Tea olive

[bethe]

Cut my 6 ft tall tea olive bushes back to big sticks. I think I over did it. I had 16 that took a hard hit two years ago and never leafed out much after. Did I make a big mistake cutting them back to nothing? We did this with loropetalum and they survived and thrived. Lost all my privacy and I’m regretting not having my twig bushes.

 

[Tetters]

By tea olive, can I assume that you mean Osmanthus - a sweet smelling shrub with white flowers usually blooming in late spring?
If so, has it already flowered this year yet?
The usual way to prune this shrub, assuming I have the identification correct, is to cut it back just after flowering. If you have cut it before this, you may lose the flowers this year, but never mind, the plant will recover well and be all the better next year.
Oops - forgot to say hello and welcome to the forums

 

[DirtMechanic]

I love tea olive..and bless @Tetters she may not be in a part of the world where they bloom as many times as they do here in Alabama.

My council is that they are slow growers and while not the best candidates for hard pruning as a result, you will find the ones with well established roots show signs of life. It may well be two years before you are impressed with them but care for the roots now as you would any in the spring with your fertilizing and other known forms of support.

 

[Tetters]

I love tea olive..and bless @Tetters she may not be in a part of the world where they bloom as many times as they do here in Alabama.

My council is that they are slow growers and while not the best candidates for hard pruning as a result, you will find the ones with well established roots show signs of life. It may well be two years before you are impressed with them but care for the roots now as you would any in the spring with your fertilizing and other known forms of support.

So, come on Dirt, are we talking about Osmanthus here? Secondly, just how different is your climate to ours?
By the way I feel suitably blessed - thanks ....

 

[DirtMechanic]

So, come on Dirt, are we talking about Osmanthus here? Secondly, just how different is your climate to ours?
By the way I feel suitably blessed - thanks ....

I always forget the balmy weather there. It just does not match the tv shows!

I planted tea olive on each corner of the house so I might enjoy them blooming no matter which way the wind blows!

 

[Tetters]

I always forget the balmy weather there. It just does not match the tv shows!

I planted tea olive on each corner of the house so I might enjoy them blooming no matter which way the wind blows!

I so often wonder what it's like on your planet.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I so often wonder what it's like on your planet.

You could never know how shocked I was to see a palm tree? in a ziggy vid. There are millions of us over here that have no clue and that is worrisome!