On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:07:54 +0000, Jay3 wrote:

Hi All,

Can anyone offer some advice on this topic.

I have recently purchased a property which is surrounded by a large
conifer hedge, its 5ft deep and 14ft high. Parts of the edge are dead
where it has previously been cut back too far and sections are
completely dead.

1) Is it possible to replace sections of the hedge with mature conifer?

Possible, but terribly expensive and likely to fail. I'd discard that idea,
were I you.

1) Can I cut the hedge right back on the inner side (which will kill
half the hedgeI know) and erect a fence on the inner side of the hedge
to square off the veggie patch, without the external side of the hede
dying too?

Generally, removing more than 1/3 of the growth will kill a plant.


I'd pull out what you've got now in sections, replanting with a mixed
large shrub border that is not in a straight line. When plants die or one
fails to grow with the speed of the others, it looks like a gap-toothed
grin in a linear hedge of a single species. In a mixed species border,
it looks like part of the plan. Also an area enclosed by a meandered edge,
particularly if you can "borrow" some view of the neighbor's lot, looks
larger than one with a hard, linear edging.

If you need quick cover, think about things like hops, climbing roses, and othereasily grown plants that can be put on temporary trellises and taken down
when they're no longer wanted.