Potentilla pruning

[RoadManDenDron]

I have just purchased a potentilla that is ready for a trim,

I couldn't find info about pruning on here and Harry Harrington says "Individual leaves and their stems can be cut back with scissors but it is preferable to gently pinch outpull out leaf stems with fingers to avoid pruning marks that brown off."

do I just pinch back to 2 leaves? are scissors that bad?

Do flowers form on new or old shoots? Does pruning prevent flowering?



Not sure if the pic does it justice but I love the bark on this

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Please forgive the wiring (especially the loose guy wire) its pretty ugly and I wasn't going to post but I'm pretty happy with the outcome so wanted to share.

Just moved a couple of branches for now and plan to detail wire pads in winter with pesky leaves out the way

 

[Tums]

I'm pretty sure that they flower on new wood since they flower for a long time during the growing season.

 

[leatherback]

They flower on the extending branches which throws a spanner in the bonsai pruning works. You will have to choose. Flowers or a neat profile.

Be carefull repotting. VERY dedicated link between root and branches.

 

[FiestaRed]

Be carefull repotting. VERY dedicated link between root and branches.

Apologies for jumping in on RoadMan's thread but it may be of help to him too. Leatherback, when you mention "Be careful repotting. VERY dedicated link between toot and branches" can you expand on this please? I recently bought quite a few Potentillas for their bark, tiny leaves and trunk shapes and I'd like to care for them as best I can.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

@FiestaRed I read about this also I think on B4me

Basically each branch is fed by a certain root/roots with a direct sap flow, so if you remove too much of any particular root its linked branch will die back.

Junipers do the same but apparently the link is even stronger with potentilla.

 

[FiestaRed]

@FiestaRed I read about this also I think on B4me

Basically each branch is fed by a certain root/roots with a direct sap flow, so if you remove too much of any particular root its linked branch will die back.

Junipers do the same but apparently the link is even stronger with potentilla.

Thanks for the help. I was aware of the link in Junipers but had no idea it applied to Potentillas too.

 

[leatherback]

Thanks for the help. I was aware of the link in Junipers but had no idea it applied to Potentillas too.

With Junipers it is not really true, and a healthy juniper can deal with loosing a root (or a branch) as there are cross-linkages. With potentilla it certainly is true, and hardly any side-way connections are present in the bark

 

[AJL]

Here is one of several I've grown from air layers rooted earlier this year. The flowers started as pink then turned yellow-any idea why?!