That one is easy I can answer it. Assuming you have one main shoot; let it grow to as tall as you want the height to be then pinch the tip to encourage side branching.

You can trim off the side branches but I would usually leave them so that they thicken the main trunk. Its a trick used in making bonsai too, they're called sacrificial branches. You just leave them until you have a good and thick trunk then cut them off.

Do you prune ROS down to the ground like other hibiscus? I didn't think so, but am not too sure. Someone help! Thanks.

Erin

Certainly not! Rose of sharon is a hardy shrub/tree and is not treated like the hardy hibiscus that dies to the ground in most temperate zones. treat it like any other woody shrub. No different than a crape myrtle, dogwood etc.

Hi, I see somebody already answered aries5f. I left some tips on what to expect if/when you prune a Rose of Sharon at the thread beginning with ROS Help...
I just tried stripping off the lower branches to get a tree form, unfortunately I already pinched the top of the main branch when it was 1-2 feet high to get more trees in 1. So I already have several main branches coming out very low from all but one tree (don't know what happened there, but it's growing slow, it is tripled up with 2 others.)

I have 2 sets of triple trees in the back yard that were meant to be braided but I planted them to far apart in anticipation of their widening trunks. So when they were smaller I pinched their main branch to get more branches out of the tree.

Then I thought of doing this standard tree thing with all of them to get a puff at the top, which I'm getting but it's going to start much lower then a tree form.

I might just lop some branches off, dig them up and braid them any way. Nahh...think I'll pass.

-Sandy

I have several rose of Sharon trees but the never get to a full bloom. The bud forms then turns yellow and fall off. What am I doing wrong? Both trees do the same thing.
Thanks from
gmom2-6boys