she suddenly asked which leader she ought to cut back
so it looked more like a tree. Intrigued i went round to have a look to
find she had left two zonking great 'suckers' of the ordinary viburnum
opulus grow up from beneath the ground. The calresii is still only
about 4 foot at most whilst the suckers are now 8 or 9 foot high.
I didn't know but i am assuming Vib. C. is grafted and if so do i tear
the suckers off the stem or saw them off for her? Which would be best
and what height should a Vib. carelssii eventually achieve?

Janet

Some Viburnums are grafted but we're out of stock, so I can't rush out
and check V. carlesii! Eventually, they grow to somewhere around 6' -
8'. Isn't the received wisdom to tear off suckers rather than cut
them because cutting is like pruning to encourage growth? I think the
idea is that tearing off suckers (repeat, if necessary) weakens the bud
from which they grow.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

In article , Sacha
writes

Isn't the received wisdom to tear off suckers rather than cut them
because cutting is like pruning to encourage growth? I think the idea
is that tearing off suckers (repeat, if necessary) weakens the bud from
which they grow.


Yes but in the case of course the stems of the suckers are almost bigger
than the stem on the proper plant!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 2009-10-24 19:41:01 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

In article , Sacha
writes

Isn't the received wisdom to tear off suckers rather than cut them
because cutting is like pruning to encourage growth? I think the idea
is that tearing off suckers (repeat, if necessary) weakens the bud from
which they grow.


Yes but in the case of course the stems of the suckers are almost
bigger than the stem on the proper plant!

Bit of a dilemma but it's a "what have you got to lose?" situation.
You can't let the suckers return continuously if you 'prune' them and
you can't let them stay there. OTOH, your friend could uproot the
entire plant, take it back to where she bought it and ask for her money
back, if it's not too late to do that.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

In article , Sacha
writes
your friend could uproot the entire plant, take it back to where she
bought it and ask for her money back, if it's not too late to do that.

Wisley!!

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 2009-10-27 23:40:57 +0000, Janet Tweedy said:

In article , Sacha
writes
your friend could uproot the entire plant, take it back to where she
bought it and ask for her money back, if it's not too late to do that.

Wisley!!

Then definitely!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Sacha writes
On 2009-10-24 19:41:01 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

In article , Sacha
writes

Isn't the received wisdom to tear off suckers rather than cut them
because cutting is like pruning to encourage growth? I think the idea
is that tearing off suckers (repeat, if necessary) weakens the bud
from which they grow.
Yes but in the case of course the stems of the suckers are almost
bigger than the stem on the proper plant!

Bit of a dilemma but it's a "what have you got to lose?" situation.
You can't let the suckers return continuously if you 'prune' them and
you can't let them stay there. OTOH, your friend could uproot the
entire plant, take it back to where she bought it and ask for her money
back, if it's not too late to do that.

But is it the nursery's fault if a purchaser allows suckers to grow?
--
Kay

In article , Sacha
writes
On 2009-10-27 23:40:57 +0000, Janet Tweedy said:

In article , Sacha
writes
your friend could uproot the entire plant, take it back to where she
bought it and ask for her money back, if it's not too late to do
that.
Wisley!!

Then definitely!


Bit late I think but the suckers came off probably because they WERE too
large and easily broke away from the main plant when pushed down etc.

Lesson learned by me of course that some plants are grafted even when
you don't think they are!

Janet
p.s. Had glorious day at Hopleys yesterday, HALF PRICE sale until
Saturday. ALL plants in sale so amongst 5 of us we must have saved over
150 pounds

Lovely new barn type structure now built there for self service tea
coffee cakes and so on plus books to look up plants and check
information.

They really are making an effort there now and well worth visit for
sale.

Langthorns was a bit disappointing afterwards.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 2009-10-29 10:29:36 +0000, K said:

Sacha writes
On 2009-10-24 19:41:01 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

In article , Sacha
writes

Isn't the received wisdom to tear off suckers rather than cut them
because cutting is like pruning to encourage growth? I think the idea
is that tearing off suckers (repeat, if necessary) weakens the bud from
which they grow.
Yes but in the case of course the stems of the suckers are almost
bigger than the stem on the proper plant!

Bit of a dilemma but it's a "what have you got to lose?" situation. You
can't let the suckers return continuously if you 'prune' them and you
can't let them stay there. OTOH, your friend could uproot the entire
plant, take it back to where she bought it and ask for her money back,
if it's not too late to do that.

But is it the nursery's fault if a purchaser allows suckers to grow?

All I can say is that we sell that plant. I checked today with one who
does the ordering and they're grafted. We've never had one complaint
about suckering that I'm aware of and nor was he. I'm wondering if
it's something to do with the grafting process - should the graft then
be treated in some way so that it doesn't sucker, or is this just an
unfortunate one-off. In any case, Wisley might be glad to know that
this has been a problem. If they're like Rosemoor, many of the plants
in the sales area are bought in, not grown by the garden themselves, so
they wouldn't know of the problem unless someone tells them. D.
carlesii don't need the struggle with suckers.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Janet Tweedy writes

Lesson learned by me of course that some plants are grafted even when
you don't think they are!

I had the same thing with a scented Viburnum - I think V carlessi. It
was grafted on to Wayfaring Tree (V lantana - thicker oval leaves) not V
opulus (guelder rose, thinner lobed leaves).

Lovely tree - I love the way the berries ripen at different stages so
that you have several colours at the same time (I was captivated by the
illustration in "Flower Fairies of the Autumn" when i was a very small
child), so I've had to wait till I was certain I'd got some cuttings
going successfully before getting rid of the suckers.
--
Kay