When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get flowers
and berries please ?

In article ,
Ged wrote:
When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get flowers
and berries please ?

Tain't when, 'tis how.

Pyracantha flower on spurs that grow off older wood. You should cut
the current year's growth back hard, which is also a good idea to
stop it getting out of control. You can do that at any time from
late spring to winter, and I used to do it twice a year when I got
around to it (i.e. early summer and late autumn).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

thankyou !



"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Ged wrote:
When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get
flowers
and berries please ?

Tain't when, 'tis how.

Pyracantha flower on spurs that grow off older wood. You should cut
the current year's growth back hard, which is also a good idea to
stop it getting out of control. You can do that at any time from
late spring to winter, and I used to do it twice a year when I got
around to it (i.e. early summer and late autumn).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Ged
writes
When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get flowers
and berries please ?

It's not so much the time of year, it's what you prune. Pyracantha
doesn't flower on this year's growth, so if you confine your pruning to
the long unbranched twigs from this year, you should get flowers on what
you have left.

Once you have flowers, you'll find that most of the year you have either
flower buds or flowers or fruits or stems where the birds have taken the
fruits, so from then on pruning is easy.



--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Ged
writes
When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get
flowers
and berries please ?

It's not so much the time of year, it's what you prune. Pyracantha
doesn't flower on this year's growth, so if you confine your pruning to
the long unbranched twigs from this year, you should get flowers on what
you have left.

Once you have flowers, you'll find that most of the year you have either
flower buds or flowers or fruits or stems where the birds have taken the
fruits, so from then on pruning is easy.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"


This is certainly not the 'scientific' method but it works well for me.

My bush was self-seeded near the garage wall so I have tied it to training
wires, I find it convenient to keep it about 6-feet wide, by 8-feet high and
1-foot thick. I prune approximately within these dimensions whilst trying to
keep a 'natural' shape. Decide how big you want yours to grow and cut it
back to that size.

In the Spring, I cut back the new grown to the clusters of flowers so that
they are well displayed. At the beginning of August, I cut back the new
growth so that the berries are not hidden by the new growth. I leave any new
growth within my arbitrary envelope to thicken up the bush.

If I see that growth at the back is pushing the bush away from the wall, I
cut out the offending branches.

My theory is that if it wasn't for the flowers and berries it would a very
dull bush so prune it to enjoy them to the full.

In message , Kay
writes
In article , Ged
writes
When is the best time of year to prune a Pyracantha to ensure I get flowers
and berries please ?

It's not so much the time of year, it's what you prune. Pyracantha
doesn't flower on this year's growth, so if you confine your pruning to
the long unbranched twigs from this year, you should get flowers on what
you have left.

Once you have flowers, you'll find that most of the year you have either
flower buds or flowers or fruits or stems where the birds have taken the
fruits, so from then on pruning is easy.

I don't think pruning a large established pyracantha is easy at all. The
plant bites back and its long sharp spines go through my thickest
gardening gloves with impunity. Good burglar deterrent though.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown writes:
|
| I don't think pruning a large established pyracantha is easy at all. The
| plant bites back and its long sharp spines go through my thickest
| gardening gloves with impunity. Good burglar deterrent though.

Oh, it's quite EASY. Nobody ever said it was PAINLESS.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"John Flax" writes:
|
| This is certainly not the 'scientific' method but it works well for me.

Actually, I think that IS the 'scientific' method, and I think
that you will find it described in old books.

Yes, I agree that it works well, and the advantage of the double
pruning is that the shoots are only large, not enormous.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Martin Brown
writes
In message , Kay
writes

Once you have flowers, you'll find that most of the year you have either
flower buds or flowers or fruits or stems where the birds have taken the
fruits, so from then on pruning is easy.

I don't think pruning a large established pyracantha is easy at all. The
plant bites back and its long sharp spines go through my thickest
gardening gloves with impunity. Good burglar deterrent though.

I suppose this is from experience in my own garden - I'd much prefer to
prune three pyracantha bushes than 110ft of hawthorn hedge ;-)

If the proportions were the other way around I might feel differently.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"