How do you shorten a punga?

hunter__, Jun 29, 1:19pm
x1
Have a few pungas that are about 2m high, and want to get them back down to about 1m. Do you cut the top off, or cut the bottom off and replant them?
Thanks
arabelle, Jun 29, 1:54pm
cut the top off, you may lose some but most will regenerate. tho suggest you go for a different 'tree' fence' as they are not designed to be 1m high living trees
dajoki, Jun 29, 2:37pm
x1
Remove 1 metre of trunk by making two cuts, one above ground level and one below fronds, nail top to trunk with big nails. probably kill it, but hey, will look good for a short time.
maclad, Jun 29, 4:25pm
Just cut the top off at the height you need, it will probably shoot again. Then poke the base of the top piece in some moist soil and it will likely grow as well. Not hard.
mggd, Jun 29, 5:13pm
Do this, I have cut them off at ground level because we dont want them where they are, picked them up weeks latter, buried them about 300mm and within a year they are away, some of these were up to 300 mm dia.
ianab, Jun 29, 9:59pm
If you cut them off the base generally dies. But it's also filled with new fern spores (seeds) that are likely to grow once the sun reaches them. Hence the "they sprout again" comments. The tops you can try replanting the top 2ft, but remove all the fronds. If you leave them the whole thing dries out and dies. Without the fronds the piece of trunk has a chance to sprout some roots and a couple of new fronds before it dries out, and then it's good to grow again.

Between the 2 methods, you are pretty sure to get some to survive / regrow.
ricp, Jul 2, 6:04pm
It depends on the species. Generally Dicksonias will resprout if you cut them off but Cyatheas (like black mamaku and silver fern) won't.
atea07, Jul 3, 11:31am
i cut mine to about 2 feet from ground and the whole5 plants sprouted again, this will be the 3rd time I have done the same plants
harm_less, Oct 23, 5:52pm
This!