Time to prune Photinia / Fatsia Japonica?

jamesharcourt

I'm thinking this weekend to get out and cut some leggy branches down on my Fatsia Japonica.

Also to even up an actively growing Photinia Red Robin which is producing flushes of new growth.  

Both were down as Spring pruning jobs, but while the Fatsia feels right, the Red Robin growth is literally happening right now and cutting some of that back feels very odd with the new growth in it's infancy.  Why is that suggested as something to do in Spring?

JennyJ

If you need to prune the photinia to get a good shape, it should put on new growth from below where you cut.

My Fatsia is looking a bit manky at the moment (it often does after winter) but I won't prune it until later in the spring (April or May, depending how the weather is) because a cold spell can frazzle the new growth a bit.

jamesharcourt

About the Photinia @JennyJ ... I have a section of one of the main stems where literally a single leaf is growing directly from the main steam ... not a branch.  I'd like a branch to grow there ideally ... if I chopped the leaf off, would a branch grow there?

Sorry if it's a silly question!

JennyJ

I think to encourage new branches to grow from the main stem, you'd need to prune the main stem back.  However my photinia is really young and I haven't needed to prune it yet, so I'm not sure.  A picture might help more expert people to make suggestions.

Fran IOM

My Photinia Red Robin is only young and I am amazed at how much it has grown in the last few weeks producing some lovely red leaves. Nothing really to prune. My Fatsia Japonica is also young but as I don't really want it to take over I have been pruning bits here and there over a period of weeks. Doesn't seem to have done it any harm.