Daphne falling over

[Medeci]

Help! My dapne is very lopsided and I'm worried that it's going to uproot itself. More than half the growth is from a thick branch that's almost horizontal along the ground.
I've read that daphne don't respond well to pruning, does this mean it would die if I cut the branch off at the base?

[shovetheholly]

It looks from the photo like the Daphne is growing lopsidedly because it's lighter on one side than on the other, due to being close to a boundary? I have the same problem with things tending to grow away from hedges in my garden.

I don't have any obvious answers, unfortunately - I don't think pruning will work because the problem is light. And they don't like being moved! I would just tidy the shape up a little (just a gentle prune of the tips, do NOT go mad as it will die) and live with it - I tend to use other plants to disguise the lean as much as I can in my garden.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has a more technical solution!!

[lurkingnonparent]

Daphne should lay off the

[Medeci]

Yes, its growing towards the sunny side, sparser side is near the back door.
I don't mind it looking lopsided, just don't want to lose it because the roots get pulled out from the weight of the branches.

[shovetheholly]

I don't think there's much chance of the branches pulling the roots out! Plant roots in a healthy specimen are VERY good at anchoring them down. That's why you can get those incredible windswept trees where the trunk is bent over at a 45 degree angle!

[Medeci]

Thanks shovetheholly that makes sense . There's some of the root showing on the sparse side which I've not noticed before but perhaps it's just getting bigger to anchor it down.

[yamadori]

Could you prop up the branch from underneath with a chunk of wood maybe? Just so it's resting on something solid.