We planted a strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) in our small garden seven years ago. It is now just over 2m x 2m, and is touching a birch tree on the north side, and a smaller pittosporum to the south. Should we consider getting rid of the pittosporum, and hope to train the tree southwards?
Arbutus are very easy to prune and respond well to being clipped; I regularly give mine a haircut. I find crown-lifting the canopy to get more light underneath particularly useful.
But perhaps you like the shape and want it to branch out? In this case, removing the pittosporum would work, because the arbutus will expand into the space. Saying that, pittosporum is easy enough to prune, so perhaps you could just reduce that in size, so everyone has more room. Then, in a year or two, if you decide the pittosporum has to go, you can dig it out.
Pittosporum should not be pruned hard late in the year, because any new growth will be too soft and be damaged by frosts. But as long as you prune by spring, you can cut it back and it will respond well. Don’t take off more than a third; see how that works and cut back more next year as necessary.
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