Euc Pruning Advice

[Arob]

Hello, just new to forum and looking for advice.

 

Have searched prior to posting but could find no mention of pruning eucs, have been asked to reduce (presumably E. Gunnii, though not sure) which is fairly young and whippy but getting quite high (approx 30ft).

 

Given the form of the tree I doubt it can be controlled without lots of regular intervention (i.e. if I take the leader it'll quickly be replaced and will have to do again and again) have also read that regrowth is very weak and breaks off easily.

 

Have had a good search and read around and most verdicts are to cut back when young to produce a multi-stemmed tree (perhaps a bit too late for that now), or coppice or pollard, all of which is a bit drastic but I guess its a case of right plant right place?

 

Can anyone advise of their experiences pruning eucs?

Thanks.

[Peter]

Welcome to the forum.

 

You could still coppice, in which case it will always produce the juvenile foliage, which is quite nice in a garden setting.

If the owners aren't prepared to maintain it on a regular basis then get it out and plant a nice silver birch instead.

[Tom D]

I have seen a couple turn up their toes after a heavy prune (not mine ) so be careful. The foliage on the regrowth is nice though.

[Arob]

Thanks lads, think i'll advise and let the customer decide. The tree's a bit close to the house and a so birch may not be much better, lets hope if i am asked to coppice it that it does pull through

[jamesw]

I reduced a large euc for a customer by half once as she couldn't afford to take it down in one go. The regrowth after 6 months was outragous. After that job i started hitting euc's a lot harder and found that they are a very hardy tree. pollard or coppice is acceptable!

[skyhuck]

I reduced a large euc for a customer by half once as she couldn't afford to take it down in one go. The regrowth after 6 months was outragous. After that job i started hitting euc's a lot harder and found that they are a very hardy tree. pollard or coppice is acceptable!

 

[Czlowiek Drzewo]

don't have much idea about how to prune them correctly..but i can tell you watch what you are tied into...large limbs just seem to break of at random form my experience.

[Arob]

Just did a light prune on a smaller Euc and was surprised how easily the bark tore. Shaped it as customer wants form and colour for over winter but would like to coppice in the spring, it's planted about 8' from back door!

[chestnut]

euc's have a strong rowing habit - and can be kept to size and shape - but only with regular care and pruning

 

a single leader grows like billy-o and if it gets damaged, it sends out another, and another

 

it sounds as if it has been left too long between pruning and i would probably go for pollarding - but without seeing it in situ, it's hard to say for sure

 

but even a pollarded euc would need regular pruning - to keep it under control

[Arob]

Thanks, the tree concerned in the OP doesn't appear to have been touched, two thirds of the way up is what can only be described as 'a leader in waiting', I explained that I could reduce to there, but that we'd be back to square one within a couple of years.

 

As I'm fairly new to this and I am a little cautious in offering advice so said I would have a read around to check my assumptions and that's why I posted on this forum to get the view of those with more experience. I guess from their point of view they have an atractive tree which perhaps they were expecting to retain. There may be other issues beyond this which I'm not aware of but that's aboutt he top and bottom.

 

I still wonder what a pollarded euc would look like?

 

Thanks for your replies.