Pieris Japonica :)

[AKVears]

Hi Everyone,

I hope this is the right forum for this, apologies if it's not.

I have a Japanese pearl tree in the front yard, quite old and a great thick nebari at the base. Thinking of going yamidori on it!!! I was wondering if anyone knows if this species buds back on old wood? All of the foliage is about a metre from the base and I obviously wont hack it if it wont survive Thanks for your time guys.

-Alex

[Damian Bee]

Hi Alex.
Maybe it would be wise to take off a decent part of the existing foliage (leaving maybe half) while beginning to dig a trench around the roots and allow the plant redirect some vigour. Not sure if its the right time, from memory spring is good when there is a little more warmth than present in Melbourne.
I am no expert on Pieris hence the caution. I expect that they as a species do bud on old wood but I don't know what sort of shock uprooting and loss of foliage would give.
I have moved them from place to place in gardens by maintaining a rootball while pruning extended roots and balancing this with foliage pruning and shaping. The results have always been good, Pieris prove to be good subjects.
There has got to be someone hangin around that can give better advice than me on Pieris though

[MattA]

The search engine is your friend....

viewtopic.php?f=132&t=12756&p=133842&hi ... is#p133842
backbudding is good on these, digging to pot is another matter, try sending Jarrod a pm for info on how he went about it with his monster

[AKVears]

Thanks Damien!

Good solid all round advice. I made a few cuts today and I'll post a picture tommorrow. The base of the tree has to have a 130mm diameter. I'm really not sure what variety of Pieris it is, but the foliage is quite small

[AKVears]

Thanks also Matt,

I had a look at the thread and it is definately a monster. I'll send a private message about getting it into a pot. Really don't want to kill this one

[kcpoole]

I have had 2 smaller ones ( in plastic pots) and both died after root pruning to put into Bonsai pots.
Slowly reduce the root mass if you have to after collection

Ken