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Pieris pruning

#1 · 4th March 2022, 12:15 pm

Hi everyone. I have a beautiful Pieris' Forest Flame' in a large wooden planter. It seems to like where it is situated and is growing well and had flowers on last year. I just wanted to know if it needs pruning at all? If so, when is best to do it? Its size at the moment, is around 18/22 inches across and roughly the same size in height. Thank you!

#2 · 5th March 2022, 11:14 am

Hello My Tiny Garden,

Well, the first thing you said was you have a beautiful Pieris, therefore it seems the plant is healthy and you’re looking after it well, I don’t know if you have heard the saying “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it”

Pieris do not require a great deal of pruning. I would suggest that if your happy with your plant as it is, only deadhead and remove any dead or broken branches after flowering

Pieris can be cut back hard to encourage the shrub to grow a lot of new growth, they are a pretty tough plant, and should recover ok after the pruning. It won’t do any harm to remove a little compost from your planter and refresh it with new ericaceous compost, and you can also feed it with ericaceous fertiliser, that’s what I give to my potted rhododendron.

Bob

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#3 · 6th March 2022, 10:50 pm

Thanks for your advice Bob. I have to admit when I first bought the Pieris, I planted it in a good quality multi purpose compost. I had no idea that it had to be in ericaceous. I put bark chips over the compost as I thought this may protect the base from any frosts. I assume with it being healthy, there's no need for me to change all the compost, so shall I just put ericaceous on the top?

#4 · 7th March 2022, 11:15 am

Hi My Tiny Garden,
Well you have got me there, can you recall which compost you purchased? I’m not an expert on all of the available composts, I buy my usual, and when required, mix in with some John Innes.
It may be you had purchased a compost with a fairly high Loam content, and your Pieris found this sufficient? I would hate to tell you to try something on your plant that would be detrimental to it, but I’m pretty sure a little ericaceous fertilizer will do no harm.
It has been said that mulching plants with bark can make the soil/compost more acidic, especially if the bark is from a pine tree, some folks say it does, others disagree, and having a quick read on the internet about it, my thoughts about it? Let them disagree, should there be a garden ninja out there with knowledge about the above would you share your knowledge with us all please?
I think a gardener once said right plant in the right place, and it looks like your Pieris is in the right place, Therefore I would not worry too much about it, hopefully Lee will pick up on your question, and throw some professional light on it.

Bob

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#5 · 7th March 2022, 5:05 pm

Quote from My tiny garden on 6th March 2022, 10:50 pm
Thanks for your advice Bob. I have to admit when I first bought the Pieris, I planted it in a good quality multi purpose compost. I had no idea that it had to be in ericaceous. I put bark chips over the compost as I thought this may protect the base from any frosts. I assume with it being healthy, there's no need for me to change all the compost, so shall I just put ericaceous on the top?

Hi My Tiny Garden,

In addition to Bob's comments, you will always need to replenish compost each year or so as it's a food source, not a true 'soil'.

Soil usually in the ground allows plants to access all sorts of nutrients, minerals and water. In a container, it's totally dependent on you. Compost is organic matter that acts as a growing medium and a food source, far lighter than soil. However, it will need topping up annually to keep this cycle going.

Pieris are calcifuges ie plants that hate alkaline soil. They need ericaceous/acidic soil/compost for them to take up the full range of nutrients you see.

I wouldn't bother pruning it unless it really needs it. However, I would give a good inch of ericaceous compost as a mulch both in spring and autumn each year. That way you don't need to repot it but it will receive all the feed this slow-growing shrub needs!

Hope that helps and happy gardening!

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#6 · 11th March 2022, 8:23 am

Thanks for your reply Bob. I don't recall which compost I planted the pieris in, but somehow, it has flourished. Perhaps the bark chips I put on the top, have made the compost more acidic, as you say? Lee has suggested a mulch of ericaceous compost in spring and autumn, so I will do that and see how it goes.

#7 · 11th March 2022, 8:26 am

Thanks for your advice Lee. I shall get some ericaceous compost and do as you suggested. I want to keep this shrub looking it's best, it's such a pretty plant!

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