The cotoneaster is a popular plant in our gardens. You can transplant the plant as a ground cover or as an evergreen shrub. The red berries are a welcome colorful change, especially in the cold season. The cotoneaster requires little care and an annual cut, so you can use your time in the garden for the beautiful things.
When and how should you cut a cotoneaster?
When cutting the cotoneaster, the right time is crucial depending on the variety: evergreen varieties in spring, deciduous ones in winter and hedge-like ones in August. Cut out dense and criss-crossing shoots and trim branches just above the buds.
Undemanding evergreen
The cotoneaster is an easy-care plant that is particularly suitable for beginner gardeners. Due to its robustness, the plant thrives in a wide variety of locations, but feels most comfortable in the sun. The cotoneaster is also not picky when it comes to soil and can also be planted in rock gardens or on loamy soil. Things are a little different when it comes to irrigation, as the cotoneaster cannot tolerate excessive moisture. The roots are sensitive to waterlogging and can rot. Therefore, the plant needs too little water rather than too much. You don't have to fertilize, but this will support the cotoneaster's growth. By the way, the fruits of the plant are poisonous, so you should protect them from your children or pets.
Correct cutting made easy
At this point we will give you brief instructions on how to properly cut the cotoneaster, which should be done annually. Regular pruning is a good element of care for the plant. In particular, you should cut back the ground cover radically, which affects both the height and width of the cotoneaster. Sprouting on side branches is a characteristic that can be curbed by pruning the plant. When this pruning should happen depends on the type of cotoneaster. Evergreen varieties are cut in spring so that flowering and fruiting can proceed optimally. You should prune the deciduous cotoneaster in winter and hedge-like varieties in August. You cut all dense and crossing shoots from the plant so that it has room to grow again. If you want to trim your cotoneaster, which is recommended for ground cover plants, cut off the branches directly above the buds. The scissors are placed at an angle and the branch is cut through. Repeat this process until your cotoneaster has reached the desired size.
