Tree Lupins

[Garden Manager]

I have 'discovered' one of these in new client's garden. It has clearly been badly pruned and neglected in the past (dificult to ID as a result). Not havign grown one myself i was wondering if it was possible to prune it really hard and rejuvinate it or if it is past it and needs to come out.

It has a lot of old twisted/tangled woody stems and not very much young growth, although judging by the seed pods it has flowered a bit this year.

Something needs to be done, it is taking up a lot of space and is a bit of an eyesore (lots of nice plants around it). I have a feeling I will be asked about it soon and will need to provide some answers!

Can anyone advise me please?

[Garden Manager]

[PurpleHeather]

I like lupins but had no idea that there were several varieties.

Talking to an experienced gardener recently. he told me that there were tree varieties which needed to be cut back to nothing to encourage growth.

As I do not have any I did not ask 'when' which is the answer you want.

Will search the web and see what I can find as OH is watching silly men kicking a ball on TV

[calendula]

yes they do get unsightly and I've pruned ours before after flowering but I believe also they are short lived perennials so there might be a better or worse method to encourage a longer lasting shrub - look forward to other answers  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are loads of different varieties of paeony, both herbaceous and shrubby. My tree paeonies are only in their second year, so it's a bit early to have found out when to prune! If in doubt, about November is usually fairly safe. Perhaps an Email to Kelway's (http://www.kelways.co.uk/) or another grower mich produce an answer. If you get one, do post it!

[Garden Manager]

There are loads of different varieties of paeony, both herbaceous and shrubby. My tree paeonies are only in their second year, so it's a bit early to have found out when to prune! If in doubt, about November is usually fairly safe. Perhaps an Email to Kelway's (http://www.kelways.co.uk/) or another grower mich produce an answer. If you get one, do post it!

Dont take this the wrong way but tree peonies and tree lupins are 2 different plants. I am interested in tree lupins. Thanks anyway.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Sorry. You can see what happens when I have an attack of migraine! As for tree lupins, I'm quite familiar with them from my time in Cornwall. I lived in the clay district, where they were planted in vast numbers on the spoil tips, as they were the only things that would grow there. They're short-lived, need very poor soil, and my feeling is thet it's probely had it. But if you cut it back, you never know, it might work. I never had much luck growing them, but I think the problem was probably that the garden soil was too rich.

[caroline7758]

I had a blue one that was beautiful for a couple of years and then turned into a real mess! Cut it right back and it came back but was very straggly so I dug it out. Someone sent me some seeds and I've got a couple of seedlings but they are not doing very well.

[Froglegs]

The best way to keep them looking good is to keep taking cuttings and replace the parent plant every 2 years,right mardi plants too wet and they will rot, too dry and they flop,they seem to go out of there way to grow straggly no matter how you prune them..oh and greenfly just love them. This is a cutting taken off the the year old plant that the strong winds we had a few weeks back split in two and killed...did i not mention they don't like a bit a wind.

[Garden Manager]

So if I wer to take the 'Cure or Kill' aaproach and cut it hard back, when would be a good time to do it? Could it be done now or is it too late?

Thanks

Seedlings or cuttings are not really an option in this case. If it died and came out then something else would replace it.