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#1
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replanting a privet bush
I have 5 privet bushes, in a U formation, which originally formed a
hedge, but they've been mistrimmed, especially the one in the middle. It won't grow big enough to reach the ones next to it. I'd like to dig that one up and plant a new one, which I figure will eventually grow big enough. How much do you think I have to dig up? I figure part of the root is woody and will take a long time to rot, so how much of the root do I have to dig out and replace with soil or topsoil or whatever? Thanks |
#2
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replanting a privet bush
On 3/22/2015 1:42 AM, micky wrote:
I have 5 privet bushes, in a U formation, which originally formed a hedge, but they've been mistrimmed, especially the one in the middle. It won't grow big enough to reach the ones next to it. I'd like to dig that one up and plant a new one, which I figure will eventually grow big enough. How much do you think I have to dig up? I figure part of the root is woody and will take a long time to rot, so how much of the root do I have to dig out and replace with soil or topsoil or whatever? Thanks Generally, you should remove enough that it will make room for whatever size pot the new plant comes in....fill hole with water first to make it moist enough for new roots to grow. When I remove old roots, I either pull them or, if too woody, get the pruning saw or loppers and cut roots until the main chunk of wood is out. Buried smaller roots that die should help keep the soil loose and provide some nourishment. |
#3
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replanting a privet bush
micky wrote:
I have 5 privet bushes, in a U formation, which originally formed a hedge, but they've been mistrimmed, especially the one in the middle. It won't grow big enough to reach the ones next to it. I'd like to dig that one up and plant a new one, which I figure will eventually grow big enough. if the U formation is too narrow it may not be an issue that replanting with a taller plant can correct. all the work you may do may end up with the same result. if on the other hand there really is enough room and the orientation isn't wrong for the climate and light fall, it probably would be faster to trim the neighboring plants to slope down to the shorter plant so it can get enough light to grow taller. read up on pruning privet hedges properly and don't let some hack do it without supervision. songbird |
#4
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replanting a privet bush
On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 10:22:19 -0400, songbird
wrote: micky wrote: I have 5 privet bushes, in a U formation, which originally formed a hedge, but they've been mistrimmed, especially the one in the middle. It won't grow big enough to reach the ones next to it. I'd like to dig that one up and plant a new one, which I figure will eventually grow big enough. if the U formation is too narrow it may not be an issue that replanting with a taller plant can I'm going to replant with a baby plant, whatever size they sell a privet bush, the same species that is there now I hope. (I have the label that was on one of the original bushes) I'm sure that's not 7 feet high. When I bought the house the bushes were 4 years or less and they were about 4 feet high, so I'm figuring the new one will be 2 feet or less. I'll have to wait until it grows wider and taller. correct. all the work you may do may end up with the same result. The U is fine. Everything was fine before the bad trimming. The bad trimming was the work of a series of landscaping companies gone mad, or incompetent. not hired by me or under my supervision. It's a complicated story, which I'll be glad to tell if anyone is interested. if on the other hand there really is enough room and the orientation isn't wrong for the climate and light fall, it probably would be faster to trim the neighboring plants to slope down to the shorter plant so it can get enough light to grow taller. It does get enough light and it's tall enough. It's not wide enough. That's what I meant when I said it's not big enough to reach the ones next to it. It's been trimmed to be narrow too many times and it's not growing any wider, because the branches that are there where I want the plant to grow wider (branches up to four feet high), have been trimmed back too many times, and they don't try anymore. That's possible, isn't it? read up on pruning privet hedges properly and don't let some hack do it without supervision. When I was doing the pruning, everything was fine except they were getting too tall. (that won't happen again.) Then someone, without my permission, told the landscape companies to do the pruning. Most of the damage was done by them that first day, After I plant the new bush, I'll go back to doing the pruinng myself. So, how much of the previous, tall and once wide privet bush roots do I have to remove to plant a new one in the same place and not have roots that are no longer used but impede the growth of new roots as much as rocks would? Or would they dry and shrink or rot so quickly they're not a problem? songbird Thanks and thanks Norminn. |
#5
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replanting a privet bush
micky wrote:
.... ah, ok, thanks for the additional information. So, how much of the previous, tall and once wide privet bush roots do I have to remove to plant a new one in the same place and not have roots that are no longer used but impede the growth of new roots as much as rocks would? Or would they dry and shrink or rot so quickly they're not a problem? woody roots take a while to rot. they have to figure out they're dead and that can take a few years. it might even resprout from them. 18x18 inches should be enough. i'd just cut the existing plant back to about 6-8 inches, it'll regrow probably better than a plant you put in there. it will have a much better root system. when planting a new privet the recommendation is to cut it back by 2/3rds. you might be able to cut it back less if your climate isn't too harsh, but generally it's not too good to leave too much up top (better to have too little) relative to the size of the roots. songbird |
#6
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replanting a privet bush
On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 17:58:39 -0400, songbird
wrote: micky wrote: ... ah, ok, thanks for the additional information. So, how much of the previous, tall and once wide privet bush roots do I have to remove to plant a new one in the same place and not have roots that are no longer used but impede the growth of new roots as much as rocks would? Or would they dry and shrink or rot so quickly they're not a problem? woody roots take a while to rot. they have to figure out they're dead and that can take a few years. it might even resprout from them. 18x18 inches should be enough. i'd just cut the existing plant back to about 6-8 inches, it'll regrow probably better than a plant you put in there. it will have a much better root system. That sounds very good. Easier and if it does grow, yeah, it wouldn't be limited by what happened to what's been cut off. And it will definitely be the same species! So, I'm in Baltimore. The middle or end of April too soon? May or June too late? Thanks. when planting a new privet the recommendation is to cut it back by 2/3rds. you might be able to cut it back less if your climate isn't too harsh, but generally it's not too good to leave too much up top (better to have too little) relative to the size of the roots. songbird |
#7
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replanting a privet bush
micky wrote:
.... That sounds very good. Easier and if it does grow, yeah, it wouldn't be limited by what happened to what's been cut off. And it will definitely be the same species! it's worth a try. So, I'm in Baltimore. The middle or end of April too soon? May or June too late? i'd do it soon, make a clean cut and angle it so that the water will run off it. it should sprout out from the stem within a few weeks of when the other plants show new growth. if it doesn't then you can do all that digging and chopping at the roots. privet will root from stems, so what you cut back can be used to start new plants. at least some of the pieces should take. this would also give you the same variety plants to use if the cutting back doesn't resprout (though i've really never heard of privet being that difficult to grow). if you want to give this a try, just take some spare containers and fill them with your soil (no need for special potting mix), take all of the leaves off if there are any on them and then stick them in the dirt. keep them moist and in the shade and you should have some new plants in four weeks. you'll know they're good when you see leaves coming out. songbird |
#8
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replanting a privet bush
On Sun, 22 Mar 2015 22:59:02 -0400, songbird
wrote: micky wrote: ... That sounds very good. Easier and if it does grow, yeah, it wouldn't be limited by what happened to what's been cut off. And it will definitely be the same species! it's worth a try. So, I'm in Baltimore. The middle or end of April too soon? May or June too late? i'd do it soon, make a clean cut and angle it so that the water will run off it. it should I looked at the bush again, and I see t here are a whole bunch of stems/trunks, so I'll cut them all off in similar ways. sprout out from the stem within a few weeks of when the other plants show new growth. if it doesn't then you can do all that digging and chopping at the roots. Right. privet will root from stems, so what you cut back can be used to start new plants. at least some of the pieces should take. this would also give you the same variety plants to use if the cutting back doesn't resprout (though i've really never heard of privet being that difficult to grow). if you want to give this a try, just take some spare containers and fill them with your soil (no need for special potting mix), take all of the leaves off if there are any on them and then stick them in the dirt. keep them moist and in the shade and you should have some new plants in four weeks. you'll know they're good when you see leaves coming out. Thanks again. I'll do that, at least for the possibilty the bush will die. Then I'll also have the same species. My mother once cut some bushes down to a foot, and I was 14 and sure she was killing them. IIRC, they never did grow back right, but otoh, we were only there 5 more years. And they weren't privets. I'm sure the instructions she got were good for some bushes, but maybe not ours. I guess maybe she did it because they had gotten too tall to trim. songbird |
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