a friend has a cotoneaster simonsii which hasnt flowered for the past 2 years, it is about 15 ft high . was wondering if he should cut it back hard to regenerate it and if so when this should be done ??.. any thoughts welcome, thanks.
john.
Not too sure Tig, but if it was mine I would treat it a bit like regenerating a privet. Prune one side back next year and the other side and the top back the year after. End on the winter is usually the best time, say end of February beging of March.
I would tend to agree with Mimi. I would add that giving the shrub a feed with Tonk's Rose Fertiliser in February may help too. At least Cotoneasters are difficult to kill so if your friend prunes too hard the shrub will regrow. Ours was snapped off about 2 inches above the soil by the wind a few years ago and you do not get much harder pruning than that. It is now back to 6 feet and well berried. As for when to prune, I would wait another month or so or even delay until February/March. Do it at the same time as you prune roses.
thanks mimi & eric :)
I have cut down and destroyed a cotoneaster that was growing up my wall, but it seems to now be shooting from inside the wall somewhere and appearing in under the ceiling plaster and also in the walls - does anyone know how to kill it off completely before the house is ruined?
Probably the best treatment is Ammonium Sulphamate. You can now buy this in a gel form (for brushing on) as `Deeproot Weedkiller Gel`. Brush this on to as much of the shoots as you can - slice into the bark in numerous places and work the gel under it. Get enough on and it will definitely kill the plant completely. Don`t attempt to remove any of the growth until you are sure that it is completely dead, then remove as much as you can get at - the remainder won`t come up again.
I cut mine back when all the berries have dropped or been eaten before new growth begins and it is an old one and loves it. hope thats some help