Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Location: Central MO zone 5b Posts: 10
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:45 pm Post subject: Goats vs. Shrubs
My goats got out of their fence and went to work on my forsythia, lilac and rose of sharon. They ate the ends of the branches. Will these make it? or am I gonna have to replace?
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Location: Scotland (Map) Posts: 11444
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:42 pm Post subject:
They should be OK as long as you don't get any hard frosts before the ends harden off. Maybe trimming them down to just above a leaf bud though is a good idea as ragged ends do the plant no good.
At least the goats ate the plants at the right time of year and not when they were actually in full leaf.
gardenplansireland On The Way Up Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Location: west of ireland Posts: 130 PlantStew: 191
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:06 pm Post subject:
Hey HotHouseHen, well unless the plants have been tugged to the point that their roots have been damaged those plants should cope.
Forsythia and Rose of sharon can take coppicing or hard cut backs.
With your Lilac if it has been badly eaten the shape of the plant may change eg. instead of one to two stems you may now have many more popping up.
_________________ Irishgardeners.com offers you free access to an incredible wealth of horticultural information.
Bookmark us 
Subscribe
Moderator
and not when they were actually in full leaf.
