Reviving old aucuba japonica shrubs

13 days ago

I moved last fall and my property has a couple of Japanese laurels that are extremely bare around the base of the plants. I'm hoping to figure out if they can be revived. From what I've read, it seems like my best bet might be to trim around 30-50% of the stems back to about a foot above the ground in late march, and then trim the remaining stems back the following spring. However, as can be seen from the photos, the shrubs have very thick (~3-4 inches in diameter) woody stems (or trunks?), and I'm not sure about what to do with these. Any advices on how to revive these plants?

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Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
13 days ago
Yowza!! Someone has really done a hack job on those poor things! The good news is that aucubas typically respond well to a hard prune. You can cut all branches back to 6-10 inches in early spring (March) and it should respond quickly with strong new growth. Alternatively, you can take a less dramatic tack and stagger the heights for a more natural appearance, leaving stems taller in the center and scaling/tapering down on the sides. I'd do a bit of thinning as well. Same timing.

I suspect the hack job is due in part to the shrubs being planted much too close to the structure for their mature size. Relocation might be advised.
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
13 days ago
last modified: 13 days ago
Looks to me like you have hungry deer in your neighborhood, in which case, there's not much you can do but except maybe put bird netting over them in winter.
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its obviously in extreme shock ... you are on the verge of loving it to death ... except form inserrting finger.. and watering next time the media ...ALMOST DRIES ... i suggest you ignore it for 2 months ... time will answer all your other issues ... i would not have an outdoor plant indoors... ever ... i would put it in bright shade ... with the pot completely shaded ... i have rarely got a root rot plant to recover .... usually because its much to late before i figured it out ... likes its completely dead.. lol .. you are ahead of me on that curve ... but i do know.. i have klilled more things with too much love.. than with benign neglect ... so beat me on that curve also ... and one thing for sure.. it aint hungry.. no fert on a stressed plant.. and i hope it wasnt in the media you used ... most tree... conifers.. shrubs.. like a sip of water.. and near total drainage.. and near drying in between ,,, that is the basic idea of 5-1-1 .... pre wet your mixed media ... plant it ... water it so it settles... and then do not water it again .. until its drying at the depth of you index finger first digit ... do not insert plant into dry mix ... .. and swamp it out.. trying to wet dry media ... really.. only time will tell .. and you worrying about it.. isnt going to help you.. or the plant... just remember .. you arent a real gardener.. until you have killed every plant.. 3 times ... lol ken
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 days ago
take a moment to look at your plants.. and understand.. why they were planted 5 to 8 feet TOO CLOSE TO THE HOUSE ... and once you learn that lesson.. you will be well on your way to relandscaping any house you buy ..

if they were that far out.. they would NEVER have need be pruned.. massacred.. like they were.. dont you think ,..

when you are looking for new plants.. take the latin name to a search engine.. and look to the images.. to see the future potential of the babe plants you see at the store or nursery ..

if you plant the right plant. for the right space.. you will never have this problem...

if it were me.. i would call miss dig.. get allt eh utilities marked.. and dig these chuckers out.. and either plant them out by the back fence.. or store them at the curb.. nest to the garbage cans with a sign that says free ..

with no insult to the mature root mass.. no matter what you do.. they will be huge again.. in a year or 2 .. or ignore me.. prune them.. and then do what i said in 2 years.. lol .. thats how i did it at my first house.. ignore all advice.. make my own mistakes.. and later.. recall said advise.. and do it.. lol

ken

ps: since you are a newb here.. welcome.. i did it for you this time.. keep scrolling until you see how big these things can get ....

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=aucuba+japonica+outside&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 days ago
at this link... ive been meaning to get the pix and do the post for weeks ... your post inspired me to finally get er done ...

30 or 50 years down the line.. without pruning.. you too could have a house like this..landscaping wise ..

ken

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6342301/can-i-prune-these-shrubs#n=3

Reviving old aucuba japonica shrubs

Comments (4)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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