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Loropetalum - growth, blooms and trimming schedule #868579
Asked May 15, 2024, 3:15 PM EDT
Hi,
My Name is Rajesh Verma and I live in Lexington SC. I have several Loropetalum bushes planted in my front yard by the landscaper and now these are pretty mature and grow pretty fast, and I never fertilize these. To keep them in manageable size and shape, I have to cut them back about every 4-6 weeks in the growing season. However, these rarely bloom, I am guessing I am cutting back the growth that's supposed to produce blooms.
Can you suggest the right time to cut back and how much to cut back, so that I can manage the size and shape of these bushes without sacrificing blooms.
Thanks,
Lexington County South Carolina
Expert Response
Rajesh,
Sorry, this question slipped by me and just noticed when I responded to another question. mature size depends on the cultivar. The most prolific flowering happens in the spring on previous season's growth. My recommendation would be to use natural target pruning where you prune back a wayward branches deep inside the canopy to an existing side branch. This will leave many uncut terminals with flower buds.
