some advice needed

hi all,

a) I have an overgrown hebes which has not become massive and does not have a nice shape.
Which is the best season to prune an hebes plant and is there any technique for this plant?

b) Same question goes for an hydrangea.

Unfortunately the previous owner of our garden neglected these two plants.

Thanks

 

As far as I know only a few hebes can be pruned right back as most won't re-grow from old wood :( but I'm sure someone can recommend a way to do this

hydrangea's (depending on what type you have? presuming mop head) should be pruned just after flowering to give it a chance to grow a bit more as they flower on the previous seasons wood again you cant really prune these right back you just remove some of the older wood and kind of open it out a bit

More info:

Hebe Pruning Advice:
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=2394&highlight=pruning+hebes
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=6290&highlight=pruning+hebes

Hydrangea Pruning Advice:
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15865&highlight=pruning+hydrangeas

 

Hi Gl Aesculus is right some hebes will just die of you cut them right down. I take it is the small roundy shaped variety we are talking about(with apologies for the description lol). Make a shaped frame with chicken wire and set over the bush and trim the tops off to shape. If you have electric hedge shears this is great if not just use secateurs. Just remove a few inches first of all to see how it fairs and then you can repeat the performance again. Leave it now until early spring though. It should bush out nicely. It will be at the expense of any flowers for a season though.

 

I have to disagree with hebes dying if cut right back, not all of them do, infact you should post a pic so as to identify which one. I personally, in my garden found that the hebe will adopt it`s shape naturally if it isn`t impeded by other plants. I have also very hard pruned a hebe and it is throwing out beautiful healthy new growth.

The hydrangea is best pruned after flowering. If it hasn`t been hard pruned before you can do this in spring, lose a years flowering and then get a good display the year after. Do you know which type it is?

I would be prepared to lose plants if it is indeed a neglected garden.

 

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8915

you can see the hebes in the pics on the old thread.

btw the garden is looking a little bit better now, pond has gone, palm trees tidied up and the beds are not a mess anymore. The hebes still needs attention.

 

You can prune that hebe back, although I would keep it like that to be honest, I think it looks beautiful-but everyone is different. I have nicotianas in front of mine, with some helichrysum thrown around, it seems to set the colour off with the brighter sun levels we get up here. You have a lovely garden, and if it has improved it must be gorgeous to be out there.

To round plants I take a long bamboo cane I soaked and then rounded and use it as a guide to create a rounder effect, pushing it round the plant as I snip away.

To feel those plant up and over you must be lovely when you sit out.

 

Prune the hydrangea mid Feb.

Cut off old flower heads to two or three buds below and take out 1/3 of the old woody stems at base level, Same thing each year. Don't try anything harsher or you wont get any flowers.

As for the Hebe, this is how they naturally grow! If you dislike it dig it up and bin it and plant something else, In a small garden there is no point putting up with something if you dislike it.