New nursery stock - Ligustrum Vulgare (ideas please)

[Minkston]

Hi Folks,

I visited a local nursery earlier to exchange a faulty watering can (dont ask! )

And I spotted this sorry looking thing in the reduced section.. it worked out about £7 ($9). The trunk size impressed me, hence the purchase.



It had a lot off leggy branches with little foliage but I think that was because it looks really pot bound and was kept in a really shaded part of the nursery. I got the nursery to trim the top branches off so I could fit it in my car.

Any ideas what I should do with this and what order?

It's practically autumn in the UK now so I was thinking of perhaps just repotting it into a larger pot with organic mix and trimming off any dead branches.

I'd be interested to hear any advice anyone has with this type of tree and any ideas about long term styling options.

Many Thanks!!

 

[Victorim]

I would leave it now until it goes dormant, chop to the pic below red, or yellow for single trunk. Save repotting till spring as buds swell (and you`ll have lots from the heavy chop). Privet is rock hard so don't be scared. That moss looks undisturbed.. did you not give it a good fingering? Always dig to see whats under there. Seven quid.. Id have bought it

 

[Minkston]

I would leave it now until it goes dormant, chop to the pic below red, or yellow for single trunk. Save repotting till spring as buds swell (and you`ll have lots from the heavy chop). Privet is rock hard so don't be scared. That moss looks undisturbed.. did you not give it a good fingering? Always dig to see whats under there. Seven quid.. Id have bought it

View attachment 160209

Hahaha! Thanks. I should have done that but for £7 I thought it was worth the risk. It's probably not obvious from the pics but it's really pot bound. Surface roots poking out all over the place. Going to take some effort to get those straightened out.

When would you say it's likely to become dormant for chopping? End of October?

I was thinking something pretty similar to what you've done in red. Was thinking about keeping the thickest branch a tad higher than the other one.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Victorim]

Yeah ish. After leaf drop.

And pot bound nursary stuff is great fun. must have done about 30 so far (still first year). Could lop most of the roots off at bud swell though and will come back perky.

 

[Minkston]

Thanks for the advice