How Hard Can I Prune Camellias

I have inherited a row of 5 camellias, which have become very tall (10/12 ft) and the bottoms are very woody and “leggy. ” How far can I cut these back without killing the plants?

1 Comment (Open | Close)

1 Comment To "How Hard Can I Prune Camellias"

#1 Comment By AnnsGreeneHaus On 05/25/2013 @ 3:29 pm

The standard rule of thumb is “no more than a third”. However, IMO, if a shrub looks really leggy, it’s safe to trim further. If your plant is heavily stemmed, you could take the entire mass back 1/3, then take the stems, one at a time, back another 1/3. As one stem starts looking fuller with new growth, cut another until the entire shrub is “short and phat”. I’ve done other plants this was and have had success.

Article printed from Gardening Know How Questions & Answers: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com/how-hard-can-i-prune-camelias/

Have any questions about this topic? Visit us at https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com to ask your questions and get friendly answers from gardening experts.

You can also find us at:
'Like' us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardeningknowhow
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gardenknowhow - @gardenknowhow
Follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/gardenknowhow/