Yesterday I found a Berberis Red Pillar, it was hidden at the back of a deep
border, is about 6 years old and very overgrown, I cannot decide which is
the best way to prune it. A small tree that was in front of it has been
removed and so it now has plenty of room to grow and be beautiful.

thanks

kate

In article ,
says...

Yesterday I found a Berberis Red Pillar, it was hidden at the back of a deep
border, is about 6 years old and very overgrown, I cannot decide which is
the best way to prune it. A small tree that was in front of it has been
removed and so it now has plenty of room to grow and be beautiful.

Berberis will take very hard pruning, or even decapitation, and grow
back strongly ( strong new growth of several feet a season when it has a
well established root system like yours). The new growth will be much
straighter and better colour foliage than old stems. All you lose is one
season's flowers and tbh I never like berberis flower colour against the
red/purple leaves.

Janet

Yesterday I found a Berberis Red Pillar, it was hidden at the back of a
deep
border, is about 6 years old and very overgrown, I cannot decide which is
the best way to prune it. A small tree that was in front of it has been
removed and so it now has plenty of room to grow and be beautiful.

Berberis will take very hard pruning, or even decapitation, and grow
back strongly ( strong new growth of several feet a season when it has a
well established root system like yours). The new growth will be much
straighter and better colour foliage than old stems. All you lose is one
season's flowers and tbh I never like berberis flower colour against the
red/purple leaves.

Janet

Thank you Janet, that is just what I needed to know, I will go and do it
right now !

kate

On 03/03/2012 12:01 PM, Kate Morgan wrote:

Thank you Janet, that is just what I needed to know, I will go and do it
right now !

Very easy to grow from cuttings, too.

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

Yesterday I found a Berberis Red Pillar, it was hidden at the back of a
deep
border, is about 6 years old and very overgrown, I cannot decide which is
the best way to prune it. A small tree that was in front of it has been
removed and so it now has plenty of room to grow and be beautiful.

Berberis will take very hard pruning, or even decapitation, and grow
back strongly ( strong new growth of several feet a season when it has a
well established root system like yours). The new growth will be much
straighter and better colour foliage than old stems. All you lose is one
season's flowers and tbh I never like berberis flower colour against the
red/purple leaves.

Janet

I have a Berberis growing very close to a larch-lap six ft. high fence. This
fence needs regular wood treatment so the Berberis needs cutting back to
allow access for painting. The thorns are vicious hence the need to prune.
After each very heavy pruning the bush recovers fantastically !

Bill

In article ,
Bill Grey wrote:

I have a Berberis growing very close to a larch-lap six ft. high fence. This
fence needs regular wood treatment so the Berberis needs cutting back to
allow access for painting. The thorns are vicious hence the need to prune.
After each very heavy pruning the bush recovers fantastically !

A rule that I find fairly reliable is that any deciduous, natural
shrub can be cut back to ground level and will regrow happily.
Indeed, you can do that annually to some of them! Evergreen ones
don't always like too-frequent cutting back hard.

I took 2/3 off my B. vulgaris last year, on the grounds that it
was it or us, but am expecting it to do its best to restore the
status quo ante this year.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I have a Berberis growing very close to a larch-lap six ft. high fence.
This
fence needs regular wood treatment so the Berberis needs cutting back to
allow access for painting. The thorns are vicious hence the need to prune.
After each very heavy pruning the bush recovers fantastically !

Thank you all very much for your interest and advice. I have attacked my
Berberis - and it return it attacked me :-) - I will have a go at some
cuttings. I was surprised at the huge number of suckers.

Thanks again

kate