Prune a listing Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'?

5 years ago

I've got a five year old Ray Hartman that's about 15 feet high, with a natural and untrained multi-trunk form. After the very heavy rainstorms of this winter, it's tilted seriously over to one side. Is it okay for me to heavily prune it up top, to lighten the load that's now leaning over?

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

5 years ago

Shrubby ceanothus is rather easily pruned and responds well. In my area there are sheared hedges of it in shopping mall parking lots that look great and still bloom profusely and larger growing shrubs can be easily pruned into a tree-like form. My personal choice is to prune after the bloom cycle is completed.

From San Marcos Growers: "A beautiful, reliable, and long-lived ceanothus that can perform admirably as a focal point or screen for 20 years or more, especially when pruned occasionally to enhance its overall form." (emphasis mine)

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Comments (19)

gobluedjm 9/18 CA
5 years ago
I would stake it before it falls over and causes damage. Use more than 1 stake/pole and use a piece of hose or rubber to cushion the tree from the rope or whatever you use.

I would never prune a stressed plant.
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I'm not a pro, but in my experience January is actually a great time to prune ceanothus and if you hard prune them they usually respond well. It may not be stressed if it's just leaning over from all the rain. Pruning it would probabaly help it. I would go for it and I would prune it hard.
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Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
5 years ago
Huh... this says to make sure not to prune back too hard. http://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Plant_of_the_Month/Ceanothus_796/

I must not have ever pruned mine as hard as I thought in the past! Now is the right time of year to prune though. :)
mc510
Original Author
5 years ago
@gobluedjm, I wouldn't exactly say that it's "stressed" ... it's quite healthy, just listing, I guess from the combination of heavy wind/rain weight on the top, and wet/soft soil that's allowed the roots to slip just enough to allow it to tilt. Well, maybe that's what you mean by "stressed"! But it is, in every other respect, very healthy. Just looking at it, I wouldn't be worried that its health can't handle some heavy pruning. What I'm more concerned about is what Cori Ann says about whether it would grow back from hard pruning. Maybe I'll try a lighter pruning in one area, and a heavier pruning in another area that wouldn't be too visible if it never regrows.
gobluedjm 9/18 CA
5 years ago
Some Ceanothus don't come back after pruning. I never prune any of mine (not RH's) unless the branch has died off. I would check Laspilitas.com.
5birdy
5 years ago
I have this same issue but my Ray Hartman is about 3 years old, 6 feet high. We just staked it. Last year I did prune it a lot and miraculously it lived! But I can't recall when I did this. Las Pilitas recommends late summer: How to Prune. My ceanothus book says "heavy pruning into woody tissue can lead to branch dieback", which is caused by air borne spores primarily during rainy season. Entry gained through open wounds - "heavy pruning with multiple cuts provides the ideal condition for the disease and should be avoided especially during the rainy season". Pruning is scary for me as I killed a gorgeous Yankee Point ceanothus with one fatal cut, and most recently 5 huge hybrid sages.
mc510
Original Author
5 years ago
OP here with quick update: this ceanothus is sprouting new branches from all along the (3 inch) main trunks, even down near the ground, on the side that is (thanks to heaving listing) now getting more sunshine. So I'm no longer worried about it not regrowing from old wood, and I've gone ahead and trimmed quite a bit off of the top. So far so good ...
5birdy
5 years ago
Very good news mc510! I'm still holding off a bit on mine, since I fear the morning misty June gloom may harm the cuts. Probably July. I really need to shape it up so that the winds won't blow over.
SK
5 years ago
Hello, any idea if the ceanothus RH can be planted near a pool? Litter? Bees? TIA :)
5birdy
5 years ago
Hi SK, I have mine planted about 40' from the pool edge. It's 3' up on a retaining wall and what really helps is the small ridge of the wall is enough to keep its litter (actually small amount compared to other trees) from blowing all around the yard. The bees love it when in bloom but I walk right around them and no issues. They grow big! And are susceptible to wind so may need staking since prone to blowing over and uprooting.

Updating original topic, I did prune our dear Ray Hartman in July. At first I did a heavy all over thinning because of the wind issues, then hubby came out and wanted a more traditional tree form. Long story short, it is the most horrific Charlie Brown haircut you could ever imagine! But miraculously still alive and even has a few new sprouts. I'll take a before and after photo if it ever recovers but wouldn't dare post it now; it is that bad... like the kind you would see in "how not to prune" guide.
5birdy
5 years ago
Here are 2 photos of what I think are Ray Hartmans near a pool (on either end), taken on a California Native Garden Tour.
SK
5 years ago
Such a pretty plant! I hope it can work for my situation. I only have a narrow 5' deep planter between a retaining wall and a pool bond beam wall (see pics), and I need a 10'-15' hedge that will provide privacy along a painfully low 65' retaining wall & won't litter the pool too much, especially during the May through September swimming season. U think this plant has all the attributes? TIA ☺️
5birdy
5 years ago
SK, I think this tree might work for you. Photos and movie helpful from Las Pilitas.

Especially if you buy in 1 gallon sizes (it grows fast! and only about $10 each) so that each year you can prune them to grow in the desired shape. There really is not much litter, especially during the summer when there are no blooms (and no bees), and your pool wall will keep a lot of stuff from blowing in. The outer wall will help with wind (if you get any there). I don't even water mine after the first year of getting it established. PS I saw on another thread a person recommended Mountain Mahogany but my native trees lose a lot of litter from their tiny little wispy tendrils.

Here's another photo of that pool where it looks like they only had about 3' of ground:
5birdy
5 years ago
I dug up old photos to give you an idea:

3 month old Ray Hartman

3 year old Ray Hartman

Mountain Mahogany tendrils up close. Gorgeous in sunlight (looks like they glow!) but after they drop like to blow all over.
SK
5 years ago
Wow, fast growing, indeed! But it doesn't look very dense to act as a privacy screen, does it? I do need "instant" privacy. U saw from the pic - that wall is only 4' tall :( &, by code, we can't add on top of that wall to make it taller.
But, I think I can put up a chainlink fence IN FRONT of the short wall & I'm considering applying one of those EZ-Ivy screens. I saw it browsing Home Depot site. I can plant something clean (like Pittosporum Silver Sheen) in front of the "ivy" screen so I have real plants growing & we have privacy.
5birdy
5 years ago
I sure hope you can find a solution! I know nothing about instant results, except usually that means paying big bucks and lots of muscle for mature plants and trees. Our huge bare yard and limited budget makes me a very patient gardener :)
virusgal
2 years ago
I have a number of Ray Hartman seedlings. I would like to plant some but need to keep height to about 6-8 feet. Can I prune from top to do this?
mc510
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
@virusgal, I am pruning mine to about 8 feet, and it is possible. I let mine get big (15 feet, I'd say) before I tried to prune it, and I must say it doesn't look terrific after being pruned down to 8 feet. It might work better if you begin pruning when it's young, but overall it's not a plant that is easy to keep small and attractive.