How do you prune a Fatsia japonica?

[Kos]

Mine has gone absolutely crazy this year and has nearly doubled in size. If I don't stop it soon, it will take over my whole garden.
So when and how do I cut it back?

[Thunderbird+]

According to the book Fatsia japonica grows to a maximum of 10ft high and about as much wide, so if your garden is relativly small then yes you may have the wrong plant for that situation, as pruning is not necessary.
If you do have to prune it to keep it within bounds, the recomended time for this is in the spring.
Depending on the size of branch you need to cut you will need a pair of secautres = pencil thickness, pr loppers = thumb thickness, pruning saw for anything larger. Cut just abouve a branch junction or leaf junction where a bud is present so it can continue growing from that point without any die back (hope that makes sence) Good Luck.

[horty]

Yes, Thunderbird is quite right in everything he says, I fear this plant is too big for your garden and you will struggle to keep it small enough. Guess it's one to learn from.

[hammerman]

I've always cut them back pretty hard around April time.....they always seem to come back ok although they may be a bit slow.

We often cut 10' high fatsias down to bare stemmed 2' high plants and they come back

[YvonneM]

During the winter my husband decided that our fatsia was taking too much light away from the house he pruned it to ground level thinking he had killed it off completely. Like the phoenix it has risen sending new growth. so it seems you can be as severe as you want.