I bought these at Lowes, and I got five. I would like to plant them between me and my neighbor, so they will form a screen. How do I prune them so they will get full at the bottom? I want them to go all the way to the ground so I don't have to mow or weed eat around them, and it will be more private.
also wondering how large they get. I need something about 5-8 feet tall and wide.
Frilly, my Burning Bush is about 16 years old, 8' high and just as wide. It probably took 6 or 7 years to get that big. I bought it at a tree nursery and it was pretty big to start with. I keep mine pruned on the bottom because of the under plantings. I would think you shouldn't trim it at all if you want top to bottom fullness. Your hedge is going to look really pretty in the fall with all the red leaves.
Mine get quite leggy if I don't prune them. I find that if I cut a few of the biggest (oldest) trunks out at the base each year, it seems to stimulate new growth there. It also keeps it open enough to get some airflow/sunlight into the center so that it doesn't die out.
I've noticed a few hedges in town - the best that seem to be pruned like any other hedge - into shape. What avianut mentioned makes sense. I'd incorporate slow-release fertilizer (maybe osmocote) when planting. They seem to benefit from a bit of birming here as they don't seem to like being too soggy in our wet winters. The ones on irrigation seem to do worse than those in good drainage off of irrigation, maybe because they need to harden-off at the end of the season and absolute full sun around here.
Well they are planted in an area that gets lots of drainage in the summer, but it does slope some on that end of the house, so maybe they will do ok.
I don't want to trim them into a formal looking hedge, something natural looking, but I just want it to be full all the way to the bottom for privacy and to choke the weeds down. I am going to mulch around them.
Keep them narrower at the top than below, then the lower limbs get light and want to grow. You might alternate shearing with thinning. Shearing once in a while keeps them neater and is faster than trying to hand prune.
Actually, I never shear mine, but then again I try to keep my garden very informal, so I don't shear anything, not even my yews . If anything is really sticking out badly I shorten it up a bit, otherwise just cutting the older branches out controls the height and seems to encourage the bottom growth
This message was edited Jun 23, 2010 6:19 AM
That's beautiful!!
I do some shearing on bushes that are supposed to be hedges.- only way I can deal with things that are too big for the spot anyway.
Very lovely!
I don't plan to shear or formally trim anything in my yard, I prefer it more natural looking. Plus once you shear them, you can't really stop.
Euonymus alatas is considered by many invasive here. Most pruning is done with a shovel and a chainsaw. There are two forms. The straight species eventually reaches 15' X 15'. 'Compactus' matures out at 10' X 10'. They are still sold here, but wiser folks don't plant them.
The brilliant fall color and their toughness makes them popular because they are easy to grow, but that same toughness and resulting reseeding into natural areas makes them undesirable.
Now ya tell me!
LOL I planted 6 of them. :)
They will be mowed around in the yard and such, so hopefully won't get too out of hand. I want them to get pretty good sized, I have a neighbor that doesn't always keep up her back yard ;)
They will certainly serve as a screening shrub. They are best looking when left unpruned. They do have an appealing natural form.
I saw an amazing mature specimen at the National Arboretum in DC. It was pruned up to show the inner branching which has fabulous texture. I was surprised by how beautiful it was. I've always just thought of them as foliage plants with a single season of interest. Never thought to peek inside.
I'm amazed they are considered invasive anywhere! I'm also in Z5, and mine have never reseeded at all!
Mine reseed, but not aggressively. No comparison with asian honeysuckle.
Here's a link about the geographic range and associated invasiveness.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/eual.htm
Wow! That sounds VERY invasive! I will watch mine more closely- maybe it's been seeding and I just didn't notice in my semi-natural-ish yard. Thanks for the heads-up!
how would i start one from a cutting ? my MIL has one thats huge and it is being cut back as i type.
Look around for seedlings that may have popped up under or around the shrub. You might want to consider something less invasive, unless the MIL shrub has sentimental value.
In emergency situation, ( being cut back as I type) doesn't hurt to grab some branches and stick them in a bucket of water. Give them a week or two and you may see nubs.
(I have to giggle a little at the thought of " sentimental value" to a MIL shrub... not many MIL get that kind of endorsement)
my MIL is 84 and we get along pretty good they planted the burning bush 23 yrs ago
My MIL is great too!
I have evergreen Euonymus and it puts out roots very readily from cut stems.
Its considered and "ecological threat" in your vicinity.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/eual.htm
