Pyracantha - How To Start Training?

duartix

This is a pyracantha I bought this weekend.
I've trunk choped about 60% of the tree. The remaining trunk has some movement, but it needs much more taper.

My goal now is to maximize growth within the following 2 or 3 years.
The roots situation is as follows: if you lift the tree of it's container (20L vase), you can see those thin roots all around the pot, but around 60-80% of what you see is soil.

I've got 2 options:

1 - Don't touch the roots. I expect the tree to throw a lot of new growth, since it has far too many roots now... Is this right?
If I take this road, I'll probably have to repot next spring.

2 - Prune the roots preparing nebari development which I don't know if it's there (I know I should have already checked for nebari but the soil is very dense and I haven't had the oportunity), put the tree in a coarser and faster draining mix to allow for root growth, and let it rest for 2-3 years.

Which of these options will give me taper in less time?

Thanks.

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DavidN

To me it sounds like the tree has been recently repotted. Persoanally I would think about the health of the tree first before styling. I would feed this tree heavily over the growing season and get maximum growth. You can start basic training of branches and structure. Next spring I would repot it. What this does is ensure that the tree is in a health state for repotting. Currently you don't know how healthy the tree is.

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BrianBay9

I wouldn't worry too much about Pyracantha. In my experience, they're hard to kill. They can take all the roo pruning you can throw at them. I have one that was pulled from the ground using a truck and chain, had no feeder roots at all, and sat on the sidewalk for 24 hrs before I rescued it. In coarse, well draining soil it was pushing new growth and roots in three weeks.

I would suspect you can do your repot and at least a basic root pruning with little problem. If it were me, I'd get it into a coarse soil mix now.

Brian

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Larry

i would chop it at that thin branch going off diagonnaly to the left, use that as the new leader and pot the plant up at a slant so that that branch is more or less upright. Go for informal upright.

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duartix

You mean branch 1 right?
I was hesitating between 1 and 2 but I guess 1 already gives me some tapper. The angle might not need change because that branch is still bendable. Thanks.

I've repoted it last night but forgot the pictures at home.
I took me more than 2 hours just to clean the rootball. Started the task at 18:00 and ended up repoting at 24:00.
I barely could take a 2 hour break to watch Futebol Clube do Porto win the Champions League.
All night long until a few hours ago, people were still waiting to welcome the players and celebrate, I guess noone will be working in the North today.

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