I would appreciate some advice on how / when / whether to prune a
summer flowering spirea. My "Shrub Expert" advises that summer
flowering spireas should be "pruned more severely - cut back the stems
to a few inches above the ground in early spring". Trouble is, when I
followed this advice, some years ago, on a very pretty Spirea Anthony
Waterer, the plant never recovered! I don't really want to murder the
Goldflame I now have, so I would very much like to know where I went
wrong.

--
Cheers, Serena

Where nothing is sure, everything is possible (Margaret Drabble)

"Serena Blanchflower" wrote in
message ...

I would appreciate some advice on how / when / whether to prune a
summer flowering spirea. My "Shrub Expert" advises that summer
flowering spireas should be "pruned more severely - cut back the stems
to a few inches above the ground in early spring". Trouble is, when I
followed this advice, some years ago, on a very pretty Spirea Anthony
Waterer, the plant never recovered! I don't really want to murder the
Goldflame I now have, so I would very much like to know where I went
wrong.


I Goldflame (IME) thrives on being cut back harg in the spring. That way its
eponymous nature is all to evident, without cutting back it floweres but
looks lack lustre.

pk

'Serena',

The book says: For compact growth and large flower heads, prune your
Goldflame to within 3"-4" of ground level in late February or early
March.

I am about to prune mine, but I will not cut them that low because I
have broken the rules and pruned them to about 1' or so and I will
continue to prune them to the old wood.

This site is a good guide as to how you should prune.

http://www.bruceco.com/Information/basics/pruning.html

Regards,
Emrys Davies.



"Serena Blanchflower" wrote in
message ...

I would appreciate some advice on how / when / whether to prune a
summer flowering spirea. My "Shrub Expert" advises that summer
flowering spireas should be "pruned more severely - cut back the stems
to a few inches above the ground in early spring". Trouble is, when
I
followed this advice, some years ago, on a very pretty Spirea Anthony
Waterer, the plant never recovered! I don't really want to murder the
Goldflame I now have, so I would very much like to know where I went
wrong.

--
Cheers, Serena

Where nothing is sure, everything is possible (Margaret Drabble)

On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 12:45:03 -0000, " Emrys Davies"
wrote:

'Serena',

The book says: For compact growth and large flower heads, prune your
Goldflame to within 3"-4" of ground level in late February or early
March.

Paul, Emrys, Many thanks for the advice. My spirea will shrink
dramatically in the next couple of weeks!

This site is a good guide as to how you should prune.

http://www.bruceco.com/Information/basics/pruning.html

I've bookmarked that safely. It looks very useful. Thanks.

--
Cheers, Serena

Where nothing is sure, everything is possible (Margaret Drabble)