How to prune Red Photinia

big red photinia

They are very decorative shrubs, ideal for all types of gardens, and even to dress your patio or terrace. You want to know how to prune Red photinia? If so, you are in luck. I am going to explain the steps you must follow to have a colored hedge that everyone will fall in love with.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, care and how to prune the Red photinia.

Key features

red photinia

This plant receives the common name of photinia and it can be found in different sizes. There are some specimens that are around one meter in height while other specimens can reach up to 12 meters. It is a type of plant native to the coldest parts of Asia, especially its distribution area is in Thailand, Japan and India. Nevertheless, We also find some specimens in the areas of North America.

La Red photinia It stands out for having long and evergreen leaves. Each one of them usually measures approximately 10 cm and stands out for its shiny and smooth texture. The coloration varies according to the time of year between the colors of green, purple and red. Most species of Photinia have white flowers only about 10 mm in size. They also have tiny red leaves that sprout in bunches and fill any garden with splendor. From these bouquets is where the seeds come out that can be sown to multiply this plant.

Caring for the Red photinia

care of the photonia

Of the important aspects to take into account if we are going to take care of this plant in our home. These are the main factors:

  • Land: the first of all is to guarantee a suitable soil for the growth and development of the Red photinia. It is a type of plant that is not very demanding in terms of the soil and is capable of adapting to many types of soil and surfaces without problem. The most advisable thing regarding the soil is to plant it in a place where the drainage is good and the fertility is high. To do this, it is necessary to add some sand if the soil has a clay texture and add mineral organic fertilizer so that it can develop optimally.
  • Location: This plant can grow both in the sun and in the shade, but it should not be placed in a place where there are strong wind currents. The continuous wind can deteriorate its branches and reduce flowering. Since it has Asian temperate zones, it is essential to grow it in areas that have cool temperatures but that are neither very cold nor very hot.
  • Irrigation: Irrigation is an aspect that largely depends on the location you have given yourself. If the location has some higher temperatures and is exposed to the sun for several hours during the day, it is normal that it needs a little more watering. If it is planted in a pot, you should add water to it every day. Make sure that the container has good drainage so that excess irrigation water does not accumulate and can rot its roots. If it is sown in the ground, it should be watered three times a week, especially if it is in the summer and the sun and measures with greater intensity.

How to prune Red photinia

Red sheets

There are many people who prefer to have the Red photinia lined up in the garden with the patio. Red Photinia should be pruned throughout the growing season, that is, from spring to early fall (It can be throughout the season if the weather is mild). It is a job that is done to get some dense bushes, which form perfect hedges either to delimit paths, cover gates, ... whatever you need.

But you should know that they are very fast growing shrubs, so although the first year of planting it is not recommended to do anything to them, from the second it is convenient to prune them, from very low. It is not about cutting flush, but you have to leave some stems about 10 to 20cm high. Thus, the plant is forced to awaken the buds that are in these areas, causing leaves to sprout from far below. The following year, you need to trim the sides to make it look narrower, so that it is shaped.

To retrieve a Photinia that has gone haywire, meaning branches everywhere, and looks wild, grab the clippers and take her to the salon. Jokes out: grab the scissors and cut it from far below, about 7-10cm from the ground. In this way, you will have no choice but to take out new branches, making it easier for you to give it a much more beautiful look.

Plagues and diseases

The good thing about this plant is that it is rarely attacked by pests and diseases. However, you can be a victim of fungus. If it is not attended to quickly enough, the fungi can cause the death of the plant. The main thing is to look at the appearance of the leaves to know if it is being attacked by fungi. The most common symptom Red photinia they are spots in a dark red or gray hue. If you notice these spots, it is time to act. The disease that attacks with these symptoms is called roya and it is capable of spreading with great speed throughout the rest of the plant.

To slow down the advance you must use products similar to insecticides that are used to spread fungi on this floor. Most of the time, this disease appears in the rainy season or when there is an excess of humidity. To avoid this situation, specialists recommend sowing the plants between the months of October and November and using cuttings. This means that the watering is not so excessive and there is more probability that there are high humidity conditions that make them conducive to attack on the shoulders.

As you can see, it is quite easy to learn how to prune Red photinia and their care. I hope that with this information we have been able to help you resolve your doubts about this plant.


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  1.   martin said

    I have a fhotinia that is already about 3 meters high, the problem I have is that it is shedding, it has practically no leaves, I don't know whether to remove it or what I can do to make it recover, it is not a seasonal issue since it has been «peeled for years. ». I await your comments, thank you in advance

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Martin.
      Sometimes the fact that a plant runs out of leaves is due to being in an area where it gets a lot of sunlight for many hours at a time. Photinia resists full sun well, but if it is very intense (like the Mediterranean), it can be harmful. On the other hand, if the soil does not have good drainage it can also negatively influence the growth of the plant.
      My advice is that you fertilize it, either with mineral or organic fertilizers, in spring and summer; And it would also be advisable to put a leaf mulch around it so that the soil under these leaves would stay moist and cool.
      A greeting.

      1.    martin said

        Thanks a lot!!! I'll tell you how I'm doing! slds !!

  2.   veronica belle said

    Hello, I live in Buenos Aires. I have a 15-year-old fence of fotinias, it is very tall and wide. I already pruned it a few times but this last year it grew and is very wide 3 meters. If you look at it from the side, it has several large branches. They suggest that I prune it a lot. In other words, prune it wide as whoever achieves it to be 1,50 meters wide
    In order to in turn lower it in height since they do not reach that width. I'm afraid of cutting it so much. What would be the right thing to do?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Veronica.
      Photinia withstand heavy pruning. Anyway, if they are not in the mood, you can always prune it leaving it 2m wide, and next year, as you will have taken out many new branches, you can leave it 1,5m wide.
      A greeting.

  3.   Manuel Garcia Velez said

    How do I make a photinia aserrata become a tree and not become a bush

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Manuel.
      You have to prune the lower branches, leaving the trunk bare. It is a job that will take a while (years), as you have to prune as the plant grows.

      If you want, send a photo to our Facebook and we are telling you.

      A greeting.