Kitchen Garden Forum

i have a very large, slightly out of control red robin in the garden, I want to prune it hard, will it survive and re-grow? it will probably be quite bare for a few weeks. I wonder should I do a section at a time, or just go for it? it is in semi-shade. it grows well, but I am a reluctant pruner, I should have kept it under control, but failed to do so, so now it is far too tall and wide!

Prune it hard. Do all of it at once and yes, it will be bare for a few weeks but by the end of the season it will be reinvigorated with fresh growth. Hard pruning also ensures that you get new growth over a longer period, which with Red Robin is an asset.

brilliant Felix, thankyou. I will happily hack it down to a more manageable size.

Felix, just to let you know, after a long spell of just brown sticks, the little shoots are beginning to appear. I shall endeavour to keep it trimmed now. thankyou!