When to cut Hypericum?

Hi Littleowl,think I better let you know what little I know,there seems to be loads of different types but suspect that the garden ones are probably all similar and my neighbour has one which he always trims about now and I guess it wants trimming before growth starts.This more or less what books seem to say and he has had this one years and it seems a really tough shrub and always grows well and flowers well with this treatment in fact I took a cutting off of it about 4 years ago and seems I shall soon have to trim it but will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with answers,if not would trim it as soon as cold weather goes.    

Hi Sooty,

Thankyou for your reply.My shrub is the Hidcote one,i do usually trim it on all sides twice a year,but i am concerned about how bare it looks inside the shrub.I think i might do it in the next couple of weeks weather permitting.

Littleowl

We only cut our's once a year, that is late winter/ early Spring, when harsh frosts have gone and before new growth begins. I can only think  the reason it has become twiggy is because you are keeping it to a hedge shape and no sunlight is able to get  to the centre. We have never let our's grow to 6'.

Hi Brenda,

Yes that makes sense,maybe i will open it up more to let the sunlight in,cut it as far back as i can.

thankyou

Littleowl 

Don't be too extreme in your pruning as your's is an evergreen and it is the deiduous one that you can prune right down. As it is 6' high  you could lower it by a few feet but concentrate on getting any weak/ dead or crossing stems out. We are cutting about 2' off our's as it is becoming too leggy at a height of  4' and has suffered with the weight of the snow.

Thanks very much Brenda,

One more thing, if i do lop off 2' or more that will probably leave me with no leaves on it at all will it be ok and survive?

Have the leaves only fallen off over this winter ? Just checked with my husband and he says if it was his and it is definitely a hidcote, he would half the bush and try to force growth from below. He is more drastic than me, but it usually works.

jean a said:

There are leaves covering the whole shrub so it looks ok on the outside,its only when you peer in it is all twiggy inside ,your husbands idea could work,but all my sparrows like to go in there. 

HiLittleowl quite often when you cut a bush back hard it responds by growing faster and bushier,this seems quite a general rule but there must be exceptions but would think cutting a foot off of it would hurt at all, just make the leaves come on that what is left.   

Maybe you should do as Sooty says, also cutting out the dead wood and cross branches,which would let more light in and maybe encourage growth from below.  You could see what happens and then take a further  decision next year.  You must keep your sparrows happy.