Viburnum help

I have two issues. I am going to post some pics to help you see how I am messing up and hopefully suggest solutions.

1. I pruned this snowball viburnum after blooms dried up because as you can see the branches were really droopy. I though by taking off the thinest branches and thinning out the interior of crossed branches and anything dead it would give it a more sturdy shape. And I wanted to keep it on the small side -- less than 8 feet. So now come August it seems to be growing back the exact same way. Am I trying to force something that this shrub doesn't want to do?The flowers are so pretty I just want the plant to be able to hold them up somewhat. Any advice would be great. I will post the next issue as a reply to this one.

And here is the viburnum that I butchered before I knew what it was. I basically cut it way down because I thought it was something else I was going to get rid of. When it started to grow back and got a few blooms I got some help here and figured out it is likely a Viburnum trilobum. The picture was taken yesterday so you can see its current state.

1. Should I move it? You can kind of see it is pretty well shaded by a big evergreen. I assume that is why it looks like it is trying to grow forward.

2. How do I fix the shape/appearance?

Thanks!!

Hi, Kelly -

Sorry I don't have an answer for your viburnum issues - as you can see from recent threads, I have a few of my own! i just think it's a coincidence that there are suddenly viburnum problems on this thread! They do seem to be a hardy genera, though. Perhaps neither you nor I actually have permanently disfigured shrubs!

We need VV . . . Viburnum Valley, where are you??

Poor guy can't even step away from DG for two days and we're all crying for help! : )

I am hoping he wanders in here some time this weekend. He helped me figure out what type I had so I am thinking he will have some advice for fixing my "pruning."

In my experience, with both viburnums, it'd be much easier to just "rejuvenate" them by cutting them both down to about 8", late this fall, after they go dormant for the winter. Next spring, they will practically erupt with new growth from the roots. In no time, easily by early summer, 2011, you will have nicely shaped shrubs. They do bloom on year-old wood, so you won't have any blooms next year, but the reward will be handsome shrubs. Trying to "encourage" the snowball viburnum to have better branching is near impossible, and as you have found, it starts growing right back like it was. Severe pruning back will result in a much better formed shrub. You could have done this during the growing season, but only up until midsummer, with similar results, but it's too late in the year now. I've done this many, many times to huge, overgrown viburnums (and burning bushes, spireas, weigelas, and more) with excellent results, even though landscaping clients have to be pre-warned that their huge shrubs will soon be nubs, at least for a few weeks.

So, in October, get those loppers out, and have at it. You won't regret it.

P.S. Viburnum Valley will have some excellent advice, too. You might try D-mailing him.

Thanks for the advice Hoosier. I think I will do that, especially to the one in the backyard. and I am super happy to know I can do that with a burning bush as well. We have a massive one in our front yard next to the driveway. Like close to 8 feet. It is beautiful in the fall but makes it hard to see when backing out of the driveway. Tried to prune it a bit but it really just needs to start over so I can maintain it at a smaller size. Thanks again.

I'd only add:

After you do the rejuvenation pruning, be prepared to also be able to apply additional moisture and a balanced granular fertilizer, to aid in the re-establishment of the plant. No sense getting a burst of new growth that then fails in a droughty period while it is trying to recover canopy.

Thanks for the additional reminder about fertilizing. Hopefully next year I will have a few better looking shrubs. Thanks again!

VV, do you mean fertilize in the fall after pruning? Or wait until spring?

Personally, I do pruning like this in the late winter - and then fertilize when the ground is moist and new growth is ensuing. Provide water through the growing season as necessary.

Fertilizing in the fall would not be particularly valuable or effective.