Advice on pruning Red Robin (now with pics at #4)

silvercar

I have few red robins stretched along a south east facing shed wall. Just North of London.

Unfortunately they haven't been pruned in a few years and now need some drastic action!

They are currently in flower. I don't mind losing the flowers but am worried that by pruning back as much as I need I will be cutting into the hard woody stems and be left with no leaves! I can put up with this for a few weeks if the leaves will grow back, but don't want to be looking out on dry branches until next spring!

How drastic can I go?

[Deleted User]

A 'Red Robin' is an evergreen shrub called Photinia.
This is a hardy plant and can withstand heavy pruning, I've seen one butchered and it bounced right back.
If you feel confident taking it's height and width halfway back do, if not reduce the branches back by 10"/23cm.
This can be done after flowering (now) or beforehand but you'd lose the white flowers.
Ensure the soil doesn't get too dry (from wind or drought) or it'll drop leaves before recovering.

Davesnave

They grow it in supermarket car parks, so it will take heavy pruning.

silvercar

Before:

https://ibb.co/10NYpXb

I cut well back at the base and less drastically at lower levels.

https://ibb.co/c8sNr3X

I need to reduce the height, but I'm unsure whether to cut back at higher levels as it does look much too sparse at lower levels. The aim is to hide the shed wall and keep it all maintained. At least now the lawn can be cut to the edge.

[Deleted User]

Now seeing pictures it helps, in the 2nd shot I can see those leggy areas and I would suggest reducing all the stems by 50% - this will mean the lower levels will send out growth from lower down.
If you're nervous about it try by 25%.
Or even, just one side of the bush !


If that had been dead wood I wouldn't have suggested it as no plant will regenerate from old/dead wood.


To check this use your fingernail and scratch the stems - if green shows you know that wood is alive.


If you just see the same brown colour as the outer stem you'll know it's dead wood.

Davesnave

Reducing by 50% should stimulate growth lower down the stems, as above.


You won't kill it. Even if the base doesn't grow as thickly as you hope it will, you'd have the basis for a small 'tree' ....and trees can be underplanted.


But I don't think it will come to that.

silvercar

Thanks for the advice and the reassurance, I do need some leaves/ growth to appear at the lower levels.

Do you mean cut the height by 50% or cut back the lower branches further? (or both)

Will new leaves only appear at the ends of the branches, so I need to cut back so I have branches ending at all heights?

Mojisola

Rather than just cutting all the stems down by 50%, you could try thinning it out.

Follow some of the tallest branches down and them off, leaving enough to shoot again. Do each one and then stand back and view the plant before deciding which others to cut.

The cut stems will shoot away and you can cut down the rest of the tall branches next year.

Davesnave

ThE RHS says: "If any of these photinias become overgrown, it is possible to renovate by cutting back hard to a low framework and thinning out congested shoots as they grow back. Response to renovation pruning is usually good. Renovate deciduous forms in winter and evergreens in spring."

silvercar

Can I pretend it is still Spring?

Davesnave

silvercar wrote: »

Can I pretend it is still Spring?

Judging by the weather I'm having, yes!