Restoring a Privet Hedge

Discussion in 'Gardening Discussions' started by Jungle Jane, Jan 25, 2012.

  1. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2006
    Messages:
    60,996
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired - Last Century!!!
    Location:
    Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
    Ratings:
    +117,280
    We've been through the 'What to do with overgrown privet!' problem. It's tough as old boots and you can do anything you like in the way of pruning.

    The advice given, about cutting it 2ft lower than you want it to be is worth heeding. This will allow nice young growth to be at the top. Which not only looks better but is much easier to keep cut.

    When we moved in, 40 years ago, we had a privet hedge 120ft long and over 30ft high. The stems were 6" diameter and there were no leaves on the bottom 4ft of hedge.

    We reduced it to 8ft and cut the sides that were green to within a foot of the stems. That was a start, and didn't seem to do any harm at all. As there was now more light the privet started to sprout from lower down but it was never going to be much of a hedge.

    So we started coppicing it. We cut it out in sections, to within a few inches of the ground, and did about a seventh of it each year.

    Just before I took this photo our neighbour cut his side right back to bare wood - that's why you can see through it. It's grown back OK now. Since that photo I've reduced it another couple of feet - I'm getting too old to get up that high :(.

    So, you can cut the top and the sides at the same time. Once you've got the new growth on it you can also give it a leaf feed with a spray. :dbgrtmb:


    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 3
    • daitheplant

      daitheplant Total Gardener

      Joined:
      Dec 19, 2006
      Messages:
      10,282
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired
      Location:
      South East Wales
      Ratings:
      +2,881
      So, Shiney, you cut it, then feed it so as it will grow again, so you can cut it again?:cool:
       
    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jun 3, 2008
      Messages:
      30,677
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      Surrey
      Ratings:
      +45,614
      Shiney; is that Treebeard (from Lord of the Rings) on the right of your photo?
       
    • Jungle Jane

      Jungle Jane Middle Class Twit Of The Year 2005

      Joined:
      Dec 12, 2010
      Messages:
      2,070
      Gender:
      Female
      Occupation:
      Local Nutcase
      Location:
      South Essex
      Ratings:
      +3,225
      Thanks for the advice Shiney but I've never heard of feeding a hedge by spraying it before. I was just going to feed it at the roots like I assume everyone else does.
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      60,996
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +117,280
      Yes, he comes here for a holiday so don't let anyone know. :mute:
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      60,996
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +117,280
      You can foliar feed a lot of plants. The feed gets into the plant much quicker.

      Google - foliar feed. :dbgrtmb:

      You're likely to get a lot of advice on growing pot :heehee:
       
      • Like Like x 2
      • Cyclingvet

        Cyclingvet Gardener

        Joined:
        Sep 3, 2011
        Messages:
        63
        Occupation:
        vet
        Location:
        Suffolk
        Ratings:
        +27
        Time of year to hack back? Best to wait till spring?
         
      • daitheplant

        daitheplant Total Gardener

        Joined:
        Dec 19, 2006
        Messages:
        10,282
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        South East Wales
        Ratings:
        +2,881

        As long as there is no frost forecast, it can be done now.:thumbsup:
         
        • Like Like x 2
        • Jungle Jane

          Jungle Jane Middle Class Twit Of The Year 2005

          Joined:
          Dec 12, 2010
          Messages:
          2,070
          Gender:
          Female
          Occupation:
          Local Nutcase
          Location:
          South Essex
          Ratings:
          +3,225
          Apologies for bumping a year old thread but I thought I would update it.

          I cut back the sides successfully last year but just when I reached the end, in early may I think (it took me months to do on my own!) I found a nest of blackbirds. I left them alone and then found over time that the three chicks in the nest when I found it disappeared one by one. I wondered if I disturbed the nest and the mother then abandoned her young and then they were taken by a predator over time perhaps?

          The privet's sides look much neater now and I want to tackle lowering the top this year. Currently it stands at 8ft and want to reduce it to 6ft so I can reach the top without assistance. But am worried about disturbing the nesting birds if I leave it too late and killing the privet if I do it now in these freezing temperatures.

          Yours thoughts would be much appreciated.
           
        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

          Joined:
          Jul 3, 2006
          Messages:
          60,996
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired - Last Century!!!
          Location:
          Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
          Ratings:
          +117,280
          Cut it back as soon as the forecast shows a week of no frost. :dbgrtmb:

          You're not going to kill it so don't worry. If you do, suddenly, get a frost and it does some damage the hedge will recover pretty quickly anyway. Well established privet is very forgiving.

          If you want it to be 6ft high then you will need to cut it 6" lower than that. This will allow it to produce nice soft new growth for you to cut at 6ft. Otherwise you will have the thick stems in your way all the time.
           
          • Like Like x 1
          • Agree Agree x 1
          • Useful Useful x 1
          • alex-adam

            alex-adam Super Gardener

            Joined:
            Jul 27, 2011
            Messages:
            848
            Gender:
            Male
            Location:
            Linthorpe. N.E. England
            Ratings:
            +1,073
            Try to keep the top of the hedge narrower than the bottom, this will allow light to reach the whole hedge and the narrow top will not be easily damaged by heavy snow (next year)
             
          • Madahhlia

            Madahhlia Total Gardener

            Joined:
            Mar 19, 2007
            Messages:
            3,678
            Gender:
            Female
            Location:
            Suburban paradise
            Ratings:
            +3,089
            I need to have a go at mine and I'm gonna do what Spruce says. I've just been burgled (again) and the Sleeping Beauty style hedge sheltering my front garden is implicated, yet again, as contributory negligence. So I'm planning to get at least 6" permanently off all round, it's about 6' high and broad as a Shire horse at the moment.

            I'm going to start asap, no matter what the weather. I don't think a recently pruned privet will be bothered about a sharp frost. Then it'll be ready to green out as soon as the sap rises.

            I quite like it for it's neat, dapper appearance in the winter- when tidily clipped! Mine doesn't have blossom because it's never allowed to have much flowering wood left on. I like the fact that it's easy to care for, as long as I put the work in. On the plus side, when I'm out on the pavement chopping for hours, I get to chat to neighbours I never knew I had!
             
            • Like Like x 1
            • Kristen

              Kristen Under gardener

              Joined:
              Jul 22, 2006
              Messages:
              17,534
              Gender:
              Male
              Location:
              Suffolk, UK
              Ratings:
              +12,667
              Lovely expression. Come the referendum on the EU we can vote not to have to change that to "broad as a Charolais" or somesuch Metric equivalent :heehee:
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • shiney

                shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                Joined:
                Jul 3, 2006
                Messages:
                60,996
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Retired - Last Century!!!
                Location:
                Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                Ratings:
                +117,280
              Loading...

              Share This Page

              1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                Dismiss Notice