Nandina Shrubs

[flutterby7506]

I've noticed that these shrubs are pretty expensive at the garden center. I have some around my house and I hate them..so if anyone would like to come dig them up....you can take them all! It'd be doing me a favor!

[curious_george]

Why do you hate them? Have they been cut back and now they are all bushy looking or maybe 8 feet tall and all unkempt and you can't figure out what to do with them?

If you want to give them one more chance before you dig them up, the way to prune them and make them look like the ones in Japanese garden pictures... you prune at ground level.

If they are all over the place I would start with the tallest stems. Grab one and follow it all the way to the ground and cut it off there. Repeat 6 or 7 times then stand back and take a look.

You may have to reduce the number of stems or trunks by 50% or more but you will be amazed at the way it looks as you go.

If it is the compact nandinas... I'm not sure what to do, I've never had any of them but the same treatment might work there too.

[flutterby7506]

Thanks CG...but I am just not a fan of these particular plants. They really aren't over grown or unkept..I just don't like the way they look! I'll get rid of them one way or the other..I just thought I'd offer them free to someone if they wanted to dig them up.

[LittleBritches]

Must be a guy thing. We had someone help us with some landscaping in our front yard and I asked about replacing ours and the owner of the landscape business just about had a heart attack. He was very discouraging about replacing them.

Mine have not grown at the same rate. Two are tall and lanky and two are short and puny. I think I'll give CG's method a test and see if I can't get them uniform.

[curious_george]

I think they are worth a shot. If you go my method you may have only a handful of stems left when you're done.

I start with the tallest ones first because I know anything over a certain height is out of there. Then I go for the bent over/misshapen ones as well as any that have branching caused by previous pruning.

When you're done you should have something that looks very... zen maybe? You will be able to see all the way through it but it will be kind of lacy looking sort of.

Oh, it also helps to comb them out while you're working. Separate the stems and make sure the foliage is hanging and not ted in knots with its neighbors. You can do one in 20 minutes or so and you'll know by 10 minutes if you like the direction its going.

[flutterby7506]

Thank goodness! Earlyup pmed me and she's going to take them off of my hands!! Thanks Early!