Pruning

[888sally888]

Morning

I have a rather overgrown Photinia and a Mexican Ornage Blossom shrub that have fot quite leggy and out of shape.

Should I prune then hard or dig up and replace?

Thanks!!

[Robinia]

I wouldn't do anything but a light tidying at this time of year. I think ideally the photinia should be pruned after the new red growth has changed but next year when any frosts are finished you can give them a good hard prune.
A neighbour of mine slaughters his choisyas & they always grow back.

[WendyS]

Over the years I've learned that you can be quite brutal in pruning back many plants without killing them off and they seem to grow back quite invigorated. I pruned a leggy pyracantha bush back to soil level and it's now 6 foot high, again and a choisa bush right back to the lowest shoots, and that too has flourished . . So if you're willing to take a chance I'd prune them fairly hard back now, as I suspect that many shrubs take longer to recover once spring arrives and they're pruned when the sap is start to rise again.