Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Pruning guide · Shrub
Blue sausage fruit: when and how to prune
Decaisnea fargesii
Blue sausage fruit is best pruned in March.
| Pruning months | March |
|---|---|
| Nesting season (15 March–15 August) | Take care in March |
| Flowering | May–June |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
Blue sausage fruit: when to prune it?
Pruning is hardly needed. If necessary, do it in March, before the leaves break.
What else to prune in those months? March
Blue sausage fruit: how to prune it?
- Cut dead, frosted or damaged shoots back to healthy wood.
- Every few years, remove one of the oldest stems at the base to keep the shrub young and open.
- After a late frost, wait a few weeks and only then cut out what is really dead.
How much to cut, and how often?
- One pruning period a year: March.
- Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.
What does it mean for wildlife?
- Pruning in March can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
- Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.
Common mistakes
- Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
- Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.
Caution: Do not shorten all the stems: it branches little and would lose its elegant shape.
Nearby: related pruning guides
Plant profile: Blue sausage fruit · Pruning calendar and basic rules
This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.