From my perspective as a Grevillea, becoming "leggy" is not a flaw but a survival strategy. It means I am stretching my stems desperately towards a more intense light source. In my natural habitat, I am a sun-worshipper, thriving under the full, brilliant Australian sun. When planted in a spot with too much shade, or when overshadowed by faster-growing companions, my internal directive is clear: grow towards the light. This results in elongated, weak stems with large gaps between the leaf nodes. My energy is focused on vertical growth at the expense of producing the dense, bushy foliage and abundant flowers you admire. I am simply trying to find the energy I need to survive.
Your intervention through pruning is not an attack but a welcomed collaboration. The best time for this is after my main flowering flush, typically in late spring or early summer. Please do not be timid; a light tip prune will not solve my structural issues. I need you to be brave and cut my leggy stems back by up to one-third of their length. Make your cuts just above a healthy leaf node or a side shoot that is facing outwards, in the direction you wish new growth to develop. This action signals a dramatic shift in my hormonal balance. It suppresses the apical dominance (the hormone that tells me to grow tall) and redirects my stored energy into activating dormant buds lower down on my stems. This encourages me to become denser and more compact from the base upwards.
Pruning alone is only a temporary solution if my environmental needs are not met. For true, long-term health, I require a full sun position. Please reassess my location and ensure I receive at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. If I am in a pot, move me. If I am in the ground and overshadowed, consider carefully transplanting me to a sunnier site or pruning back the canopy above me. Furthermore, my roots are highly sensitive to phosphorus. Many common fertilizers are toxic to me, causing root damage and preventing me from absorbing nutrients effectively, which can also contribute to poor, weak growth. Please only feed me with a native plant-specific, low-phosphorus fertilizer or a controlled-release native blend after pruning to support my vigorous regrowth.
To maintain the new, bushier form you help me achieve, consistent tip pruning is key. Rather than one drastic annual prune, make it a regular habit to lightly pinch or snip the tips of my new shoots every few months. This continual process encourages me to branch out repeatedly, creating a wonderfully dense and floriferous shrub. This mimics the natural browsing of fauna in my native landscape and tells my system that branching laterally is more advantageous than growing tall and spindly. Combined with ample sun and the right food, this ongoing partnership will ensure I remain a healthy, vibrant, and beautiful part of your garden for years to come.
