On 29/01/2014 11:10, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jan 2014 10:52:45 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

On 2014-01-29 10:46:48 +0000, Martin said:

On Wed, 29 Jan 2014 10:02:55 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Anyone got any suggestions?

http://i59.tinypic.com/vdegpw.jpg

The hedge had been allowed to get out of hand for a few years by the
previous owners, so we have reduced height by a foot, and are wondering
whether to thin it out a little in the Spring. Maybe those bare stalks
will sprout leaves if the top is kept trimmed?
Any advice appreciated

I wouldn't do too much more until spring when the stuff will be very
keen to get going and bare stems will bud up as the sap rises.
incidentally if it is privet, box or cotoneaster some people are
sensitised by the sap so wear gloves.

You can't post .jpg files to this group, urg is a plain text only group.

?? I clicked on the link and got the pic. That's often done here, so
did you see something I didn't, I wonder?

Alternatively, copy the link and paste it into your browser's address
box. Works for me. Can't comment on the hedge though. Looks like
privet, of which I have no knowledge.

Looks like privet to me too. That stuff will take a fair amount of abuse
and still come back, but I'd be inclined to thin it back over a couple
of years to give the wildlife time to adapt. I leave my hedges fairly
thick so that they can accommodate plenty of wild birds.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown