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need help to rectify a bad pruning job
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Posted by andranae z7 MD (My Page) on Sun, Apr 24, 05 at 1:35
| While i was away on vacation in the summer last year, my father took it upon himself to prune my beautiful 50+ year old 15 foot camellia tree.. He did a horrible job of unruly "whacking", especially in the middle...Now there are huge gaps and bare branches... Of course i am devastated.I fertilized it to see what would happen.. All of the buds bloomed and turned brown in week. I would like to prune it but am not sure how much or in what way i should prune. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: need help to rectify a bad pruning job
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| An established old camellia is nearly indestructible. They can take a bad haircut and always come back. (I have even cut them back to a stump in some instances to rejuvenate.) I would suggest patience, to see how and where it generates new growth, and then prune for shape. It may take a couple of years to regain its form, but it should be fine. |
RE: need help to rectify a bad pruning job
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| Don't worry. It will come back and be even fuller. A bush that old, unless it's a slow grower like Pink Perfection, will be back to it's full height in about 5-6 years. |
RE: need help to rectify a bad pruning job
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| I "inherited" a bunch of camellias that are about 20-25 years old. The healthiest looking ones are the ones I've pruned to stumps. It really only takes 2-3 years to get a bushy plant back. |
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