Pieris Japonica

Which of the views do you like best for the front of this tree? Opinions on styling welcome!!

Thanks-John

I am sorry about the background.. camera was here and i wanted some input thank you take care john

Hard to see the base, John, and that may determine your front, but here, the first picture looks best. You will want to cut it WAY back at some point, but I cannot advise as to when.

JimLewis wrote: You will want to cut it WAY back at some point, but I cannot advise as to when.

I can't either, and how far back is WAY back without killing it??

If this were my tree I'd bee looking at it as a twin trunk/mother-daughter with a rounded, open canopy like an old oak. I'd wire the branches to position and lower them into an appropriate framework. After it flowers and before it pushes new growth in the spring I'd cut it back hard - but I'd be very cautious about cutting back past foliage. Maybe someone else can tell you if it will pop on branches if you cut it back to sticks. I can't, but I'd sure like to know.

Thank you,,Jim and Russell,,,, i did not dig around the base yet,,there are fine roots all around it so don,t know if i can do it..the branches are long and leggy so i hope it will bud back !! some one i hope will tell about the pruning back...i really like the trunk...thanks take care john

Did you search right here?
https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t3583-please-help-with-suggestions-for-when-to-prune-an-old-pieris-japonica-aka-andromeda#35660

Iris

Yes, there is indeed some good info there - not good end results for Todd though. That's why I'd proceed with caution.

I haven't seen much definitive info on the web about how well these respond to hard pruning. If it were my plant (and depending on how much $ I'd invested and how attached to it I was), I'd probably try to find a cheap piece of "practice" stock, then cut that one back hard and see how it responds. It would probably mean delaying any significant work on this one by a season, but that would be better than losing it.

Chris

Pieris being related to the Azalea's and Rhododendrons should be handled in much the same way as them. Pieris is shy when it comes to budding back from a hard pruning. It should be treated much the same as you would a large overgrown Rhododendron. You can heavy prune but only on one part of the plant at a time. With old Rhododendrons they usually hard prune back 1/3 of the tree in any given year so there is adequate energy from the unpruned section of the tree to ensure good budding on the section that was pruned hard. Since your tree is containerized, when you do prune you should make sure and give lot's of light to the pruned branches. If you have limited experience, I would do as Chris suggeted and get a guinea pig plant and work on it before you work on your larger nicer tree. I might add here that Pieris will respond quite well to light pruning where the branches have foliage attached to them. I would also add that the green leaf forms are much stronger growing and respond to pruning better than the varigated leaf forms.

Hi John,
Is it flowering now?
It seems to be a Pieris Japonica - Blusch but the bark is quit light for a Pieris Japonica.
When it is in the pot for a few years and healthy you can cut one part as Randy Davis suggested,
but do not repot it after that.
They like kanuma added to the soil.
I lost a beautiful old one due to doing to much at one time, so take it slow is my advise.
When repotting, removing old soil and cutting roots should be done in stages.
Sunip

Mrs Iris, i did read the post,,thanks for posting... Russell,, Coh,,Randy ,, Sunip,,thank you for your responce...I guess spring is the time to start pruning back.. the plant was in the pot when i got it,,,the soil is fine potting soil so i worry about too much water !! looks like this one will take a while to have it short enough for bonsai ?? also root pruning will be slow too.. thanks everyone JOHN

I would procede with caution and follow Randy's suggestions. I see literati potential in this one.
Best,
Todd

Thanks Todd,, With this one I see going slow !! all posts so far convince me that is a must..Jims says # 1 pic. should be the front..thank you take care john