Grow Your Own Magazine

I have this mahonia in a raised bed that gets quite dry in summer despite watering. Underneath the shallow bed is solid subsoil. The plant has suffered and there is only growth on the top with a bare stem for the rest of it. Can I cut it as there appears to be no shooting or growing point on the stem. My son gave it to me as a Christmas present and I really don't want to lose it. I have raised two cutiings into beautiful bushes some years ago but no success this year past and I don't want to take off its only growing point if I don't have any luck with striking it as I'll lose it altogether.

As a general rule Mahonia may be pruned as hard as you choose. There are usually dormant buds on the lower stem which can be stimulated into growth by pruning. This is normally done in April. If you do not want to take the risk, then just take out the growing tip of the plant and it should develop sideshoots from just below that. The ones at Bodnant were cut to the ground (literally) 2 years ago and they were really good bushy plants this autumn.

Thanks so much for you reply. I will put it to the test in April I was afraid to do that as my friend had one which lost three of its 4 stems one windy winter.
Although I have raised 2 plants from leaf bud cuttings I tried last year with no luck. Do you have any tips for this and also for Camellia's which are supposed to be not as bad as people say?

To be honest I have never even tried with either of them. Layering is supposed to work best with Camellias.