What's this please?

[Guest Gimlet]

Ornamental garden hedge I've been asked to lay. Thought from his description on the phone it might be a dogwood hybrid but I'm sure it's not. Habit is wrong, smell of the green wood is wrong. Overall effect is vivid purple, like copper beech (but it's not that either).

Columnar in habit, upward pointing branches all the way up the trunk, leaves symmetrical serrated alternate spaced along full length of twig. Currently standing about ten to twelve feet tall but apparently has been taller.

 

 

 

[Gary Prentice]

3 minutes ago, Gimlet said:

Ornamental garden hedge I've been asked to lay. Thought from his description on the phone it might be a dogwood hybrid but I'm sure it's not. Habit is wrong, smell of the green wood is wrong. Overall effect is vivid purple, like copper beech (but it's not that either).

Columnar in habit, upward pointing branches all the way up the trunk, leaves symmetrical serrated alternate spaced along full length of twig. Currently standing about ten to twelve feet tall but apparently has been taller.

 

 

 

Top pic of foliage and stems look like Myrobalan plum, Prunus cerisifera 'nigra (IIRC)

[Guest Gimlet]

Here's another pic of a branch tip.

 

[fagus]

+1 for Purple Myrobalan.

[Guest Gimlet]

Many thanks chaps.

[nepia]

...so winter laying would probably be ill advised because of the risk of Silverleaf.  Do you lay hedges at all in late summer?

[Guest Gimlet]

No. Laying is invariably done in winter when the sap is down. 

Why might laying risk silverleaf? It's not the same as pruning and I've laid various prunus species before with no problem. 

Blackthorn and Bullace are both prunus species and both are commonly laid without ill effects. I've never seen silverleaf on either species in laid hedges.

 

I know Victoria Plum is particularly susceptible. Is Myrobalan equally vulnerable?

 

Thanks for bringing the subject up though. It's something to think about because the hedge in question is 95% Myrobalan. 

I may have to do some more research, inform the client of any risk and quote subject to a disclaimer. 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Gimlet

[Paul Cleaver]

Traditionally Plums and Cherries were best pruned in mid summer as this was the driest time of the year, and  less Silver leaf fungal spores are around.

[nepia]

Gimlet, I bow to superior knowledge.

 

I thought  Prunus pruning was done mid or late summer because that's when the sap was flowing fastest and could hence flush away spores before they germinated.  I haven't heard the explanation before that the dry time of year means fewer spores about though that does make sense.