New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Name: Deb Pacific NW (Zone 8b)              Bonehead Apr 7, 2018 10:19 AM CST |
| I have been pruning my trees and shrubs in a mostly haphazard way over the years. My latest thought is to just let them grow however they want to. I live in a rural setting so space is not an issue. I also have a pretty loose gardening style. Right now I have a mature forsythia that is almost done blooming and per info I should prune it soon to 'keep it under control.' I'm rather wondering what if I just let it go? It is a bit floppy but maybe that's what it wants to be. I have a mixed shrub border along our driveway, and it seems that if I just let them all do their own thing it might intertwine and have an interesting look. A couple years back I hired a guy to prune, and he cut all my shrubs to the same exact height and balled them up. I was not fond of that look, but they did recover nicely and are now at various heights depending on their growth pattern. I'm about ready to adopt a 'quit torturing them' attitude. Thoughts? I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned. |
Minnesota (Zone 3b)  RpR Apr 7, 2018 10:34 AM CST |
| Let them go and see what happens. |
Name: Jim Stroudsburg, PA (Zone 6b)    MoonShadows Apr 9, 2018 1:53 AM CST |
| I have a forsythia in the front yard along the road. I used to trim it but stopped a few years ago. It blooms better now and looks fuller once the leaves come out. I like it better this way. Give it a try! |
Name: Cindy Hobart, IN zone 5 aka CindyMzone5   Shadegardener Apr 9, 2018 8:53 AM CST |
| Deb - I never thought pruning forsythia into upright rigid forms was how they wanted to grow. While I don't necessarily prune for shape, I do occasionally prune old branches to the ground to thin out the plant or prune low hanging tips so that they don't touch the ground and start new plants creating a thicket. Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb |
Name: Deb Pacific NW (Zone 8b) Bonehead Apr 9, 2018 9:08 AM CST |
| I'd be OK with a forsythia thicket. I'll try to ID the rest of my shrub border, it was mainly inexpensive shrubs since there was no watering to be had. I know there are a couple Cecile Brunner roses, ninebark, viburnums, a smoke bush, euonymous, random pink things. I walked the drive and snipped anything that was interfering with vehicles and will just let the border do what it pleases. I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned. |
Name: Porkpal Richmond, TX       porkpal Apr 9, 2018 11:19 AM CST |
| I like the casual look and just cut back things that get in the way - seriously in the way. I don't believe that plants really want or expect to be pruned. Porkpal |
springfield MO area (Zone 6a) Frillylily Apr 11, 2018 2:42 PM CST |
| I just cut off/back anything that doesn't look right or if it has something wrong with it. |
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