When to chop back a Bougie?

[Amanda]

Looking for advice on when to chop a bougie back hard to the trunk? It's been a feature tree for quite some time and not wanting to kill it

[dayne]

they can be done any time of year but for best results just after your coldest days have ended then it will shoot well into spring and summer

[Amanda]

Thanks Dayne

[kcpoole]

I dug one from the garden about a month ago, and it has shot out everywhere
It was cut back to bare wood when dug too

Spring woud be the optimum time, but you could do now if you can keep it in a sheltered sunny spot

Ken

[Amanda]

Thanks Ken, they're a bit hardy eh?

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Anja yes they are hard to kill. When say cut back hard are just cutting back canes or are you attacking the trunk ? Anywhere you cut on hardwood needs to be sealed - the one thing that will kill them is rot. If water gets in they go all pulpy and rot away. You can use the bitumen based tree sealer, but I found a waterbased coloured tree sealer that works well and blends in.

[dayne]

i use pva glue cheap works real good or earls wood hardner but its exxy

[Amanda]

Great help thanks

Bougy fan, I'm intending on cutting it right back to the trunk so there's nothing but a few inches of trunk left

[kcpoole]

Any large cuts on Bougy they must be sealed as has been suggested

Ken