Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Should my 6 year old Brugs be cut back, 1 by bettydee

bettydee wrote:
Kathy,
Keeping in mind that you and your Mom prefer standard shaped Brugs, I would make the cuts marked with a red "X". This removes a few weak branches and one that angles off to the side.

In your third photo marked "the base", there is a fairly straight branch. Cut at its base and rooted, that branch would a very good standard. The thing is I couldn't tell whether it was part of the branch I marked with a green "X". That whole branch goes off at a wide angle and could be removed or left on the mother plant as least for this year. Removing it would redirect the sprouting energy into the remaining and more upright branches. It would also leave room for new basal shoots to come up from the ground. Because their growth is vegetative, given enough room, these basal shoots grow very straight and upright. These are the shoots that make the standards like the ones that Monika produces.

Vegetative basal shoots can be cut off and rooted as soon as the bottom of the shoot matures and looks woody, but if it is left on the mother plant until it "Y"s it grows faster and of course it "Y"s sooner.

Since I can't post multiple photos, I'll start a new post for the versicolor peach