[Question] BIG Bushes

[vicki]

Hi All,
Was wondering what your advice would be for trimming my BIG
bushes, 5-8 ft. tall, to take hardwood cuttings? Cut them way back or just a little?

Thanks,
Happy Growing,
Vicki in West Michigan

[Kathy in GA]

Hi Vicki,

There are a couple of factors here.

What type of bushes are they?
What size bushes do you want to end up with?

Are the leggy looking and you are trying to get them to fill in?

I could give answers to most of these questions right now. But that would take a while to do. If you can respond to these questions it will help more, and I wouldn't be confusing you with too much info.
Kathy

[vicki]

Kathy,
Well let's see ..... I have
forsythia
golden privet
red-twig dogwood
wiglea
spirea

Being ignorant I did not prune these correctly. They look kinda like fountains, but big, kinda. Ya know what I mean about not knowing squat when I planted them years ago.

Thanks,
Happy Growing,
Vicki in West Michigan

[Kathy in GA]

No you're not ignorant!

I think that you should trim them back quite a bit, and get them at least going into the shape you'd like them to be.

The is the first decision.

Do you want round? square. boxed, pointed. Choose your design first.

Now get out hedging sheers. Start forming. You will need to cut generously to get rid of the legginess! Sorry, but must be done, other wise your efforts won't give the results you are looking for.

Once you are done with one bush. Gather the cut off limbs.
Now begin cutting off all of the soft wood you can find. Put in a cup of willow water, then cut the hardwood put in a seperate cup of willow water. Get you flats ready, and start scoring the soft wood, and dipping in rooting hormone, and then off to the misting bed or green house. Then Hardwood.

I'm probably telling you things you already know!
But still... incase someone else doesn't.

Now, begin bush #2 and so forth.

You could do all of them at one time, but this would leave cuttings sitting around with out water, until you were done pruning. Then they'd still be sitting witout water until you got all of the cuttings made, and it sounds like you will have hundreds of them!

Soft wood tends to root a whole lot easier, than the hardwood. but you still should have really good results for your type bushes grow roots pretty quickly!

Once you prune the bushes you'll be amazed at how quickly they jump back and fill in!
Wow what a difference!

Hope that helps some.
Kathy in Ga.
You'll do fine and they'll be fine!