Red robin trees, some advice please

deefadog · 15 May 2010

Hi all, about 5 weeks ago i put 4 established (6ft) red robin trees in the garden. They have really taken off, growing really well.

One question i have that's not on the guide that came with them, new branches are growing all the way up the trunk, ideally i want 3 ft of just trunk, otherwise it will look like a tall bush. Can i simply nip these off close the trunk? been a bit afraid to do this as they have only just been put in the ground!

Any advice much appreciated

Lorena · 15 May 2010

hello,

yes you can. These shrubs are easily grown into small evergreen trees if you want, whereby you prune off all the lower branches to leave as much clear stem as you prefer, that way you can then plant underneath them too with some ground cover plants.

They do make attractive small trees grown this way, just keep snipping off any new lower stems that try to form

deefadog · 15 May 2010

Thanks Lorena! So it's ok to do now, even though they have only been in for 5 weeks? Was a bit wary of this in case i killed them!

Do i put anything on the open wound (as it were) or leave it?

Thanks again!

Lorena · 15 May 2010

hi,
even if newly planted, these are robust shrubs so it's unlikely you'll do any damage, especially at this time of year when they are growing well. If it was winter and freezing, it would be advisable to treat wounds but personally I've never bothered or felt the need to.

Train them while they're young, so yeah, I would say go right ahead otherwise they'll develop into bulky wide spreading shrubs with thick branches in time and you'll be getting out the saw

Thermo · 15 May 2010

quite agree about not treating the wounds. Great plants

deefadog · 15 May 2010

Thanks both!

I am ever so cautious with plants as, we seem to kill everything! LoL

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Red robin trees, some advice please

deefadog

Lorena

deefadog

Lorena

Thermo

deefadog

DIYnot Local

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