Hebe

[ShotleyGirl Profile]

Louis and I have just recently moved to a new home which has a garden the only trouble is, there is a large rhodedendron (sp) and hebe plant growing directly under the washing line - it could only have been a man that planted them there!

Can anyone advise me how severe a pruning these established plants will take before we kill them completely?

I would say that the rhodedendron is about 5.5ft and the hebe is about 3.5ft in height - sorry I don't do metrification!!

Many thanks in anticipation of help

Christine

[Joanbunting Profile]

Hi

I am clueless about pruning but I know someone was is an expert so I'll ask if no-one comes up with an answer.

Silly thought - how about moving the clothes line

[ShotleyGirl Profile]

we would love to Joan, but we're in rented accommodation and the posts are concreted into the ground. Thank you for your help

[Joanbunting Profile]

we would love to Joan, but we're in rented accommodation and the posts are concreted into the ground. Thank you for your help

Then two suggestions - a) ask the landlord to prune it and b) if s/he does not wish to, tackle it yourselves . It is my understanding that well established shrubs can take a heck of a lot before they turn up their toes.

I'll still ask my friend though so hold the weapons for a bit

[jeral Profile]

Well, hebes are quite hardy and resilient though if 3.5ft high, I guess it hasn't been pruned lately (for some years as they don't grow very quickly). With established shrubs, it's better to prune some (not all) one third per year to avoid the "shock". This site could help on hebes: http://www.gardenseeker.com/pruning/pruning_hebes.htm

My first thought was to dig it up and plant a baby one (commonly available from garden centres) so as to avoid just seriously woody stalks if pruned. The link would be better though if 3.5 ft high and not your choice.

Dunno about rhododendrons. The flowers on those are fab - I'd tackle the hebe...

[Suelle Profile Website]

After the severe -10C temperatures in February one of our large Hebes looked dead, but started to sprout from the base a few weeks later. All the dead stuff was cut back to just above the new sprouts and we now have a new bush. Most varieties are very vigorous!

However they quickly grow back to the original size - we've cut this particular plant back several times in an effort to keep it under control!

[Joanbunting Profile]

Morning

She says go for it and thin it out well as well as reducing the height

[ShotleyGirl Profile]

Thanks all for the responses, just noticed last night that there is also an old rose bush that looks past it's best. I think they have been drowned out by an iris (I think) that seems to be spreading round the garden at an alarming rate. I think I need to tackle that first and see what is happening.

The landlord is pretty good, but don't think he had gardeners as tenants before, which is a shame as it is a lovely garden.

[jeral Profile]

Another thought occurred to me last night. Could you sink another post to make a triangle and run your washing lines to that? They don't need to be concreted in as you can get a metal boot(?) for square wooden posts as used for fencing.

Or perhaps sink a rotary dryer elsewhere? The sort that you can lift out and store like an umbrella when not in use.

That way, you could worry about the garden at your leisure

[Mrs Vee Profile]

Hi - I can't help with the Hebe, never grown one, but Rhododendrons will take almost any amount of cutting back; they're pretty robust so you can take it as low as you like. We had some in the garden at a previous house that were about 10 feet high and very dense - we sawed them down to about a foot high and also thinned them out fairly drastically; they loved it and flowered beautifully the next year.