When should you prune a smoke bush?
Pruning a smoke bush is most effective when done during late winter or early spring, ideally before new growth begins. Smoke bushes can be pruned hard, which is beneficial if they have become overgrown or neglected and need some rejuvenation. Luckily, smoke bushes are easy to prune. In fact, when you move it this fall, you can can cut it back some, just to make it easier to handle and then in late winter / early spring, you can cut it back to just 6-8 inches above the ground. This is called rejuvenation pruning.Smoke bush don’t need much pruning, but if you want to encourage bushy new growth with larger than average leaves, cut the stems back hard, to just 20-25cm off the ground, from late-winter to early spring.How to Rejuvenate Prune Smokebush. To rejuvenate Smokebush, randomly cut the branches to just above the next growth node (where new stems grow) to lessen the canopy by about one-third. Cleanly cut at a slight angle about a quarter inch from the branch collar to remove an entire limb.
Can a smoke bush be kept small?
Since smoke bush blooms on the previous year’s growth, hold off on any major pruning until after summer flowering. Plants can also be kept smaller by cutting them back hard to the ground. This will promote new vertical shoots with larger leaves and enhanced foliage coloration. Smoke bushes in winter Winter protection is also necessary in the first 1 to 2 years after planting, as well as for potted smoke bushes. To prepare a smoke bush for winter, cover its trunk with leaves or brushwood and wrap the container with a fleece or jute to prevent the root ball from freezing.
How tall can a smoke bush get?
Left to develop with no interference from the gardener, cotinus naturally grows as a very large shrub, reaching 15 ft. To propagate cotinus, take semi-ripe cuttings from late summer to early autumn, rooting them in pots of cuttings compost kept in the greenhouse. Large leaves might need cutting in half to reduce surface area and subsequent water loss.