Becky--
The only pruning I do is when i cut it back completely to put it in my Shop.
I never prune it after that. Cutting it back in a way so that you do not have
too many stems sticking out all over with result in a more compact plant.
The picture above--with the dug up plant--is NOT cut back properly.
I probably cut it all down much lower--near the main stem--before taking it inside.
The growth comes from the tops of the cut back stems--so keep that in mind how
you want to cut it back.
Also--I try not to cut them back below the "Y"--but sometimes I have to-like in the above picture.
I am sure I pruned it back a lot lower after i took that picture.
If you leave it ALL THAT SPRAWLED BEFORE IT GROWS BACK--YOU WILL BE SORRY.
(Sorry--did not mean to capitalize.)
Let me show you the "monster" my "Maya" grew into in 2009. It was bizarre! Like 8'x8'!
The only thing I can say is that I had to cut off all the blooms the fall before to take it inside.
That hurt! it was so pretty! Totally full of blooms..Fall of 2008. (see pic #1).
See the kind of cuttings I take? They ALL root in about 2-3 weeks. (#2).
The following (2009) spring--I cut the root ball all around and off at the bottom too
as it came out of the Shop and dormancy.
Then I re-potted it in fresh Soil MIX with some time release fertilizer added in. (AHA!!!).
Mamma Mia!!!!!! it grew and grew--and bloomed profusely. (#3--#4)
It had FOUR massive bloom flushes--one on the heels of the other. I could not believe it!
(pic #5 and #6.)
Then in October of 2009--I was faced with this. (#7 and #8)
After 2 weeks of begging the Arboretum to come and get it--they came--in a large, City
panel truck. This Maya barely fit into it.
My little Maya now is growing well. I am bracing myself..............Gita
