Hello, i am a mew user of the newsgroup (should say poster, been reading the
posts for a while) and i have a question.
In my front garden against a fence i have a cottoneaster, at the moment it
is full of red berries that the birds don't seem interested in, what i want
to know is... can i prune it, and if so when is the best time, and if i do
prune it , will it grow back ( had a few hiccups with pruning stuff and it
not growing back!!).
Many thanks in advance Jackie.

"Jackie Whitehouse" wrote in message
...
Hello, i am a mew user of the newsgroup (should say poster, been reading
the
posts for a while) and i have a question.
In my front garden against a fence i have a cottoneaster, at the moment it
is full of red berries that the birds don't seem interested in, what i
want
to know is... can i prune it, and if so when is the best time, and if i do
prune it , will it grow back ( had a few hiccups with pruning stuff and it
not growing back!!).
Many thanks in advance Jackie.


I too have several cotoneasters, and have cut them back rather inexpertly at
various times (I don't know the proper time), and they've always grown back.
They are well established though, and I wouldn't want to cut a young one
back much. I find the birds do eat the berries, but not until late winter
when they're getting desperate.

In article , Jackie Whitehouse
writes
Hello, i am a mew user of the newsgroup (should say poster, been reading the
posts for a while) and i have a question.
In my front garden against a fence i have a cottoneaster, at the moment it
is full of red berries that the birds don't seem interested in, what i want
to know is... can i prune it, and if so when is the best time, and if i do
prune it , will it grow back ( had a few hiccups with pruning stuff and it
not growing back!!).

No worries with this one, it is indestructible ;-)

I prune it at all times of year, whenever I have the energy. My single
small plant is now two monsters, 15 ft spread, completely covering two
low walls, and trying to engulf the flower bed next to the walls. It
roots wherever it touches the ground. And is not prime birdfood - they
don't touch the berries until they've eaten just about everything else -
only the skimmia is less to their taste.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Jackie Whitehouse
writes
Hello, i am a mew user of the newsgroup (should say poster, been reading
the
posts for a while) and i have a question.
In my front garden against a fence i have a cottoneaster, at the moment
it
is full of red berries that the birds don't seem interested in, what i
want
to know is... can i prune it, and if so when is the best time, and if i
do
prune it , will it grow back ( had a few hiccups with pruning stuff and
it
not growing back!!).

No worries with this one, it is indestructible ;-)

I prune it at all times of year, whenever I have the energy. My single
small plant is now two monsters, 15 ft spread, completely covering two
low walls, and trying to engulf the flower bed next to the walls. It
roots wherever it touches the ground. And is not prime birdfood - they
don't touch the berries until they've eaten just about everything else -
only the skimmia is less to their taste.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"


Many thanks, will leave it a month or so and then give it a good pruning, i
like it as it fills a gap and to be honest looks quite nice against the
blue/green fence (curtesy of my lovely neighbour).
Wil be back with more questions at a later date )