The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: Hilary on November 12, 2017, 11:44:41 AM
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There is a narrow strip of earth in the yard of the block of flats where we live which no one bothers with. I sometimes lop off bits of the trees or bushes which seem to have got out of hand. My husband brings a gardener with a chain saw to cut off the processional caterpillar nests and prune the Robinia at the end of the winter.
Twenty years ago, when most of these plants were chosen and planted by a committee each member of which seems to have chosen a couple of plants each. One wanted a Norfolk Pine , another Oleander, someone else wanted a Bay Tree. Some children came home from school one day with tiny trees which needed planting, hence the two Pine Trees. I have since had a Judas Tree planted and my downstairs neighbour planted an apricot stone which is now a good sized tree. The Acacia Farnesiana which I so wanted didn't survive a football match.
As you can imagine it is all over crowded now and a very suitable home for insects, cats and birds. My problem is the Australian Bottle Brush Tree.
It is quite tall and in the summer produced some flowers on the top branches but all the lower branches are dried up without leaves or flowers. Would it produce new branches if I pruned it hard or should I just leave well alone ?
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As long as the dried up branches are not dead you can prune them hard as you like really, they are prolific back budders normally. Give it a good fee and drink and it should be OK.
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I suppose the most important point is to secure sufficient light; the bottle brush tree needs at least six hours of sun a day to flower, so maybe you need to open up the space around it? I found some information about light, feeding and pruning here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/bottlebrush/bottlebrush-wont-bloom.htm
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Many thanks JayB and Jorun.
I will open up as much space as I can round the Australian Bottle Bush Tree and cut it back