Gardeners encouraged to lop back exotic plants

Tuesday, April 03 2007 13:30:00 by Editor

Yuccas, palms and phormiums are increasingly becoming a staple of the British garden and while the low-maintenance nature of the plants is one of the exotic foliage's selling points, gardeners are now being advised to give them a quick trim this spring.

Writing for The Times newspaper, Christopher Holliday said that gardeners should use this, the start of the growth season, to trim back any excess branches or foliage as the plants would have the rest of the spring and summer to recover.

According to Mr Holliday, a clean, symmetrical approach is essential, meaning gardeners may need to invest in some heavy duty secateurs or even a small saw to help prune back unruly branches.

Dead leaves should be removed all year round, but branches and offshoots that are still living should be left alone after August.

Bamboo plants also need a careful trim at this time of year, as varieties like the Fargesia murelae plant enjoy thriving in good soil and have no problem in colonising a whole garden if left unchecked.

Mr Holliday's advice is to remove the weakest canes and to snip any small, young shoots avert overcrowding. He also advises to keep the lower leaves trimmed 3-4 feet from the soil to show-off the shiny canes.

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