As much as I'm happy to chop some plants, i think i need help/advice with this one. This is Leucadendron 'Rising Sun', and it's the first leucadendron i've ever had survive. It's also growing sideways:
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| very sideways |
It used to be smothered under the Palo Verde. Winter took care of that problem, but now it looks even weirder than before:
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| the plant branches and colors are gorgeous! |
Do i just chop some of the branches off? Will it grow more straight if that i do? Or will i kill it? The branches get fairly thick near the bottom:
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| close up - will new branches sprout from this wood if i cut it back? |
Any advice? I've been looking things up on the internet, but nothing beats experienced gardeners advice!
I prune my Leucadendrons by a third or as much as a half. My well-established 'Wilson's Wonders' get hacked by half twice a year. 'Chief' just got got back by a third. I can't say whether yours will grow straighter after pruning. Do you have prevailing winds that might be causing it to lean? One of my Grevilleas leaned badly after our persistently heavy rains (the season before this one) allowed the root system to shift in my sandy soil.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the advice! I will stare at it some more, and then chop by a third to a half... I think it's growing crooked because of when it was growing under the Palo Verde.
DeleteTreat like lavenders. Don't cut back to bare wood unless you are taking out the entire stem. A couple of mine lean also, towards the sun. Think of it as being part of their charm. ;^)
ReplyDeleteI'll try on that charming bit, and thank you for the advice. It will be part of my sunday chores, i think...
DeleteHmmm...I vote for letting it grow with the lean. And if it does fine after losing the protection of the palo verde, that's a plus.
ReplyDelete