Hertfordshire,
United Kingdom 
We have just had a very large conifer cut down in our garden and right behind it is a very old laburnun. Because the conifer had got so big the laburnun has grown in one direction and has leggy branches with foliage and flowers at the ends. It looks awful so I would like to cut it into shape. Can i cut it right back or should I leave the long straggly branches as this is where all the foilage and flowers are.
16 Jul, 2010
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Laburnums are considered a short lived tree and this one will have suffered from draught and lack of light - and they prefer full sun. You could water it very well, feed it, mulch with an Ericaceous Compost although they grow in any soil they love this (I do this twice a year to mine). Then in the autumn hopefully you havent shocked it too much! and can decide about pruning it right back or replacing it?
16 Jul, 2010