Help with piers japonica

[HugoDarracott]

So I have two piers japonica both with their own issues. One I was given by a neighbour and it looks like a tree. A single trunk about a foot or so high with the crown of leaves on top. Previously it was in a tiny border fighting for space. Will this grow new stems from the base?

The second one was grown in non ericaceous compost and ended up pretty sad. It's now in the right compost and has lots of fresh growth at the very bottom. Some stems still look very sorry for themselves. Should I just leave it to grow or should I be pruning it?

Bump

you can prune the spindly stuff ‘Remove weak, spindly branches. Also, when you make your cuts, prune growth back to a main branch to avoid a knobby appearance. Your pieris will respond well to pruning and can be cut back by about one third every spring after flowering to encourage a nice shape and abundant blooming.’

@BarrelOfOtters thanks, I think I'll leave it for now and prune in the spring like you say.

Do you think the other piers might grow branches from the trunk?

It’s a Pieris, not a piers!

If there's anything which is dead, diseased or dying, I'd prune it out now.

I don't think I'd be worried about a foot or so of trunk at the bottom of one. My pieris is in a large pot, the lower branches reach down a bit. Some of these shrubs look better 'lifted' a bit and you can maybe plant something short in front of it.

They come in different varieties and some naturally grow taller than others anyway.