Dead Zone?
was looking around online trying to figure out how to trim my hedges, and I saw some things about dead zones on the inside of the plant, and how even if you expose this area, it will never grow back. Is that correct? How do you find the dead zone? My bushes are in pretty bad shape, but is there anything I can do if reshaping them would mean cutting into this dead zone?
My knowledge is limited on this subject, but from my own experience, what you refer to as a "dead zone" isn't really dead. It's just that the inner area doesn't get enough sunlight to support leafy growth. There are a few plants won't sprout new growth if you cut into that "dead zone", though, so you have to learn about the plant you're pruning before you start working on it.
Junipers, lavender, and arborvitae will not put forth new growth if you cut into the inner area where there is no green growth. That has been my experience. I don't know about other needle-bearing evergreens, such as spruce, fir, etc.
Broad-leaved evergreens, like rhodies, can be pruned immediately after they finish blooming, and the majority of the time, will send forth new growth even from what looks like a bare stick. If you prune before they bloom, though, you'll be cutting off all the flower buds, and if you prune too late, you'll be cutting off all the next season's flower buds.
I'm sure other members will chime in and offer additional suggestions for you.
Junipers, lavender, and arborvitae will not put forth new growth if you cut into the inner area where there is no green growth. That has been my experience. I don't know about other needle-bearing evergreens, such as spruce, fir, etc.
Broad-leaved evergreens, like rhodies, can be pruned immediately after they finish blooming, and the majority of the time, will send forth new growth even from what looks like a bare stick. If you prune before they bloom, though, you'll be cutting off all the flower buds, and if you prune too late, you'll be cutting off all the next season's flower buds.
I'm sure other members will chime in and offer additional suggestions for you.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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"The dense growth characteristics of juniper, arborvitae and similar species produce a dead interior zone where the twigs and buds are killed from severe selfshading The dead zone limits the extent of pruning. If it is exposed by severe pruning, new shoots will not develop from the exposed area. "
https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/bul/bul0644.pdf
(p. 4 of the article has a sketch of what this looks like)
Basically the interior of the shrub gets shaded out and doesn't grow any more. This can be prevented by good pruning early on, but if the shrub has been neglected that is what it will look like. If you cut off the outer greenery, you will expose the dead zone and it still won't grow, so you will have a bunch of bare branches.
It looked like the evergreen shrubs you have are this type.
https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/bul/bul0644.pdf
(p. 4 of the article has a sketch of what this looks like)
Basically the interior of the shrub gets shaded out and doesn't grow any more. This can be prevented by good pruning early on, but if the shrub has been neglected that is what it will look like. If you cut off the outer greenery, you will expose the dead zone and it still won't grow, so you will have a bunch of bare branches.
It looked like the evergreen shrubs you have are this type.