I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

Diane

hey up best watch out trimming that hedge a Cannabis gun man might shoot you
down!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/3399805.stm

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:10:21 -0000, "burned" wrote:

hey up best watch out trimming that hedge a Cannabis gun man might shoot you
down!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/3399805.stm

No mention that alcohol has an effect on the brain too?
The country is going to pot.
--
Martin

In message , Neil Robertson
writes
I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

Diane

It is fine to prune privet by the amount your propose, and it will thank
you for it (to say nothing of your neighbours!). And you can do it
anytime at all, and will soon sprout again. Its a very easy hedge in
that respect, but it benefits from frequent clipping (about every two
months in growing season) to stay trim and slim.



--
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias
Please note new email address:

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:43:27 +0000, Chris Boulby
wrote:

In message , Neil Robertson
writes
I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

Diane

It is fine to prune privet by the amount your propose, and it will thank
you for it (to say nothing of your neighbours!). And you can do it
anytime at all, and will soon sprout again. Its a very easy hedge in
that respect, but it benefits from frequent clipping (about every two
months in growing season) to stay trim and slim.

If the hedge is really over grown you can save a lot of effort by
starting with a branch cutter.
--
Martin

Subject: Privet Hedge
From: "Neil Robertson"
Date: 17/01/2004 10:48 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

From my (limited) kknowledge of privet. You can cut it anytime to anyamount
and it'll still grow back. Even cutting right down to the ground results in it
coming back even faster the next year.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
Q: how many witches does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: depends on what you want it changed into!

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:183755




If the hedge is really over grown you can save a lot of effort by
starting with a branch cutter.
--
Martin

Or in the case of a neighbour, a chain saw!! Halved the thickness last year.
Bit thin on the bottom but it soon recovered.

Mike

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:19:30 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:




If the hedge is really over grown you can save a lot of effort by
starting with a branch cutter.
--
Martin

Or in the case of a neighbour, a chain saw!! Halved the thickness last year.
Bit thin on the bottom but it soon recovered.

and the hedge next? :-)

--
Martin

...
On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:19:30 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:




If the hedge is really over grown you can save a lot of effort by
starting with a branch cutter.
--
Martin

Or in the case of a neighbour, a chain saw!! Halved the thickness last
year.
Bit thin on the bottom but it soon recovered.

and the hedge next? :-)

--
Martin

Thinking of the girl in the Grocers who backed into the bacon slicer and
behind in her orders?

Mike

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 16:55:57 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:



.. .
On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:19:30 +0000 (UTC), "Mike" wrote:




If the hedge is really over grown you can save a lot of effort by
starting with a branch cutter.
--
Martin

Or in the case of a neighbour, a chain saw!! Halved the thickness last
year.
Bit thin on the bottom but it soon recovered.

and the hedge next? :-)

--
Martin

Thinking of the girl in the Grocers who backed into the bacon slicer and
behind in her orders?

dunno, are you? :-)
--
Martin

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 10:48:55 +0000, Neil Robertson wrote:
I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

Diane,

It should be fine. Be prepared for it to look strageley and bare for a
while though - in fact it may well become see through until it grows more
leaves. I personally would be tempted to wait until the weather is a
little kinder and then do it.

Make sure you give it a good feed (manure or whatever) at the same time,
to help it with regrowth.

I don't know if you'll manage to keep the hedge to 2 ft wide - it sounds a
bit narrow for privet. At my previous house, the privet hedge went from
about 4ft wide at the bottom to 3ft wide at the top (6ft high), and it was
about right. Don't forget to prune you hedge in a 'A' shape.

Note - you will need to prune this hedge at least 4 times a year between
march and september.

Sarah

"Neil Robertson" wrote in message
...
I have just moved house and have a large privet hedge standing 8 feet high
and probably 4 feet wide! I would like to keep the hedge there for the
time
being to give us privacy but can I prune it really hard, say 6 feet high
and
reduce the width by 2 feet? Will it grow green again? If so when would be
the best time to prune?

Almost anytime, but it would be best to prune it smaller than the size you
want it to finish.

It will grow back very quickly.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk