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Prune or coppice Mimosa/acacia?

Kathryn113Kathryn113 Posts: 3
in Problem solving
The acacia/mimosa tree in the garden of my new house was blown over and leaning at 45 degree angle, was staked to secure and to our surprise, survived the winter and is flowering.  I'd like to prune the top to reduce the windage and train it straighter, as it is overbearing other plants.  It can't be forced upright, so should I pollard it, or can I start again by cutting it close to the ground.  There is very little in this new garden, so it would be good to save it.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,645
    We inherited 2 big mimosas in this garden and I have removed loads of lower branches and shortened others with no ill effects to reduce their shadow and allow passage.  Both have responded well and the only down side was having the Beast from the East in the middle of their flowering period.  turned some of the flowers prematurely brown.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Kathryn113Kathryn113 Posts: 3
    The mimosa is flowering well, but still very off balance, can I cut it off close to the ground and turn it into a shrub?  It is probably less than ten years old, as is the house. I'm in Buckinghamshire, UK, but we did have -7 degrees this winter. 
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