In autumn, the love pearl bush, also known as the beauty fruit, develops its decorative purple drupes. In order for these to appear in large numbers on the bush, it needs the right cut. With these instructions you can easily cut the love pearl bush.

In a nutshell

  • Love pearl bush only flowers on the two-year-old shoots
  • does not require pruning to form flowers or grow optimally
  • Cut off shoots that have few flowers at the base in summer to prevent the inside from aging
  • Pruning recommended after winter to remove any frozen branches
  • Radical pruning every three years in late winter is recommended to rejuvenate the plant

Cut not required

Actually, the love pearl bush grows well without the need for pruning in between. No extra pruning is necessary for rich flowering either. Nevertheless, there are situations in which a cut is necessary:

  • too dense growth
  • many old, broken shoots
  • shoots crossing each other
  • possible illness
  • Shrub overall too wide and too tall
  • very many branches with no or only a few flowers
  • incipient glaciation from below

Notice: Always be careful not to cut branches that have many flowers. Because then the decorative purple fruits are not formed in the fall.

Ideal time

There are different times at which the shrub can be cut when one of the above cases occurs:

  • summer
  • fall
  • late winter
  • Day must be frost-free
  • otherwise frost damage is encouraged
  • dry
  • Rain penetrates interfaces
  • can thus promote the penetration of bacteria or fungi
  • ideally an overcast day in summer
  • The sun dries out the interfaces

Thin out in summer

In order to avoid aging from the inside, the wood needs regular pruning in summer. This is the right time because the days are warm and it is also easy to see which shoots should be removed:

  • flowering in summer
  • Shrub always blooms on biennial shoots
  • Leave shoots without flowers
  • these are annual new shoots
  • Cut branches with few flowers
  • don't have enough power
  • clip directly to base on ground
  • more new shoots will grow here

Late winter/spring pruning

In late winter or early spring, the shrub should be checked for damage and pruned if necessary:

  • remove frozen branches in winter
  • often happens with the beauty fruit
  • Cut off all broken branches and twigs right at the base
  • Cut before new sprouting

Recommended radical cut

Even if the love pearl bush usually does not need pruning to grow well, it is recommended to carry out a radical pruning in February according to the instructions, so that the wood is rejuvenated and decorative with many fruits grows again:

  • Radical cut ideally every three years
  • Set wood on stick
  • that is, shorten to about 30 centimeters
  • all branches and twigs
  • always keep at least one eye open
  • New shoots come straight from the root
  • new branches are formed from eyes

Notice: In the year in which you carry out the radical pruning, the bush will neither bloom nor bear the decorative fruits, because these are always formed on the two-year-old shoots.

pruning for propagation

The love pearl bush can be propagated well. Suitable cuttings are cut for this purpose:

  • Take cuttings in June or August
  • a one-year shoot is desirable
  • should be long and healthy
  • between 10 and 15 centimeters
  • at the lower end a pair of buds
  • from this new roots develop

tool

If a cut is to be carried out according to the instructions, then the right tool must also be prepared. Because depending on thin shoots or thick branches are removed:

  • Pruning saw or pruning shears for radical cuts
  • Secateurs when removing individual shoots
  • also for obtaining cuttings
  • Tools must be clean
  • disinfect before cutting
  • with pure alcohol from the pharmacy
  • alternatively disinfectant from the garden trade
  • otherwise bacteria, viruses or fungi will stick to the blade
  • penetrate directly into the wood via an interface
  • avoid fuzzy tools
  • injures plant unnecessarily

Notice: Even if you want to use supposedly clean cutting tools from the shed, you should clean and disinfect them before cutting. During storage, bacteria, fungi or viruses may have settled on it, which then damage the plant. Don't forget to re-sharpen, too, to avoid injuries from cutting edges!

frequently asked Questions

When can I cut my hedge of love pearl bushes?

There are two things to keep in mind when trimming a hedge. Once the ideal time for the cut of the cultivated plant should be chosen. But the legal requirement that hedges may only be radically shortened from October 1st to the last day of February for reasons of bird protection must also be observed here.

Why should a regular taper pruning be done?

Like many other shrubs, the beauty fruit is very decorative in its naturally grown form. With a radical pruning, which is recommended here for rejuvenation, the densely growing shrub is given the opportunity to develop again from scratch and grows wider and denser again. Accordingly, more flowers and fruits are formed in the following year.

Is the love pearl bush actually poisonous?

If there are small children in the household, cultivation should be avoided. Because the purple berries look tasty and quickly landed in the small mouth. But the shrub is classified as slightly poisonous. However, if you do not want to do without the shrub in the first few years with children, you should simply cut it back regularly before the berries form.

Why does the chosen tool have to be sharp?

If you work with an unsharp tool, you won't get a smooth cut and the cut will fray. However, this basis offers fungi and various other diseases easier penetration into the wood in order to destroy it from the inside. To find out whether the selected scissors are sharp enough, you can carry out a test on one or two shoots and then possibly sharpen them and straighten the cut that has already been made.

Category:

Garden design