We have inherited a long (80-100 feet) Privet hedge.
When the house was built 10 years ago the hedge was cut back 20 feet and laid (?) by an experienced farmer. It is now about 6ft wide and largely dead in the middle for about 50 ft. There are small areas of the hedge that appear dead, some we think caused by the planting of Alder close to the hedge. These have been cut right down though the stumps remain.
Digging up the whole hedge is not an option, due to the location.
Is it possible, and if so, what is the best way to fill in the gaps along the hedge. We have been told that the hedge can be laid and will recover.
Any opinions / advice please.

On 1/27/13 10:27 AM, Welshsewer wrote:

We have inherited a long (80-100 feet) Privet hedge.
When the house was built 10 years ago the hedge was cut back 20 feet and
laid (?) by an experienced farmer. It is now about 6ft wide and largely
dead in the middle for about 50 ft. There are small areas of the hedge
that appear dead, some we think caused by the planting of Alder close to
the hedge. These have been cut right down though the stumps remain.
Digging up the whole hedge is not an option, due to the location.
Is it possible, and if so, what is the best way to fill in the gaps
along the hedge. We have been told that the hedge can be laid and will
recover.
Any opinions / advice please.

Is "laid" a British gardening term? What do you mean?

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On 27/01/2013 18:27, Welshsewer wrote:

We have inherited a long (80-100 feet) Privet hedge.
When the house was built 10 years ago the hedge was cut back 20 feet and
laid (?) by an experienced farmer. It is now about 6ft wide and largely
dead in the middle for about 50 ft. There are small areas of the hedge
that appear dead, some we think caused by the planting of Alder close to
the hedge. These have been cut right down though the stumps remain.
Digging up the whole hedge is not an option, due to the location.
Is it possible, and if so, what is the best way to fill in the gaps
along the hedge. We have been told that the hedge can be laid and will
recover.
Any opinions / advice please.

Have you thought of taking cuttings yourself, rooting these and using
them to fill in the gaps?

As an alternative, and depending on your time scale and budget, you
could approach any of the specialist hedging retailers and buy rooted
cuttings. Their height would depend on your budget, of course, and how
long they would take to attain the right height to fill in the gaps is
something you would have to decide.

--

Jeff