Re: pruning Echium candicans (E. fastuosum)


Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata,
Central New Zealand
----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Ottway 
To: mediterranean plants
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 9:15 PM
Subject: Re: pruning Echium candicans (E. fastuosum)


Greetings once more from the Algarve.
May was an unusually wet and cold month here. It rained on 16 days in the month - the average for May is only 5 days. However the weather has now picked up with blue skies and 23'C (~73'F).
Thanks for the advice on pruning my Echium candicans - I knew you were the people to ask. My summary of your thoughts is - just light pruning as recommended in the books or you will probably kill it off. However, Nan's email shows that it can sometimes take an extreme prune.
Well... I started to clip gently back leaving a few leaves on each branch.But.... in the centre of the bush were quite a few breaking buds. So... I have risked all and pruned it back hard to just a basic skeleton. I planted some of the prunings as cuttings as a back-up. After its magnificance just a few weeks ago it looks pretty dreadful! However even a few days later the buds are already opening out some more - so I am hopeful. I think I may get away with this because the plant has grown so fast and so even the oldest parts are relatively green and not too woody. Time will tell...
Worst case scenario ...it dies and the cuttings do not take...I have to go to the nursery to buy a new one. 

I will let you know how matters progress.
Thanks again for your advice - and I hope you do not mind too much that I've rather ignored it! 

Brian
I think you will probably get away with this pruning BECAUSE of already having all those buds. The main thing which seems to kill short-lived perennials when pruned is precisely because (unlike a regular perennial) pruning usually does not stimilate production of the necessary buds for new growth on the remaining wood.
Moira
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