Forum home› Plants

Pruning a Choysia ternata - Mexican orange blossom

VoyagerxpVoyagerxp Posts: 646
in Plants
Hi guys a year or so ago my friend gave me a Choysia ternata - Mexican orange blossom cutting which is now just under 3 foot high.  My friend prunes hers into a ball shape, i'd like to do the same to mine but when do i start to prune them. My friends Choysia ternata was big when she planted hers many years ago so she is unsure how old it should be before pruning.

My Choysia ternata



My Friends Choysia ternata


«1

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,157
    yours is much nicer :)


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,062
    edited July 2018
    To pacify a miserable old git of a customer about a month ago , forever moaning about how large his Choisya was , I brutally (and somewhat satisfyingly) >:)cut it right back into the bare wood . >:)
    A month later it has already greened up again despite the dry weather !
    At the expense of sacrificing a few flowers , I just purposely hacked it back to prove a point ; not something I do ordinarily as I respect all plants .
    Maybe and hopefully he'll find someone else to complain to ; ;)!
  • Joyce21Joyce21 Posts: 15,489
    edited July 2018
    I prune my 5ft x 5ft choisya back to a set of leaves (using secateurs) but don't shape it into a ball.
    SW Scotland
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,081
    Paul - hope the old b***er's happy now, but probably not!  ;)
    I'd totally agree with that method Joyce. I hate seeing shrubs 'moulded' into a ball when their natural habit is so different. Everything pruned into a pudding shape  :D
    I love topiary, but the specimen has to be suited to it.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,062
    Definitely !................topiary only suits certain plants/ aspects/situations ; we get asked frequently to do jobs like that for estates and large gardens .Cannot say I like it particularly , but the customer is always right !!! (Like hell)!!! >:)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,081
    Pete - I make rosettes for a living, and some of the colours and combinations people choose are hideous. Stevie Wonder would make a better job of choosing...but the customer's always right. Smile and keep taking their money  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,062
    Will make sure I always do !

    PaulB3 aka Pete ? :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,081
    Apologies Paul - my fingers are too far ahead of my brain these days!  :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,062
    :)
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    I have had a Corkscrew hazel for several years. One reason that I like it so much is that it has a mind of it's own and sticks it's branches where it will. It will never look tidy.

    This plant sits on the front lawn (as do many other shrubs) which act as a sort of staking out the boundaries of my land. (Well my open plan front garden. )

    I cut it down a bit in the early part of this year just to allow a rather garish Clematis to grow right through it. They co-exist there very well. I regard it as a statement plant. 
    It does its own thing.

       



    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

Sign In or Register to comment.