F. japonica Pruning Guidelines – Useful For Maintenance, Reducing Size Or Creating Space
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Fatsia japonica is an interesting plant to consider if you are looking to create a lush, tropical jungle-like look in your garden.
It is H5 hardy so can withstand cold weather across most of the British Isles even during extreme winters.
It can be very easy to care for, thriving with surprisingly little care and pruning.
Fatsia japonica is pruned in the same way regardless of whether it is being grown indoors, or outside in the garden.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Secateurs or gardening knife, pruning saw, goggles, gardening gloves |
| When To Prune | Spring (or after flowering) |
Why Prune Fatsia Japonica?
When pruning F. japonica, I find that one of the most important things is to determine your goals.
You need to decide what you are trying to achieve with the pruning in order to work out the best times to prune and the correct methods to use.
You might prune F. japonica:
- For simple maintenance and to keep it in good health.
- To reduce or restrict the growth of the plant, especially if growing in a container.
- To create a multi-stemmed tree type rather than a shrub.
- To remove lower branches and leaves for the benefit of plants growing in lower layers of lush planting.
- To give the plants a tidy-up towards the end of the summer.
When To Prune Fatsia
Maintenance pruning on F. japonica is typically best carried out in mid-spring, just before the season of new growth begins.
At this time, you can also carry out more extensive pruning, depending on whether you wish to grow this as a bushy shrub, or train it into a small, multi-stemmed tree.
You may wish to remove some lower branches for aesthetic reasons and to allow more light to reach the lower tiers of ground cover plants below.
If you wish to keep the size of the plant in check then you can also consider undertaking a second pruning towards the end of the summer, though this is by no means essential.
Late summer pruning does carry its risks, and it is important not to leave it too late since you need any cuts to heal well before cold weather arrives.
If you are training F. japonica as a small tree, then this second pruning is typically not required.
However, for aesthetic reasons, you may wish to remove any yellow leaves at this time to keep things looking neat.
How To Prune Fatsia
The actual process of pruning F. japonica is relatively easy and straightforward.
The tools you will require will depend on the size of the specimen.
For smaller Fatsia, you will generally only need some pruning shears, but for larger and woodier plants, you may well also need a pruning saw to cut through larger branches.
To undertake this job, you will also need gardening gloves and goggles.
It is important to make sure that your pruning tools are clean and sterile, and sharp, to prevent the spread of disease, and any damage to the plant.
Maintenance Pruning
To undertake general maintenance pruning, the first step is to take a good look at the Fatsia plant.
Identify any dead, damaged or diseased leaves or branches and do not be afraid to cut these back hard, right to the main stem or to the base.
If there seems to be congestion, with lots of stems too close together that are rubbing or crossing, cut out older stems from the centre of the plant to maintain good airflow and to make sure that the plant remains healthy.
These older stems can also be cut back to ground level if required.
Pruning To Reduce Size
When growing in a restricted space, or in a container, you may need to cut back to reduce or maintain the size of your existing plant.
You can cut back globally around the whole of the plant by as much as is required to maintain or reduce the size of the plant, allowing for the season of growth to come.
If you wish for your Fatsia to continue to grow in size, then of course this type of pruning is not required, but as mentioned above, F. japonica can tolerate being cut back quite hard if needed.
“If you want to maximise the amount of plants in a space then pruning your Fatsia japonica is a good option, as it allows you to plant under and around it to create attractive layered combinations,” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
Just try to maintain the overall shape of the shrub and look at the plant aesthetically as you make any cuts.
Pruning As A Multi-Stemmed Tree
If you would like to grow a F. japonica as a multi-stemmed tree, then a little training pruning may be required.
By selectively pruning out certain branches, you can coax the plant into the mature shape that you desire, with barer trunks lower down and more foliage towards the top.
Select the stems that you would like to make into the main framework, then selectively prune out branches around these to the main stems or the ground to obtain the form you desire.
Pruning To Create Space
Whether in shrub or tree form, F. japonica can also be selectively pruned with an eye for allowing more light and air for planting below.
F. japonica looks great in a lush, dense, jungle-like planting scheme with layered planting.
By selectively pruning lower leaves and stems, you can open up the space for lower tiers of planting and keep your garden as beautiful and biodiverse as possible.
Pruning In Late Summer
Those who are pruning to keep the size of a F. japonica in check may sometimes find that they need to undertake a second pruning.
This involves reducing the size of the plant once more after new growth, towards the end of the summer.
Remember, however, that this is not typically required and can have its risks because the cuts to the plant may not have the time to heal properly before cold weather arrives if you leave it too late.
It is generally best in late summer to simply remove any yellow leaves to keep the plant looking neat, though this is optional.
These tips for pruning F. japonica should help you keep your plant healthy and looking as you wish it to look.
Fortunately, not much of this pruning is really essential, and these plants are quite forgiving even if you’re not overly experienced with this gardening job.
