How to remove a privet hedge

By: Sharon Sweeny

21 September, 2017

Privet hedges are widely planted in urban areas as borders and boundaries. They are nearly indestructible and will re-grow even when cut down to ground level. In order to completely remove an unwanted privet hedge, it is necessary to remove the root system as well. Privet is a tough, resilient shrub that will send up shoots from the smallest bit of root in the soil. Due diligence for the rest of the growing season should eradicate any small suckers that might grow from these portions of roots that were inadvertently missed during the removal process.

Preparation for Removal

• Spray the privet hedge with a systemic herbicide in spring, after the leaves are fully open.

Spray the privet hedge with a systemic herbicide in spring, after the leaves are fully open. Allow the herbicide to work for 10 to 14 days before you start the removal process. The application of herbicide will greatly increase the chance that any roots that remain after you remove the hedge will not grow. The waiting period will give the herbicide time to work its way through the hedge’s system to the majority of the privet hedge’s roots.

Trim off branches where they are growing out from the main trunk with pruning clippers.

Cut off the main trunk about 6 to 8 inches above ground level with a hand pruning saw.

Options for Removal of the Privet Hedge

• Dig out the stumps using a shovel.
• Dig out the individual privet shrubs that make up the hedge one at a time.
• Following the manufacturer’s instructions for use, place the stump grinder over an individual stump, secure it to the ground and allow it to grind the stump into wood chips.

Dig out the stumps using a shovel. Dig out the individual privet shrubs that make up the hedge one at a time. Drive the shovel into the ground about 18 to 24 inches out from the main trunk of one privet shrub plant on either side of the hedgerow. Make two more passes, driving the shovel deeper into the ground with each pass. The object is to dig down deep enough to be able to insert the blade of the shovel underneath the shrub’s main root ball. At this point, push down toward the ground on the shovel’s handle to loosen the root ball. Use an ax, if necessary, to further break up the roots for easier removal. Fill in the void left by the stump and roots with fresh soil.

Pull the stumps out using a special stump removing tow chain and towing vehicle. Remove the stumps of the shrubs that make up the hedge one at a time. Attach the chain to the stump by inserting the prongs of the tow chain directly into the wood of the stump about 2 inches above ground level. Attach the other end of the chain to the axle of the towing vehicle. Tighten the slack in the chain between the stump and the towing vehicle by driving forward a few inches. Gradually accelerate the towing vehicle until the stump pops out of the ground. Add topsoil to the area where the stumps and roots were growing to avoid the creation of a low spot at the site.

Grind down the remaining stumps with a portable mechanical stump grinder. These mechanical grinders are available to rent at rental centers. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for use, place the stump grinder over an individual stump, secure it to the ground and allow it to grind the stump into wood chips. Repeat with the remaining stumps. To keep mushrooms and other fungi from growing on the rotting underground wood chips, remove them and use as mulch or compost elsewhere in your garden. Use a shovel and/or ax to remove smaller roots not addressed by the mechanical stump grinder. Fill in the area with additional topsoil to a level slightly above grade so a low-lying area does not form in your yard.

Privet hedges can re-grow from a small portion of a root. If you see small sprouts of privet growing in the area where you removed the hedge, immediately spray them with systemic herbicide. Spray with a second application 10 to 14 days later.

Attach the tow chain to the axle of the towing vehicle, not the bumper.

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Privet (Ligustrum spp.) is an evergreen shrub from Asia that is highly invasive in some parts of the country. Growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10, they have been used extensively as hedge plants in the past because of their adaptability and resilience under tough conditions. Unfortunately, an established hedge is not easy to kill, but using a multi-faceted approach and a lot of persistence can get the job done.

Cutting Down the Hedge

The first step to killing a privet hedge is to cut it down to the ground. The trunks of some varieties can reach 6 inches or more in diameter in old age, so a chainsaw is usually the best tool for the job once the hedge is well-established. If the privet has an open, tree-like form, cut off the side limbs first and then cut the main truck as close as possible to the ground. If it is growing as a compact shrub, cut it at the base and then drag the whole plant away as one piece.

Killing the Stump Manually

Cutting the down the privet does not kill the plant. It will re-sprout within several weeks and a year later can be tall and well on its way to re-establishment. The stumps of small specimens can be dug out by hand and big stumps can be destroyed with a gas-powered stump grinder. Another approach is to manually remove stump sprouts as soon as they appear. This requires constant diligence to be effective, as any growth that does occur provides energy to the roots system, prolonging the life of the stump.

Chemical Stump Killers

Chemical stump killers and herbicides are a less labor intensive option. Glyphosate and triclopyr are the two most effective chemicals to prevent the re-growth of privet stumps. One part herbicide is dilute with four parts water and the solution is painted over the entire surface of the stump immediately after it is cut. To make the application of herbicide even more effective, drill a series of holes in the stump and fill these with the herbicide solution as well. Protective clothing and rubber gloves must be worn when working with herbicides to prevent physical contact with the chemicals.

Smothering Seedlings

Cutting down the hedge and killing the stumps is still not enough to competely prevent privet from re-establishing itself. The soil around a privet hedge is full of thousands of seeds that will sprout in the sunny conditions created by the removal of the hedge. These can be pulled by hand as they sprout or treated with an herbicide, such as glyphosate. Mix the herbicide in a 25 percent solution with water plus two teaspoons of dish soap to help the chemical stick to the foliage. Other methods include repeated mowing of the seedlings as they sprout or laying down weed fabric and mulch as a physical barrier to the seedlings.

We have a hedge that runs the length of our garden, nearest the house is a nice tidy section of privet which gives us privacy all year round. The rest is a mixed bag; some privet, rose of sharon, holly, quince. There is a section pf particularly tatty privet which had been neglected and then hacked back from the sides which I’ve decided to replace because I want more variety. I’ve already ordered the bare root plants, a mixture of Hawthorn, Guelder Rose, Bird Cherry etc. My question is what is the best way to remove the existing privet?

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The simple answer is to dig it out. Cutting back will only encourage new growth.

My original plant was to cut back hard to renovate but stupidly I though I’d replace it. My border fork was ready to snap in half and I was too feeble to do it with a full sized fork too so look like a job for the old man! So I’ve cut 4 meters down to a foot tall so far ready for him to dig it out. If the worst comes to the worst is there any equipment we could hire to dig it out?

Can you get a mini digger into your garden? You can get terribly compact diggers small enough to fit through a standard doorway (see link below) if you’ve a side gate. These would make short work of digging your hedge out! (We’ll be hiring on in the new year).

Can you get your car round there? We’ve done it by digging out what we can, tying a rope on to what’s left of the privet, the higher the better. Then I pull with the car while OH levers or bashes with a mattock.

We’ve got a side gate but no access with a car sadly. I’ll definitely look at getting a mini digger if husband can’t manage it as long as it’s not too expensive!

I know it will regrow but I already have a lot of privet which the sparrows hide in. The garden is 100 feet long so plenty of space for both. The thing is privet is so boring and growing any monoculture is not very good for wildlife. All the new plants are chosen to provide food for the birds which will save spending lots of money on food, I do still provide fat balls though. I think watering is a good idea first too as we haven’t had much rain lately.

My next door neighbour & I removed our past it’s sell-by-date privet using a short scaffolding pole!! Knock the pole into the soil as far as is possible, at least 2 feet & if possible a reasonable distance from the hedge, we managed at around 8 feet, fasten a rope round a section of the hedge as close to the soil as possible, then using a pair of stilsons, (we drilled a hole in the tube & inserted a bar) take a few turns of the rope round the pole & start to turn as a Capston works. My neighbour took up the rope as I simply turned the pole, bingo, out came the hedge a section at a time.

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Removing bushes from the front of a house is a straightforward job to do yourself, requiring shrub removal tools and strength. There could be a few reasons to remove bushes. If they are too close to transformers, they need to be removed. Bushes can also be too big or too close to features such as fences.

“>Shrub Removal Tools

You will need a few important tools for removing shrubs from your yard. Be sure to protect your hands with gloves and your eyes with sunglasses or goggles while you are working. You may also choose to wear a hat while you work.

A shovel will help you to dig up the root ball, and a crowbar can be a good way to get out thick roots. Steel-toed boots will also protect your feet and ankles while you are working.

A pair of pruners is useful for cutting back the branches and the hedges. Lopping shears are another tool that you can use. The goal is to cut back the branches to clear the space. Cut the branches at the base where they are connected. Work from the bottom upward using powerful cuts.

Best Time of the Year to Remove Bushes

You may prefer to remove bushes when the weather is pleasant enough to work outside. The autumn and spring are ideal times because of the mild weather.

If you are planning on relocating the bush after you use the shrub removal tools to dig it up, pick a day that is cooler and with slight cloud cover so it doesn’t stress during the heat. The best time of year to remove bushes is when they don’t have leaves, and it is relatively shady and cool. It should also not be windy.

How to Remove Bushes From a Yard

If the plants are small or young, you can pull them out by hand. Grab them firmly by the base of the root and pull. Larger plants will require more preparation and labor. If you are trying to transplant the shrubs, you will want to maintain the branches. You should also dig widely around the base to protect the roots. If you are going to get rid of the bushes, you won’t need to be concerned about maintaining the roots of the bush.

The first step is to cut off all of the branches. When you have reached the stumps, you can then move on to the next step. With the crowbar, dig a deep trench around the stump of each bush and break through the roots. You can then work the crowbar as a lever to pull it out of the ground.

After you pull out the hedges, you can fill the space with soil, compost or other materials. You may also choose to plant different plants in that place.

Using a Homemade Herbicide to Remove Hedges

You can also choose to use herbicides to remove a hedge. This will prevent the bush from growing back. A homemade herbicide is simple to make.

Mix white vinegar with dish detergent and salt. Spray this on the hedge. Be sure that the woody parts and the leaves are covered with the solution. Give it about 72 hours to set in before you cut it down.

Written by: Meg Butler

Written on: July 14, 2020

Anthony Baggett/iStock/Getty Images

To remove a privet hedge from your property, you must also remove its roots. If left in the ground they will eventually decompose. But that may take decades. And you will not be able to plant anything in that spot in the meantime.

If you have more immediate plans for that section of your garden, there’s no getting around digging out those roots.

Cut back the privet hedge’s foliage to within a few centimetres of the ground with your lopping shears.

Water the ground with a few centimetres of water. Moist soil is much easier to dig than dry soil.

• To remove a privet hedge from your property, you must also remove its roots.
• If you have more immediate plans for that section of your garden, there’s no getting around digging out those roots.

Dig a trench around the privet hedge’s roots to expose the edge of the root ball, using a spade. If you encounter so many thick roots that it is tough to dig, you’re digging too close. Widen your circle. Dig until you reach the depth of the root ball.

Wedge your spade into the trench to undercut some of the roots underneath the root ball you just excavated. Push in as deep as you can. Use your foot on the top of the spade to give added pressure. Move around the entire circumference of the root ball.

• Dig a trench around the privet hedge’s roots to expose the edge of the root ball, using a spade.
• Use your foot on the top of the spade to give added pressure.

Lift the root ball out of the hole. Use the blade of your spade as a lever. Wedge it underneath the root ball, then push the handle down to lift the root ball. Repeat on all sides until the root ball is pushed out of the hole.

Refill the hole with a few bags of commercial garden soil.

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A privet hedge is traditional but easily grows troublesome. Prone to suckering, Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) or Japanese privet (L. japonica) is listed as an invasive plant in several U.S. states. If you inherited a mature privet gone wild, remove it and replace it with a more civilized boxwood or holly. Be prepared to spend more than one season on the removal project, however, because mature ligustrum is a persistent, multistemmed shrub.

Chop every stalk of the plant down to the ground in spring. Remove its flowers before chopping the stalks if the ligustrum is flowering.

Sweep up all of the plant’s leaves and twigs. Depending on the variety of ligustrum, the leaves and twigs may sprout to start new plants.

Mow and catch starts, or shoots, of the plant every time you mow the lawn. Repeated mowing denies the plant roots the carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis in the plant leaves, eventually starving the roots.

Apply herbicide if necessary. Create fresh cuts on ligustrum stems that persist in putting up green shoots, and paint them with a systemic herbicide. Use a 25 percent solution of either glyphosate or triclopyr with water.

Alternatively, spray a large thicket of ligustrum with a 2 percent solution of glyphosate or triclopyr, wetting the plant leaves until the herbicide drips from the leaves.

What is the best way to remove a privot hedge thas has been there for 30 years. I want to erect a fence instead

• 31 Mar, 2008

Answers

How tall is the hedge and how long/wide, etc. The best thing to do is cut it down and if you have a huge amount hire a garden shreader and compost the chippings or use them as mulch. If you have a small amount you could store it somewhere to dry off and burn it and then scatter the wood ash in your soil. You will need to dig out the roots. This will not be an easy job.

Please bear in mind that birds are nesting now.

Yes, I forgot to mention that about nesting birds. Leave it til August. Hopefully the soil will be dry and lifting the roots will be easier.

I dont know if you are in the UK? Is this a hedge between your garden and a neighbour? If so and it has been there for more than 12 years you need to consult them as to whether they are agreeable. I was in the position of the person on the other side and came home one day to find a large hole and the boundary stone ripped out! It was a long time before the fence was put up. Once it was all finished we had an extra metre of garden but the birds weren’t pleased. Now I am trying to plant enough bushes, bamboos etc. to cover up the brown fence.

Hi Eddiemc we had the same problem when we moved into our present home a couple of years ago although we only wanted to remove 10ft or so for drive gates.

Anyhow the hedge is like yours very old and we were told by our new neighbours that it would be such a hard job and that we would need to hire some digging tools.

Needless to say we did it all by our own hands and although the roots are a little hard it helped that the soil was quite dry around the roots and they came up without too much trouble.

Chop the main brush down and then dig up the roots it’s back breaking work but worth it in the end.Hel.xxx.

That’s basically what we did when removing an Escallonia hedge – cut it right down to stumps, then dig each out – my husband had to use a pickaxe to get the bigger ones out. Then I dug and dug again and tipped barrow loads of compost on and dug it all in! P.S. I am pre-supposing that once your fence is in you will want to plant things next to it!

I must be missing something from your question, because it really seems straight forward, you cut away the top growth with the appropriate tools ie, chain saw, loppers, hand saw. Don’t cut it right down to the base has it is always useful to have a piece of stem to get a good grip on when you are pulling at it. This job is going to involve a lot of digging and leverage. I don’t think anyone is going to give you the easy magical answer you are looking for, (I’m not trying to be funny, sorry if it comes across that way) this is going to involve time and hard work unless of course you cheat and know a guy with a truck with a crane on the back of it, this can prove dangerous, however many landscapers have used this approach to reef shrubs, hedges and tree stumps out of the ground it saves a lot of time and hard work, however it is entirely at your own risk, you might end pulling something up along with it, that you really didn’t want to.

Written by: B.T. Alo

Written on: July 14, 2020

Isolated hedge image by Pamela Uyttendaele from Fotolia.com

Hedges are a classic way to add charm to a garden but require significant upkeep. If you don’t have the time, energy or finances to keep your hedges looking good, or have inherited a hedge in a new home which you don’t like, then killing the hedge may be your best option.

Dumping poison on the hedge will kill it, but chemical root killers can also contaminate the soil and make it difficult to grow other plants in the area. Luckily you can kill hedges naturally, without resorting to harsh chemicals or poisons.

Put on the gardening gloves and protective eye goggles. Cut the hedges off at the roots with the hand saw, or if they are old and well-established, use a small chainsaw. Get as close to the ground as possible. Dispose of all the cut hedges. You will need to kill the stumps of the hedges in order to prevent regrowth.

• Hedges are a classic way to add charm to a garden but require significant upkeep.
• Cut the hedges off at the roots with the hand saw, or if they are old and well-established, use a small chainsaw.

Drill two 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) holes for every 32 cm2 (5 square inches) of stump as deep as your drill bit will go. Do this for every stump from the cut hedges.

Pour slow-release nitrogen fertiliser into the drilled holes. It may seem counter-intuitive to add fertiliser to something you wish to kill, but the fertiliser applied in this manner will kill off the stumps and aid in their speedy decomposition. Moreover, using organic fertiliser instead of harsh chemicals to kill the hedges will leave the soil richer, rather than poorer, in quality.

Cover the stumps with soil. Check the progress of decomposition every two weeks; it may take a couple of months to fully rot the stumps to a stage where you can replant in the area.

This iconic plant can serve as a green property marker, windscreen, and noise barrier.

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Photo by Nancy Andrews

The formal sentinel hedge says “privacy, please” in a manner far more civilized than a stockade fence. A fixture of the suburban landscape 50 years ago, fast-growing privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium and L. amurense) remains a fine choice where conditions are right: To thrive, this deciduous shrub requires a temperate climate and a homeowner willing to wield sharp shears as often as needed.

Privet Hedge Planting Distance

Photo by Nancy Andrews

To plant a new privet hedge, create a trench two feet wide and two feet deep, space individual shrubs about 12 inches apart, and bring soil up to the branching trunk. Water deeply and frequently the first year, using drip irrigation.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Green wall: Planted close and grown tall, privet quickly forms a lush, living wall, especially with full sun exposure.

How to Make a Privet Hedge Thicker

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Achieve a thicker hedge by planting two rows of shrubs, zig-zag fashion, in a double-wide trench. This multitiered privet hedge serves as a theatrical backdrop for an informal border of mophead and lacecap hydrangeas.

Trimming

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Neatness counts: A tall privet hedge softens the look of a concrete path, but will quickly encroach upon it if permitted to become overgrown. Privet needs to be sheared anywhere from twice to four times a season. To prevent the plant from becoming invasive, be sure to remove its white flowers before they go to seed.

Maintenance

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Maintenance is a routine matter: For every fresh foot of growth, shear off six inches or so. If that sounds like sheer torture to you, opt for a low-maintenance fence. To maintain density, shape the hedge narrower at the top and fatter at the bottom; this allows sunlight to reach lower leaves and keeps the plants healthier.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Garden gate: Make a grand entrance by training plants to meet over the front walk.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

In this pleached arch, two plants meet at the top to accentuate a path.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Shrub love: Topiary lovebirds kiss to form a natural arch above a convex gate.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Come hither: Trained over a metal arch, privet entices visitors to peek beyond the garden gate.

Photo by Nancy Andrews

Hedge with a view: A natural arch frames a tranquil view.

By: Laura Reynolds

21 September, 2017

Privet is a popular hedge because it grows fast and is relatively resistant to pests and diseases. It is so robust that in many areas common privet (a native of Japan) and Chinese privet are considered invasive. Pruning this vigorous grower is a must and trimming it is an easy garden chore that can be completed from spring through summer, depending on how formally you want to shape your hedge. Even hedges that have become overgrown can be brought back in line by a persistent gardener.

Trim privets back when planting and each spring thereafter to thicken branches and foliage. Remove a few inches each spring; when the privet reaches the height you want for it, trim it back to that height each spring. Trim new growth one or two additional times until mid-summer, to keep shrubs looking neat.

• Privet is a popular hedge because it grows fast and is relatively resistant to pests and diseases.
• Pruning this vigorous grower is a must and trimming it is an easy garden chore that can be completed from spring through summer, depending on how formally you want to shape your hedge.

Shape privets so that they are wider at the bottom than the top in a truncated, steep pyramid shape. Making shrubs wider at the bottom than the top allows lower branches to get sun and rain. Shrubs that do not get enough sun or water on lower branches tend to become spindly.

Trim privet growth up to one-third the length of each branch each spring. Since privets can grow more than a foot each year, the shrubs will still increase in size over the years. Clean out dead branches annually in the spring.

Round the tops of your privets to help shed snow and wind more easily. If the row is long, tie a string to stakes or trees on either end and use a carpenter’s level to place it to use as a guide to keep your tops straight from one end to the other.

• Shape privets so that they are wider at the bottom than the top in a truncated, steep pyramid shape.
• Making shrubs wider at the bottom than the top allows lower branches to get sun and rain.

Renew your privets when they become too large, spindly and their leaf coverage becomes thin. Cut branches down to about 12 inches tall in late winter or early spring during dormancy. The privet will bush out and begin growing again. Trim back by one-third each year thereafter.

Use garden shears when your privets are small—it takes more time but the results are neater. Trim branches close to growth nodules that form on the outside of the branch so new twigs will grow out, not in toward the center of the shrub.

As privets age, use hand shears or shrub trimmers to keep your privet trimmed. For larger branches or renewal cut-backs, use a pruning saw.

Do not plant privets that are invasive in your area. Common privet and variegated Chinese privet may make more work than you need even if they have not been designated as invasive in your state. Check with your local state university agricultural extension officer or arboretum for guidance.

Wear garden gloves when pruning shrubs—add eye protection when using electric or gas-powered trimmers.

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Complete removal of privet hedge?

In my three years in business, this is the first time I have been asked to remove a privet hedge and replace it with fencing. I wondered if anyone else has done this and could give any advice? The hedge is in the front garden with good access, it is 6m at the front and 6m at the party side. Thanks guys and gals!

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Replies

I use a long strong rope and pull it out via my tow bar on my van or pickup with a banks man in place for instructions on stopping and pulling and watching for pedestrians and traffic.

Works a treat provided you are close enough to the job in hand which by the sounds of i you will be. Or use a winch attached to your vehicle, you can hire them from most plant and tool hire.

I thought about this but wondered how professional it would look! Beats hiring a digger I suppose.

Iv used diggers for this as well, both “techniques” work equally well, but a digger will add to the price of the job and for the sake of a small amount of hedging you are pulling, then it would be the tow rope and tow bar I’d choose, as long as you can banks the pull out.

Hi Steven

You say 6m. I assume you mean length and not height?. How big are the stems?

I bought a winch (exactly the same as this one) very early on and used it for about 15 years before I had to replace it (due to cable fraying). It’s a simple winch but extremely powerful and I’ve pulled out some hefty stuff with it.

I paid £9.00 for my first winch from Blackbushe market in about 1985. They are a bit more expensive now but you could still get your money back in just one job.

Either anchor the winch to the base of a mature tree or to the tow hitch of a vehicle. I used a strop each end (or a long chain one end) so that the winch was always at a comfortable height to work.

Put the strop as high up as you can using a self tightening loop around several stems: by anchoring it low and then placing the loop as high as you can it increases the leverage.

As you start to pull, use a grub axe to sever the side roots as they become taught. As a few roots start to give way the process speeds up.

A lot depends on the size of the provett.

We also hired in several types of winches depending on what we were doing (although I think there’s fairly strict rules on how a winbch is used now).

Of course there’s always a mini excavator – probably something I’d always opt for now if there’s access.

By: Sharon Sweeny

21 September, 2017

The classic privet is what most people think of as a formal hedge. Privet is a fast-growing hedge plant that is easy to establish in your yard. It can handle even the most severe pruning and will bounce right back, filling in even fuller than it was previously. Privet hedges are evergreen. Plant them only if you are prepared to trim them regularly whenever they are in active growth. They grow so well that they need to be pruned several times during the growing season.

Determine where you will locate your privet hedge. Plant privet in partial sun or shade in soil that is slightly acidic. They can handle a little dry soil when they mature, but must be watered regularly while young.

• The classic privet is what most people think of as a formal hedge.
• Privet is a fast-growing hedge plant that is easy to establish in your yard.

Pound a short wooden stake into the ground at either end of the site for the hedgerow. Tie a string between the stakes for use as a guide when planting the privet plants.

Dig a trench about 18 inches wide and the length of the proposed hedge, centered around the string you installed. Evenly pile up the soil you remove along one side of the trench.

Mix the soil you removed from the hole with peat moss. Use one 5-gallon bucketful of peat moss for each three feet of hedgerow. Spread the peat moss on top of the piled-up soil so it is relatively evenly distributed and mix together with the blade of a shovel.

• Pound a short wooden stake into the ground at either end of the site for the hedgerow.
• Evenly pile up the soil you remove along one side of the trench.

Loosen the soil in the bottom of the trench with a pitchfork or garden digging fork. Add granulated slow-release fertilizer specially formulated for evergreens to the bottom of the trench, following the manufacturer’s recommended rate of application.

Add some of the improved soil back into the trench, so that the privet plants will be planted so they grow at the same level that they were growing in their nursery pots.

Plant the privet plants 12 to 18 inches apart, using the string as a guide for their placement. Back fill the trench, gently firming the soil around the roots of the privet so there are no air pockets around the roots. Firm the surface of the soil along the trench with your foot. Remove the stakes and string.

• Loosen the soil in the bottom of the trench with a pitchfork or garden digging fork.

Build up the soil at the sides of the trench to form a dam to help send water down to the roots and not run off.

Water in the new transplants using a soaker hose. Lay the hose along the length of the newly planted hedgerow and allow it to water the privet plants for at least one hour. Supply the privet hedge with the equivalent of an inch of rainfall per week for its first year in your yard. Thereafter, water in times of sparse rainfall.

Mulch the surface of the planting trench with a 2 to 4 inch layer of pine needles, shredded pine bark or peat moss. These mulch materials will help keep the soil in the acid range of the pH scale as they break down. Replenish the mulch annually to a depth of 2 to 4 inches.

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Privet (Ligustrum spp.), which grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10, is a small tree that often makes itself useful as a hedge. Sometimes, privet outgrows its welcome and needs to go. If you want to kill privet, using chemicals is effective, but the job is done in stages. Begin this project in spring. The brush killer will only travel to the tree’s roots when the tree is actively growing. The fast growth of spring and early summer will work on your side.

Cut the privet to the ground with lopping shears, a pruning saw or a chainsaw. Remove debris from around the stumps. Clean the cutting surfaces of shears and hand saws with a spray disinfectant after each use to prevent the spread of disease.

Pour a small amount of full-strength brush killer containing triclopyr into a small container. Use a craft brush to apply the undiluted formula to the stump, paying special attention to the sapwood and cut bark surfaces — the outermost rings. This must be done right after you make the cuts. The brush killer will poison the roots of the privet and suppress the emergence of suckers — or side shoots.

Spray the leaves of suckers as they appear, using a ready-to-use spray bottle of diluted triclopyr. You can allow the suckers to grow a little until they’re slightly bushy so there will be more leaf surface on which to apply the chemical.

Treat new suckers as they appear until the stump gives up the ghost and no more appear. Persistence is key to success in killing a sturdy plant like privet. Inspect the stumps the following spring to make sure they are dead and treat as necessary.

Related Articles

A perfectly pruned privet hedge can set a formal tone for a garden, give a clean look to a home’s foundation or provide a cool, green wall of privacy. Not so with a scraggly, uneven privet with dead wood at the bottom and in the center. California privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) is a small-leafed shrub, reliably evergreen in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10 and semi-evergreen and deciduous down to zone 5. The plant is an aggressive grower — reaching up to 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide — and considered invasive in parts of the eastern United States. Regular shearing prevents the small white flowers from producing the black seed-filled berries, which birds drop to spread the plant throughout the neighborhood. Privet has a treelike growth structure and can also be pruned informally for an attractive natural hedge.

Put on gloves and wear long sleeves. Privet sap can irritate the skin and cause an itchy rash.

Remove any damaged, crossing or dead branches, defoliated all the way to the tips from the center of each plant in the hedge with loppers or a pruning saw at their base in late winter.

Cut out several large branches randomly from the center of the top of each plant in late winter with bypass pruners or loppers, cutting back to a side branch in the interior of the plant where the cut does not show. This opens up the center of the hedge to light and air circulation to avoid die-out inside the hedge.

Insert stakes at least as tall as you want to trim your hedge into the ground 6 inches toward the center of the hedge from the lower edge of the shrub’s growth, front and back, at end of the hedgerow. Tie a string between the two stakes at the height you want to trim your hedge in midspring after the plant has put on some new growth. You may want to place additional stakes between those at each end, depending on the length of the hedge.

Stand back and ensure the line is level and at the appropriate height. For mature privet hedges, cut back to an inch past where new growth starts. Newly planted privets can be trained by cutting back 3 inches for every foot of new growth.

Shear the top of the plant off along the string line with either hand or powered hedge shears. Brush the trimmings off the top of the plant. The top may also be sheared into a gently rounded shape.

Shear the face of the privet hedge from the point where the stake and string are at the top of the hedge down to the bottom of the hedge in a diagonal downward slope. You end up with a hedge that is 6 inches narrower at the top than the base on each side. This allows light to hit the entire face of the hedge so the bottom does not lose leaves in shaded conditions.

Rake away and dispose of clippings.

Repeat as necessary during the season to keep the hedges looking neat, but especially after the tiny white flowers bloom to keep the plant from setting seed.

Cut the entire hedge back to within 12 inches of the ground in late winter when the additional inch of height the plant retains at each pruning is too much. Retrain the plant in the same way as it regrows. Privets resprout when cut back hard even if there had only been a shell of green leaves around its exterior.

Yesterday I had a friend request on Face Book and accepted. Three minutes later I got a message from the new friend that said, “Have we been friends long enough for me to ask you a plant related question?” I thought that was funny. Anne wanted to know how to get rid of a privet infestation in her back yard. I have answered that question many times before. One of the reasons I started this blog project was to answer questions.

As usual, I would just love for you click here to go to Amazon and purchase the ebook edition of my wonderful book, Requiem for a Redneck to go on your Kindle. I have also noticed that Amazon now has a free Kindle app for iphones and tablets. Is that cool or what?

If you want a consultation in your yard in N.W. Georgia, send me an email at [email protected]

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Published by John P.Schulz

I lost my vocal cords a while back due to throat cancer. The laryngectomy sent me on a quest to find and learn to use my new, altered voice. I am able to talk now with a really small and neat new prosthesis. My writing reflects what I have learned in my search for a voice. My site johnschulzauthor.com publishes a daily motivational quote and a personal comment. I write an article a week for my blog, johntheplantman.com which deals with a lot of the things that I do in the garden. I am also the author of Requiem for a Redneck and the new Redemption for a Redneck–novels portraying the lives and doings of folks around the north Georgia hills. I have an English Education degree from the University of Georgia and very happily married to the lovely Dekie Hicks. You may enjoy my daily Quotes and Notes at View more posts

4 thoughts on “ How to get rid of Privet Hedge ”

That sounds as bad as me trying to get rid of the VINCA MAJOR ground cover. ha. Another problem is the Kerri Rose but it’s not as bad as privet.
Happy New Year…hope that throat is healing. cb

I grew up about a half mile past a Lamar Whitehead outside of North Rome. We shared a property line with a neighbor that was made of Privet that had become small trees. I can remember my dad having it bulldosed out one year after I had left home. Not sure how deep they went, but it is still gone.
Remembering all that, while growing up, left a bad impression for me long before I knew it to be an invasive plant.
Memories.

HI JOHN, I READ YOUR ARTICLE ON HOW TO GET RID OF PRIVET. IT HAS BEGUN TO GROW UNDER MY BIG PINE TREES. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT SPRAY CAN I USE TO KILL PRIVET THAT WON’T HURT MY LOVELY PINES?

I think maybe if you’re careful. How much privet is there?

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By: Paul Parsons

You can also use a sturdy pitchfork or garden tine to dig into and remove the roots. While this is more practical for smaller hedges, it will help to turn the soil and guarantee that you have removed all of the roots.

If you use a root/weed killer, be sure that it is safe for the soil. Do not use gasoline or other harsh chemicals to kill roots, because they damage the soil and nothing else will be able to grow in that spot.

Unkempt hedges can be an eyesore. A number of people plant hedges only to realize a few years down the road that they don’t want the responsibility and the work that hedges require. Sometimes your landscaping plans just don’t include hedge care, and you want them gone. You don’t have to hire expensive landscape contractors to remove the hedges for you. Although it can be a bit time consuming, you can easily remove hedges and kill the roots yourself.

Cut down your hedges. The first and most important step to killing hedges is to cut them even with the ground. This can be done easily with hedge clippers, unless they are very mature hedges. A very old and developed hedge may require the use of a small chainsaw.

• Unkempt hedges can be an eyesore.
• This can be done easily with hedge clippers, unless they are very mature hedges.

Find the roots. You will need to find the roots and get rid of them or the hedges will continue to grow back. Begin tracing the roots in the area where you have hacked the hedges.

Dig up the roots. The majority of hedges don’t have deep roots unless they are very mature. The roots are relatively easy to find and are normally within a 6- to 8-inch area. Depending on the type of hedges that were planted, the roots might be in a ball shape around 6 inches deep into the soil.

• You will need to find the roots and get rid of them or the hedges will continue to grow back.
• Depending on the type of hedges that were planted, the roots might be in a ball shape around 6 inches deep into the soil.

Remove the roots. If you find that you can’t dig up all of the roots because they are too big or deep, you can resort to Roundup or another root/weed killer. Check with your local nursery or garden center to make sure that you are using a chemical that is safe for the soil.

Spray the roots generously with the root/weed killer. You will have to re-apply the chemicals on a regular basis and wait for the roots to rot and die out. This could take several weeks and a number of applications of the chemical. Once the roots have died, remove them from the ground and discard. Consult your root killer’s documentation for application frequency.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan Mattingly-Arthur

Privet is a common term used to describe evergreen shrubs within the Ligustrum genus. These attractive and vigorous shrubs are often pruned and shaped into hedges or natural privacy screens for home landscapes. With the proper care, a privet shrub can add a touch of elegant natural beauty to your home landscape for many decades. Most Ligustrum cultivars grow best in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 8, though select Ligustrum cultivars may be hardy down to zone 3.

Things You’ll Need

Step 1

Water recently planted privet hedges regularly to keep their soil evenly moist until they are established. Once established, provide your privet hedge with at least 1 inch of water per week during hot, dry periods in the spring, summer and fall.

Step 2

Fertilize your privet hedge in the spring and early fall to ensure that your hedge has the nutrients it needs to grow successfully. Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of equal parts aged manure and compost over the surface of the soil where your privet hedge is planted. Work the spring fertilizer application into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil. Leave the fall fertilizer application in a layer on the surface of the soil.

Step 3

Prune your privet hedge annually in the early fall to control its size and shape or to remove any discolored, damaged or dead branches or foliage. Trim the privet hedge so that the bottom of the hedge is wider than the top; the top of the hedge can be either flat or rounded, depending on your preference. Make sure to use only sharpened and sterilized pruning tools when pruning your privet hedges.

Step 4

Monitor your privet hedge for insect pests like spider mites, scale, aphids and whiteflies that can infest and damage your hedge. Treat your privet hedge with an insecticide product to combat insect infestation. Use the insecticide product carefully and according to package directions.

Step 5

Revitalize a neglected, overgrown privet hedge by cutting the hedge down to a height of just 12 inches. Trim your privet hedge two to three times a year for the next four to five years to promote full, vigorous growth while your hedge works to grow back to its original height.

Privet hedges are greedy feeders. As a result, you may want to provide extra fertilizer for plants planted in the near vicinity.

Warning

Privet shrubs are poisonous to both humans and pets. Ingesting any part of the privet shrub can cause serious symptoms including headache, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even death.

Privet shrubs are considered invasive plants in many parts of the United States. Consult your local state university extension office before planting privet shrubs in your area.

A healthy hedge requires regular pruning and watering, a good feeding every now and then and some close-up love and attention with an attentive pruning and mulch or compost helping around the base of the plant.

Why do hedges die, get sick or form unattractive growth:

Old plants

Plants like humans do get weaker and perform less with age, many plants and hedges for that matter reach a point where they simply just don’t look so good anymore and there isn’t much you can do to help them, the best is to rip them out and replace them with new young and strong plants.

Poor maintenance

Poor pruning and neglected watering or feeding are some of more obvious reasons hedges get out of hand or suffer poor growth. In most cases, a poor performing hedge is the result of poor maintenance.

Diseases and pest infestations

For the most part hedges are grown from rather robust plants, if kept healthy they should fend for themselves, but like we get sick so do our plants. Most infestations can be reasonably controlled with the necessary products from your nearest nursery or home improvement store. Always make sure you have correctly identified a pest before treating it and strictly follow packet instructions. As always prevention is better than cure.

Drought, cold and frost, over watering or too little light can all be culprits for a sick or dying hedge the list goes on and on.

10 Steps to help and revive a dying, sick or neglected overgrown hedge.

In most cases a hedge is grown from a fast growing, but still robust perennial shrub. Most of these can take a hard pruning and come back quite quickly. Depending on the severity of the damage one will need to make a call on replacing the hedge, some of the plants that form the hedge or giving it a hard pruning to reform the shape and health of your hedge.

If your hedge is in a not so healthy or overgrown state, follow these steps and tips to restore its former glory.

Step 1: Evaluate and assess. Pull back the outer branches to access the inner growth pattern and structure of the hedge.

Step 2: Remove any dead and diseased plant material.

Step 3: Nominate poor performing and affected branches and cut them back hard. Ideally make these cuts where healthy shoots join the branch.

Step 4: Prune off excess growth to encourage air and light movement within the hedge.

Step 5: In the case of severely overgrown hedges follow the steps above and additionally remove the top third of the plant to around 20 cm beneath the final desired height for the hedge. If more than one third needs to be remove do so over two growing seasons.

Step 6: If entire plants of the hedge have died back remove them and replace with new strong plants.

Step 7: Always feed and water any hedge well after a hard pruning. The hedge needs energy for the encouraged growth from somewhere and with less foliage it is not able to photosynthesis as well as usual.

Step 8: A deep watering less often is always better than shallow regular watering, this encourages a strong deep root system. Regular watering however is necessary for a week or so after cutting back.

Step 9: Apply a layer of mulch or compost around the base of each plant to improve soil temperatures and provide nutrients to leach in during watering.

Step 10: Gradually reshape and form the hedge with future pruning throughout the growing season

Tips when pruning and reviving a sick, dying or neglected overgrown hedge:

Keep a close eye on the new growth of your rehabilitated hedge, this succulent new growth is tender and susceptible to fungal and disease infestation. Keep a close eye on your hedge until newly grown foliage is fully hardened.

Always feed and water a hedge well after pruning hard and removing excessive plant material.

Never add diseased material to a compost heap.

When to prune a hedge:

Only do hard pruning to your hedge during Spring and Autumn. Prune too late and you will encourage new hedge growth which won’t harden off before the cold of winter. Prune too early and the same occurs. Avoid pruning hard in the middle of summer, severe heat and drought will make it impossible for your poor hedge to recover.

Light ongoing pruning is encouraged throughout the growing season, cut twigs and branches back to where they meet secondary growth branching from the stem to be pruned.

Privet is one of the best all round hedge plants, happy to grow in most soils, hardy enough to survive in most weathers and a great choice for topiary. Let’s dig into this perennially popular plant in a bit more detail.

Namecheck

• Genus: Ligustrum
• Most common variety: Oval Leaf (ligustrum ovalifolium)
• Other popular varieties:Suttons“>Common (ligustrum vulgare), Fragrant Cloud (ligustrum sinense), Suttons“>Golden (ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’)

What Is A Privet Hedge Like?

An evergreen shrub, privet is densely packed with green shiny foliage. It is an ideal hedge plant as it likes sun and shade and will grow in most soil types. It is semi-deciduous with some varieties holding their leaves better than others, and it is resistant to most diseases and threats. It can grow up to 4m in height, although dwarf varieties have been cultivated to suit more modest gardens.

What Colour Is A Privet Hedge?

The Oval Leaf variety has glossy green leaves, while varieties like Golden and Lemon & Lime have leaves that tend towards the yellower end of the green spectrum. The leaves occur in opposing pairs on either side of branches.

What Are Privet Flowers Like?

Privet hedge usually flowers in mid-summer (July in the UK) with small white flowers which do not have a particular pleasant smell. The Fragrant Cloud variety is chosen for it’s scented blooms. It is noted as an allergy-producing plant.

What Are Privet Hedge Fruits Like?

Privet produces poisonous berries after flowering, however the common use as a pruned hedge usually prevents fruition. The shiny black berries are most common, but some varieties have been cultivated to produce green/white and yellow berries.

How Do I Prune A Privet Hedge?

Privet hedge can be pruned in the summer months – July to September in the UK – and depending on your topiary tastes, you can use hand or machine shears to achieve your goals. This should keep the younger summer growth in check without causing damage to the core structure of the plant.

How Do I Propagate A Privet Hedge?

Take cuttings from privet of around 10cm in length, remove the leaves nearest to the cut and plant the cutting directly into warm soil to a depth of 4cm. Cuttings should be planted in the Autumn and will show signs of progress by the following Spring.

How Do I Plant A Privet Hedge?

If you want to give the plant a good amount of time to settle in, planting in early Autumn is ideal.

• While you prepare your trench, soak the roots of your new plant in water, to let the plant realise that good times are coming!
• Take note of the depth they were already planted in the soil, as you’ll replant them to the same level.
• Dig your trench and add plenty of well rotted manure to provide nutrition for them to get stuck into.
• Space them about 30cm apart to give them room to grow happily and then firm them in. Your first plant will want to be placed about 15cm from the end of your trench so that its growth will naturally end at the right spot.
• Water them well and give them some encouraging words while you’re at it.

What Are The Main Threats For A Privet Hedge?

Although privet hedge is notoriously hardy, it can succumb to wilt and honey fungus. Signs of infection include discoloured leaves or leaves falling off, and honey fungus can prevent new growth from occurring in spring. As with most fungi, the main cause is excessive moisture near the roots, so a well-drained soil will help keep this threat at bay. If the plant becomes infected with honey fungus, removing the whole plant, including the roots, is the only way to prevent it spreading.

Spider mites can infest hedges – these can be identified by their “webs” which cover the plant and their red-brown bodies can be seen on the underside of the leaf. Infestations can be pruned out if necessary, and pesticides are available to deal with them, however natural predators like ladybirds will be happy to tackle these mischievous mites if the problem is not too large.

United Kingdom

I have a mature privet hedge which runs north/south and is 80 yard long. It is about 6ft wide & 8ft high. If I cut it back by about 1ft on both sides and reduce the height by 1ft, all the green growth will be cut off. Will the hedge survive? What is the best time of the year to do it? Should I only do one side at a time?

• 24 Aug, 2009

Answers

Privet is a very durable plant & you should have no problems by cutting it back by a foot even though we are at the end of August. It will grow again before winter starts & I doubt the new growth will be killed by winter frosts. Even if some is it will spring back again next year.

Well being me I’d remove the whole hedge! Privet is a gross feeder and will consume all the nutrient in the soil out to the point where its roots stop – at least twice as far as the hedge itself. That said you hack, oops prune, it back as far as you like and it will regrow. but wouldn’t you like a nice easy to take care of fence?

I cut mine back quite harshly in either autumn or winter and it was fine. I probably did not take off quite as much as you are proposing at the sides, although mine was cut as much as a foot in places from its height.

If the cutting back you are proposing rids the hedge of a very great proportion of its leaves, it may not survive as it needs these for photosynthesis etc. It really depends how much you are cutting into the older wood and whether there are still a fair amount of leaves left.

As for the best time of the year – I don’t think it matters. When I cut back mine it did look “twiggy” and a lot barer, although there were plenty of leaves left. It stayed like that all winter until the spring when the new growth came in. If you don’t mind seeing the bare twig ends for months during the winter then from my experience it seems it can be done anytime.

Privet hedges are fast growing shrubs. Planting a privet hedge around your property will provide privacy and add beauty to your yard. There are two different varieties of the privet. One is deciduous and the other is an evergreen. If you want privacy year round, then the evergreen is the one to plant. Deciduous privets loose their leaves during the winter. The privet isn’t too fussy about the soil and once established, they will grow well in wet or dry conditions. They do like sunny places, but will tolerate shade.

Step One

Plan where you want your privet hedge to grow. Measure the area so you will know how many privets you need. Figuring on one planted every 12 inches, it is also a good idea to plant them 18 inches inside your property line. This is also the correct spacing if going around a sidewalk, wall or driveway.

Step Two

Spring is the best time to plant your new privet hedge. Before you plant, it is a good idea to prepare the soil. Remove any grass or weeds growing there. You can do this with a shovel, or a tiller, if available. Dig down at 2 to 3 feet, breaking up any large clumps of dirt. Once you have the area prepared, you are ready to plant. With a shovel or spade, dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the container pot. If you purchased bare-root plants, then dig the hole twice as deep as the taproot and twice as wide as the side roots.

Step Three

Fill the hole with water, allowing it to drain naturally. If you have bare-root plants, fill a bucket of water and put the privet roots inside the bucket. Allow them to soak for at least an hour before planting. To the bottom of the hole you dug, add some blood and bone meal, mixing it with some of the soil. Remove the privet from the pot and tease out the roots if they are root-bound. Place the root ball in the hole and fill the hole half way with soil or compost. Firm the soil around the roots. Add the remaining soil and firm down. Make a ring or a ridge of soil around the base of the hole. Each time you water, the water will stay within the ring and not run away into the rest of your lawn.

Step Four

After you have planted four to six privets, begin to water them. Use light water pressure so the water will have a chance to soak down. Move the hose to each plant so they get a good drink. Do this with every privet. When you have all the privets planted, water every other day for the first two weeks. After that, you can begin to taper off on the watering, as their roots begin to grow.

If you’re wondering how much it is to cut a hedge, it’s important to remoember that there are many factors that can affect the price, and as a result, there is no average price for cutting hedges. As experts, these considerations come as second nature to us but at Elm House we appreciate that these factors are not always obvious. So to give you a helping hand and a rough idea of cost if you are wondering how much it is to cut a hedge, we have listed a few factors below.

Location

When determining the hedge trimming cost, location is a very important consideration because sometimes there can be obstructions that make the job more difficult. Typical examples of this is a pond or a greenhouse. If there are sm all access points or very tight corners this tends to make jobs longer as it will take more time to get equipment in and out. If the hedge is on a sloped piece of ground it can make it either easier to drag the hedge out, or harder if we are dragging it up a slope so this will have an impact on the price. Equally if you have a large garden and the hedge is at the end of it, the debris has further to travel to our trucks which takes longer and we therefore have to take this into consideration. If there are rocks sometimes these will have to be removed first to prevent damage to our equipment.

How much is it to cut a hedge depending on size?

The size of the hedge is also an important factor when deciding upon the hedge trimming cost determining how much it is to cut a hedge for obvious reasons. The more material that we have to deal with the longer it will take to remove as this may require many trips with the van.

How much to cut hedge stumps?

If you are having the stumps removed, the species and size will affect the how much it is to cut a hedge and remove it. Some species have roots that are a lot softer than others, the softer the stump the easier it will be to remove for example, Leylandii is a lot softer than Beech. If the stump is large it will cost more than a small stump due to it taking more time and effort.

Hedge trimming cost – How much is it to cut a hedge?

As mentioned previously, there is no average price for cutting hedges, and so each hedge will have to be quoted individually, however, the hedge trimming cost is generally £90+VAT per hour for our team if we are hedge trimming and undertaking general ground works. If we have to use climbing equipment like a rope and harness to deal with your hedge, then it will cost in the region of £120+VAT per hour.

It is best to get a professional to help you with hedge trimming or removal as it can be a very long and difficult process without the correct tools and knowledge of the species you are dealing with.

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Remove a Privet Hedge

Grow a Hedge Fence

Plant a Beech Hedge

Get a Straight Line when Trimming a Hedge

Use Australian Native Plants to Grow a Hedge

Plant an Evergreen Hedge

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• Special Features

• Ideal Final Hedge Size

Ligustrum

An incredibly popular hedging plant, Privet – commonly misspelled Privit and known within the horticultural industry as Ligustrum – is often misconceived as a run of the mill hedge; the street Harry Potter grew up on, Privet Drive, conjuring images of an uninteresting suburban estate, how wrong these perceptions are!

Privet hedging makes a delightful formal hedge as it takes well to tight pruning, creating a dense semi-evergreen screen. Privet hedges are considered to be semi-evergreen, rather than fully evergreen hedging because in very cold winters it can lose some of its foliage which comes back afresh in the spring.

Best4hedging offer a range of Privet hedge plants from the popular green variety, through to varieties with a golden leaf for a splash of colour.

How fast does privet grow?

Confused by privet hedge growth rates? Wondering, how tall does a privet hedge grow? Use the table below to help understand privet hedge height.

How to use Privet Hedging

Privet hedging is ideal for so many situations where it can be used as a fast growing hedge for screening and to use as a windbreak. It is often planted in urban areas, as it is pollution tolerant and is popular for shaping into sweeping arches or creating topiary shapes. The only instance in which Privet hedging is not a good choice is around paddocks or farm land, as the foliage is known to be poisonous to horses. Take a look at our full range of hedging plants for alternate options in this situation.

How far apart do you plant privet hedge plants?

Privet hedge planting distance is dependent on many factors, such as your budget, the size of plants and your level of patience! Each of our privet product pages – Common Privet, Wild Privet and Golden Privet show a suggested planting density range e.g. 5-7 per metre, to help you decide on spacing.

If we look at golden privet hedge spacing as an example, we offer various plant sizes; 2-4 litre pots will suit a planting density of 3-5 plants per metre, as will bare root plants. The large troughs we supply will be best planted at 1 per metre. Smaller bare root plants could be planted in a zig-zag fashion also to create a denser hedge. The choice is ultimately yours, but for more advice on planting density see the individual product pages or contact our sales and service team.

When to trim Privet hedge plants

Our privet hedge pruning time advice is applicable to Common Privet, Wild Privet and Golden Privet hedging. For more on Privet hedge care and privet hedge diseases see our help and advice section.

Privet hedge pruning first year for young plants

If your new hedge is made up of young plants then the first springs prune is an important one. All young plants should be cut back to 15-20cm (6-8inches) above ground level in early spring. Then for every 30cm (1 foot) of new growth remove 15cm (6inches), continue this practice until late summer when pruning should be left until the following spring to avoid damaging plants.

Maintenance pruning an established privet hedge

For informal privet hedges once a year in the spring remove 1/3 of the longest stems and shorten the remaining stems by 1/3.

More formal hedging should be sheared a few times a year from early spring to late summer, removing approximately 15cm (6inches) of growth.

Privet hedge pruning hard

Sometimes a renovation prune is the only way to bring a tired, old privet hedge back to a lush, bushy boundary. In late winter cut the whole hedge back to 15-25cm (6-30inches), the established root system will ensure that new growth is produced quickly so your hedge will be back to a good height within a year or so.

Privet hedge pruning tips

When shaping your established privet hedge aim to have slightly sloping sides with the top of the hedge being the narrowest. This will ensure that the bottom of the hedge gets enough light and will prevent leaf-drop.

Privet hedging and wildlife

Not just a pretty face, Privet hedging offers sustenance to birds and bees. Honey bees and bumble bees visit Privit for its nectar, whilst birds will enjoy the berries and seek shelter within the foliage, amongst them Blackbirds, Thrushes and Waxwings. Privet doesn’t need to be a formal hedge, allow it to grow more naturally to maximise the flowers and berries for your garden visitors.

Privet hedge plants in medicine

Though we wouldn’t recommend ingesting Privet hedging as you may find it results in an upset tummy, the leaves and bark of Privet hedging have been used for years for medicinal purposes.

It can be used in a decoction (mashing then boiling in water) to treat chapped lips and sore throats, amongst other things. The foliage can also be used to make a herbal tea which is said to improve the appetite of chemotherapy patients.

SERIES 16 | Episode 18

Earlier this year Gardening Australia filmed a story mentioning Ligustrum undulatum, which is more commonly known as privet. We received many concerned letters and emails pointing out that privet is a weed. Certainly some varieties of privet are weeds, but not all. The confusion comes from the fact that all varieties are commonly called “privet”.

So if you have a privet in your garden, how do you know which are a weed and which aren’t? “Privet” is the common name of the Ligustrum genus, which contains about 50 species of both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. Ligustrum is part of the olive family. Many of the Ligustrum varieties have scented white flowers, followed by small blue black berries. The privet commonly grown as a hedge in many Melbourne gardens is Ligustrum undulatum. This usually doesn’t produce seed, it’s not invasive, and so it’s not classified as a weed.

However, several species of privet have invaded native vegetation and become weeds, particularly along watercourses around the country. The National List of Invasive garden plants lists three varieties of privet as environmental weeds. Ligustrum lucidum, also known as the glossy privet, the tree privet, or the broad leafed privet. Ligustrum sinense, also known as Chinese privet or hedge privet, and Ligustrum vulgare, also referred to as common privet or golden privet.

Some varieties of Ligustrum have the potential to totally dominate a water area. In fact in Queensland and New South Wales, where it’s warmer, Ligustrum can really form impenetrable thickets. The plants produce masses or clusters of green seeds, turning purple when they’re ripe. The birds eat them and disperse them along the waterways. They often fall into waterways and nestle in crevices in rocks and start to grow. They can also be dispersed in dumped garden waste.

A difficulty in identifying which varieties of privet are weeds is they have often naturalised, or taken over the land in varying degrees, in different parts of the country. This means classifying a certain variety of privet as an environmental, or even noxious weed, may be different in different Australian states. If you want to be a privet buster many local councils have privet eradication programs in place, as do public and private water utility companies. Environmental groups are doing a great job assisting in cleaning up infested areas.

If you have a privet in your garden, and you want to identify whether it is a potential weed, check with your local nursery, the council or the relevant Department of Primary Industry. And when you cut it down, dispose of it responsibly so it doesn’t spread indiscriminately.

Things You’ll Need

Source of water

Do not fertilize newly transplanted privet until it is actively growing in the spring because fertilizer can burn the new roots.

Keep soil moist around the new transplant until established.

Warning

Use safety glasses when working around shrubs.

A privet is a landscape shrub that can be moved or transplanted during the late fall or spring after the ground can be worked. The roots must be disturbed as little as possible during the process so some preparation is required. The limbs of a privet need to be cut back by two-thirds before transplanting. If the plant is really large, a strong back is required to dig under the plant and cut back the deep and tenacious root system. You must leave as much of the dirt and root system in place as possible to make transplanting a privet successful.

How to Transplant a Privet

Step 1

Soak the root zone of the privet that you are transplanting two days before removal. Water with a slow stream so the entire root system will be soaked with water. Let drain for one day before digging.

Step 2

Cut the entire shrub back by two-thirds using garden shears or loppers. You can shear it off evenly or cut unruly branches back to a main stem depending on the garden style, but removing top growth is essential for the privet to recover after transplanting when there are fewer roots to support new growth during the growing season.

Step 3

Dig a trench around the root system which will be as far out as the limbs reached before you pruned the shrub. Dig straight down, cutting as many roots as cleanly as possible.

Step 4

Begin removing soil around roots and working your way under the shrub’s root base. The roots can reach as much as 1 or 2 feet below the surface on a large shrub. Continue removing soil and cutting the roots until you have worked your way under the shrub and it becomes dislodged from the ground. Save as much of the root system as possible during the removal process.

Step 5

Pull the shrub out of the ground onto a tarp. Drag or carry the plant in the tarp to the new location and plant at the same level it was previously planted. Add water as you add soil around the root base when transplanting to prevent air pockets from forming. Add a 2-inch layer of mulch around the privet to preserve moisture.

– how to get a beautiful privet hedge

A privet hedge is a great addition in any garden as it brings a perpetual tone of green that grows relatively fast and can be shaped according to the imagination and skill of the gardener. Now, despite it achieving your desired shape in just a couple of years, you might be tempted, nonetheless, to speed up things a bit. Fortunately you can, and by simply following a couple of tips you will be able to speed up the growth process of your future planted plants and get a beautiful privet hedge faster.

Go Deep and Rich

Take note of the hole you are digging for your privet. The hole should be twice as large and as deep as the roots of the plant.

But this not all! You need to increase the nutrients that the earth offers at first. In the hole add compost suitable for your plant that is rich in needed nutrients. Also, you should add some fertilizer that is appropriate for shrubs and trees. The final touch is to add the appropriate quantity of silica crystals as recommended. After you have added all these to the ground, fill the hole with water and wait it to drain so that the substances disperse into the earth. Now you can plant your privet.

Careful When Planting

Despite being an easy operation, planting your privet also needs a bit of attention. To give your plant a small boost, you should plant it so that the roots do not become cramped. This will decrease the time needed for the plant to adapt and will make it grow faster.

Also, you should add the soil carefully and water it until the plant becomes settled. A trick is to fill half of the hole, fill it with water and wait to drain. Fill the last part of the hole with water and then water it again.

After Planting Tips

Inspect the plant and its base regularly for any signs of infestation or pests and trim the dead or damaged limbs to encourage the plant’s growth and health.

Fertilize the plant once every 2-3 weeks with water soluble foliar plant food.

(courtesy of James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org)

By Andrew J. Baril

Last month I spoke to y’all about our trees blooming and casting their pollen onto everything around us. Now here in May, with the pecan trees in full leaf, our trees have concluded their dance. Over the past two weeks, many in the Birmingham area still complained about their allergies. Remember all good things must come to an end, and this is true of spring pollen. The main culprit for the last two weeks has been privet hedge. You know what I’m talking about, those bushes with white flowers blooming everywhere along our highways and county roads. Most people call it privet hedge. Those who work in the natural resource arena most commonly call it Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense).

Privet, is a deciduous shrub growing to 2-7 m tall, with densely hairy shoots. The leaves are opposite, 2-7 cm long and 1-3 cm broad, rarely larger, with a smooth leaf edge and a 2-8 mm leaf stem. The flowers in large clusters are white, and the fruit looks like tiny blue-black footballs in clusters. It has been cultivated for years as an ornamental plant and for hedges. It is still sold today. It was introduced to North America to be used for hedges and landscaping where it has now escaped from cultivation and is listed as an invasive plant in southeastern states. According to US Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis data, Alabama has 23 million acres of forestland. Also, according to this data, 1 million acres of this forestland is covered by privet. From Virginia to Florida, west to Texas, privet has detrimental effects to biodiversity and forest health.

Studies have shown where tiny “knee-high” whips of privet existing under a hardwood forest in south Alabama before Hurricane Ivan, after the storm the privet quickly grew and took over the forest site. Personally, I have seen sites where the only thing growing under the large trees, was privet. The shade from a 15-20′ privet forest so completely shades the ground that nothing else grows under them. In a pine forest, privet will put a prescribed fire out, not allowing managers the opportunity to improve forest health.

While the pollen/hay fever battle with privet has come to a close for 2016, the battle with this invasive continues. First, do not plant this plant. As you go to your favorite nursery, encourage them to no longer carry the plants. Second, remove them from your landscaping. Finally, get involved. There are citizen environmental groups that help “pull” privet from the woods on public land. On private property, do some pulling of your own, or better yet learn how to properly apply herbicides to kill the privet without harming the native plants. Extension has a publication on privet control. You can get this online here.

Garden Talk is written by Andrew J. Baril of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, C. Beaty Hanna Horticulture & Environmental Center, which is based at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This column includes research-based information from land-grant universities around the country, including Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. Email questions to [email protected], or call 205 879-6964. Learn more about what is going on in Jefferson County by visiting the ACES website, or checking us on Facebook and Twitter. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities), is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Everyone is welcome!

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

A privet hedge running along a property border is a classic look. The very name seems to say “privacy,” as if a line of these bushes could form the ideal screen for those seeking a more private setting. Many kinds are not especially beautiful plants when considered in isolation, but they do excel in the role of hedges. Privet grows more quickly and can be shaped more easily than can boxwood shrubs, for instance. The dense foliage is not evergreen in many climates, making it best suited for summertime-only privacy hedges. The flowers attract bees and butterflies, while some have leaves that turn lovely colors in the fall before they drop.

How to Grow Privet

The privet shrubs cold-hardy enough to be grown in the north are used almost exclusively to form hedges or topiaries. Privet hedges tolerate heavy pruning. They do not seem to be troubled by the pollution in urban settings, plus they are salt-tolerant plants, making them a good choice for a hedge along a street.

To plant a new hedge, position the plants about a foot apart in a trench 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, and mound the soil around the stems.

Some varieties of privet shrubs, which are indigenous to the Old World, are considered invasive plants in parts of North America. Check to ensure whether or not the kind you want to use is appropriate for your area.

Light

Privet varieties like either full sun or part sun, and will grow best when they get more sun. A good amount of sun also brings out the color best for gold and variegated varieties.

Privet is tolerant of a variety of soil types, as well as different levels of acidity and alkalinity, so long as it drains well. When you are planting a hedge, be sure to note any changes in soil type or condition, which will affect the uniformity of the hedge. Amend the soil if there are any areas of poor soil. They are salt-tolerant plants, which is an important consideration if they will be near a street that gets salted in the winter.

Water

Water your privet hedges weekly. You may need to water more frequently in high heat. Drip irrigation is a good choice, especially for new hedges. Once established, they are noted to be drought tolerant.

Temperature and Humidity

Depending on plant variety and the zone in which you live, privet hedges can be evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous. Not being evergreen in the north, privet hedges will be attractive for only a portion of the year there; for the same reason, they cannot furnish privacy year-round.

Varieties of Privet

Choose which variety of privet based on your hardiness zone, how tall it will grow, and the foliage characteristics. Golden and/or variegated leaves are among the best-looking. Various kinds of privet include:

• California privet (L. ovalifolium): Hardy in zones 5 to 8, it grows 10 to 15 feet high and wide.
• Golden privet (L. ovalifolium Aureum): Hardy in zones 5 to 8, it grows 8 to 10 feet high and wide.
• Golden Vicary (L. x vicaryi): Hardy in zones 5 to 7, it grows 6 to 12 feet tall, with a spread of 7 to 10 feet.
• Border privet (L. obtusifolium): Hardy in zones 3 to 7, it grows 10 to 12 feet tall, with a spread of 12 to 15 feet.
• Amur privet (L. amurense): Hardy in zones 3 to 6, it grows 12 to 15 feet tall, with a spread of 8 to 15 feet.
• Japanese or “wax” privet (L. japonicum): Hardy in zones 7 to 10, it grows 6 to 12 feet tall, with a spread of 6 to 8 feet and has fragrant flowers. “Texanum” is a popular cultivar. Variegated leaves marked by gray-green mottling and cream-silver edges may be seen in the cultivars “Jack Frost,” “Silver Star.” and “Variegatum.”
• Chinese privet (L. sinense): Hardy in zones 7 to 9, it grows 10 to 12 feet tall.

Pruning

Shear these bushes after they have flowered; thereafter, shear them an additional three or four times during the course of the summer. Privet hedges will become bushier and fill in better if they are pruned correctly and frequently.

Toxicity of Privet

Privet is a poisonous plant. The leaves and berries contain glycosides that can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. This can affect humans, cats, dogs, and horses. As the plant produces small black berries, caution children not to eat them.

I have a mixed hedge which is about 6 feet high. I think it is privet and hawthorn.

Currently, it is very top heavy in terms of the growth, and it has a lot of bare stems lower down. Please see the photographs.

I want to try and get the hedge to be bushy all the way down to ground level.

I’ve read about pruning back hard, which I take means to basically chop the whole thing down to within 12″ of the floor.

However, I don’t know if this is the right thing to do, especially at this time of year (April). There are buds appearing on the hedge, so I don’t know if a hard prune down to ground level at this time of year would kill the hedge.

I’ve got no gardening experience, so I’m nervous at taking such a drastic step.

Any advice welcome.

2 Answers 2

Yes, in my opinion it’s pretty easy. But it will take some years for a good final result.

1) Renews the earth around, remove the stones, remove the weeds, remove the old land (up to find out a little roots, as you can). Add at least 20 cm of compost mixed with manure aged, all along the fence.

2) Clean the plants, remove all dead branches to the root, sawing as down as you can. Remove diseased branches, with moss or fungi, to the root. Begin to prune (but do not delay, since the season is already advanced): Cuts the older and thicker branches, sawing at the base, close to the ground. Cut the branches less old to about 30 cm from the ground.

3) Remove the diseased or weak plants and replace them with healthy plants. Prune the new plants to the same height as the other. After this intervention, the hedge will practically bare, but, with little patience, it continuously develops new shoots, which must be pruned frequently to get the desired shape. In the following years the hedge will be back thick and invigorated.

4) Pruning in the second growing season. The branches of the hedge are sheared again and, if necessary, slightly shortened, gradually, beginning to give the desired shape to the hedge. As a general rule, it is assumed that a hedge well pruned is 10-20 cm narrower at the top than at the base of the plant. A hedge that at a height of 1.5 m has a width of 50 cm, will have a base of about 70 cm. If in the second growing season, the hedge has not yet reached the desired height, you will not need you will not need to prune the top. Of course, the sides will be cut at least twice between May and August.

5) The final height is reached after 4-5 years. Thin every year the branches towards the top to stimulate the thickening at the base. To obtain a large hedge, prune the side branches just a little. While to obtain a hedge quite narrow, shorten more the side branches.

6) Only after the third or fourth year gradually bring the fence height and shape you want, potandola in June and August.

7) Only after the third or fourth year gradually bring the fence height and shape you want, the pruning in June and August. The hedge, when it has reached the desired height, it must be sheared. Shorten both the upper and the lateral twice during the growing season.

8) The best time to perform what said above is in late autumn or early spring.

9) How to treat hedges. During the spring you add into the space among the plants enough compost, whether or not mixed with manure or a chemical fertilizer. In September-October can also be used manure decomposed, that, in the following spring, is slightly worked into the soil.

10) The disadvantage of a “natural fence” is the fact that subtracts nutrients and moisture to the soil. For example, if the hedge is bordering a flower bed or lawn, you can see from their appearance that they are significantly depleted. It is therefore advisable to cut the roots of the hedge (particularly those of privet), so that the same hedge grows less quickly. you can proceed as follows: at a distance of 30-40 cm from the hedge spade a ditch, so that the roots can be cut to a depth of about 40 cm.

Since your fence is surrounded from stones and asphalt, your problem is just to limit the grow and let space for soil and compost.

Written by: Lisa Wampler

Written on: July 14, 2020

Hemera Technologies/ Images

A box hedge can grow between 30 cm and 2.7 m (1 and 9 feet) tall with an extreme height of 9 m (30 feet). The box hedge is an evergreen hedge that does well when pruned. They are often planted closely together to form a barrier and create privacy.

If you need to remove a box hedge either because you no longer want it or you plan to relocate it, you will find that the process is straightforward and relatively easy to complete.

Cut back the hedge to its stump if you do not plan on replanting the hedge in a new location. Use a pruning saw to complete the cuts. This will not only make it easier to remove the soil around the hedge, but will make it easier to lift the root ball out of the ground.

• A box hedge can grow between 30 cm and 2.7 m (1 and 9 feet) tall with an extreme height of 9 m (30 feet).
• This will not only make it easier to remove the soil around the hedge, but will make it easier to lift the root ball out of the ground.

Remove debris from around the hedge such as built-up leaves and dead foliage that fall off the hedge. Use a lawn rake to remove the debris. It can build up heavily on untrimmed hedges.

Dig a hole around the plant that measures approximately 100 cm (40 inches) in diameter. The average root ball for a box hedge is around 57.5 to 80 cm (23 to 32 inches) in diameter. Although you may end up cutting through a root, this shouldn’t hurt the hedge if you replant it, as long as it is not excessive.

Rock the root ball back and forth in the hole to knock off the dirt if you plan to throw the hedge away. If you plan to keep it, leave as much of the dirt packed in the root ball as possible to minimise air exposure and drying roots.

• Remove debris from around the hedge such as built-up leaves and dead foliage that fall off the hedge.
• Although you may end up cutting through a root, this shouldn’t hurt the hedge if you replant it, as long as it is not excessive.

Cup your hands and arms under the root ball as far as you can. Have a second person do the same. Lift up on the root ball by the bottom. Do not pull the root ball out of the hole by its roots.

Place the hedge onto a moving cart if you plan to keep it and relocate it.

Shrubs and hedges have deeper root systems than groundcovers and shallower root systems than trees. The average root depth of a hedge is 18 inches. Actual hedge root system depths vary. Improperly watered hedges, regardless of species, will develop shallow, ineffective root systems. Heavy clay and dense soil can also impact root system depth and development. Some species are noted for large, sprawling root systems while others are known for high wind tolerance and good anchorage.

Juniper

Juniper is a narrow-leafed evergreen that is used as a shrub, grown as a tree and is also suited for traditional hedges. Juniper requires commitment on the part of the homeowner. Though the hedge is quick to establish, it is very difficult to remove. The root system is quite extensive, especially in mild climates where the roots grow continuously throughout the seasons. Juniper roots are capable of producing offshoots. If you plan on removing a juniper bush you will have to chop up the root system and remove it in its entirety.

Boxwood

There are 30 species of boxwood in a range of shapes and sizes, from dwarf boxwood to towering 20-foot privacy hedges. Boxwood grows well in temperate climates and is found in residential landscapes, parks and other recreational areas throughout the American South. Tall hedges must develop deep root systems. Without adequate anchorage the hedges will topple. Encourage healthy root growth by planting your boxwood in holes that match the depth of the root ball. The soil should be well-draining but able to retain some moisture. Water boxwood well during its early years. Soil should be moist to a depth of 12 inches. Water deeply and infrequently rather than shallowly and frequently. This watering schedule encourages deep rooting.

Lilacs

Lilac bushes are flowering bushes that are also used for hedgerows. Like other hedges the depth of the root system is at least 18 inches if the plant is established properly. Aside from deep watering, you may find it necessary to fertilize lilac early in its life. Slow release 18-6-12 fertilizers encourage healthy growth of the root system as well as the entire plant. Avoid fertilizing lilacs after they have become established as fertilizers will encourage leafy growth at a pace too rapid for the root system to support.

Considerations

Most hedges prefer well-draining soil and will not thrive when sited in water-retaining depressions or saturated soils. These conditions make hedges susceptible to root rot and other diseases. Before planting hedges, ensure that your soil drains well. Submitting soil samples for a soil evaluation is also helpful in determining your soil’s fertilization needs.

Hedges are sold in containers, bare root packages or balled and burlapped. Containerized hedges have strong root systems, but the root ball should be loosened to encourage spreading growth. Cut back bare root and balled and burlapped hedges to 6 inches from ground level. This allows root systems to establish without the stress of abundant shoot growth.

– how to get a beautiful privet hedge

If you want to increase the greenery of your garden, but some of your plants are rare or quite costly and you cannot make a great investment at the moment, then a way to increase your garden is by using plant slips.

The procedure itself is quite simple and you will need to follow a few simple steps to get your new plant that will enrich your garden and will add a bit of green sparkle to your garden.

Step 1: Do a Bit of Research

Many plants can be multiplied from slips such as lavender or roses. But, unfortunately not all plants can grow from slips. You should, at first, do a bit of research to see whether or not the plant can actually grow through the cutting procedure. Then again, you can always experiment on your own and discover which plants respond positive to this procedure.

Step 2: Cut the Plant Shoots

For cutting the plant shoots you will need a pair of sharp gardening pruners to snap off the shoot with one go and minimize the impact on the plant.

The shoot should be taken from a mature growth of the plant at a length of about 3 to 5 inches for perennial plants and 6 to 12 inches for shrubs. Take note that the cutting size varies according to the plant, so it is advised to rake a couple of variable samples.

The cut should be done at an angle of approximate 30 degrees, ending the cut with a point.

Step 3: Prepare the Plant Shoot

The plant shoot should then be prepared by cutting the 2 bottom leaves and 2 top leaves and the buds, as the latter tend to drain the energy of the plan and inhibit the root’s growth.

Step 4: Treat the Cut Area

By treating the cut area you will stimulate the plant to spur off roots. Place the cut part of shoot into a weak mixture of water and seaweed based liquid fertilized for a couple of hours. After that, tip the cut part into rooting hormone.

Step 5: Create the Suitable Rooting Environment

Place the cut into the proper type of rooting medium, which can vary between sand, soil and water. This differs according to the plant and you should either inform yourself or experiment if you could not find the information.

Step 6: Transplant the Cutting into the Final Growing Spot

When the root has finally spotted, transplant it into the proper growing spot. It is advised that you first plant it into a pot and only when the plant has grown enough you should plant it into your garden.

• Working Time: 3 hrs
• Yield: 12-foot hedge

• Skill Level: Beginner

Hedge trimming is different from pruning individual specimen shrubs. Since hedges are usually intended to provide privacy, it is important that the shrubs be as full as possible from top to bottom. This requires a trimming strategy in which the sides of the hedge are pruned at an outward-flaring angle, so that the top of the hedgerow is narrower than the bottom. This shape ensures that the lower branches along the sides of the shrubs aren’t shaded by the upper branches—so they receive enough sunlight to grow and fill in the body of the hedge.

To maintain straight lines while trimming a hedge, you will need erect guide lines as a reference point. This is best done with strings attached to wooden stakes driven into the ground at the ends of the hedge row. The strings outline the shape you’re striving for, creating boundaries to follow as you trim the branches.

When to Trim Hedges

The proper time to trim a hedge varies, depending on its growth rate and the species of shrub. Generally speaking, a non-flowering hedge should be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks during the growing season, and less frequently as the weather cools. For flowering shrubs, it’s important to time the trimming so it doesn’t interfere with their bloom cycle. Spring-flowering shrubs are best trimmed immediately after they bloom. Summer-flowering shrubs should be trimmed in the late winter or early in the spring before active new growth is underway.

This technique is appropriate for most mature hedge plants. Newly planted shrubs require a different strategy for the first year or two, until the shrubs reach a more mature stage.

Tools for Trimming Hedges

Trimming a mature hedge requires fairly simple tools. The biggest decision you will need to make is between hand-operated hedge shears, which look like oversized scissors with long handles, and a power or battery-operated hedge shears, which bears a slight resemblance to a mini chainsaw. The choice is entirely up to you. Some homeowners prefer the relaxing peace and quiet offered by manual shears, while other prefer to get the work done quickly with power tools.

Privet hedges are deciduous bushes that grow quickly and can soon overpower an area in your landscaping. Some varieties have a white bloom in the early summer and others have a blue-black fruit. Many homeowners plant this hedge because it provides privacy and a sound barrier. It is necessary to control the shrub with proper pruning techniques.

Step One

Analyze the bush to decide if it is too tall or wide. These bushes are fast-growing and may need both areas trimmed a few times each year. The limbs grow at the same rate as grass.The correct height is your personal preference, although it is best to keep it at a height you can reach well with pruning shears. Keep the width so that it does not overextend the walkway or other boundaries.

Step Two

Shape and control your privet hedge with a hand pruner or electric trimmer. Do this in the early spring before blooming. Cut the branches at different lengths to give it the most natural look and to avoid looking like it received a “haircut.” Cut 1/4 inch above an existing bud.

Step Three

Remove any broken, diseased or overcrowded stems at ground level. This will give the stem a chance to produce a healthy branch and will also provide sunlight and circulation in the hedge.

Step Four

Cut away any branches that rub against each other. This creates open wounds that are privy to disease.

Step Five

Reduce new shoots by 1/3 or 1/2 their length. This will create stronger shoots and create more side shoots.

Some of my privet hedging is a bit sparse around the bottom, which leaves huge unsightly gaps. Is there any way of encouraging it to sprout some new shoots, e.g. making nicks in the main stalk?

I have a great privet hedge that many neighbors comment on.
Make sure that you avoid the tendency to trim the top wider than the base. Your verticle lines should be 90 degrees to the ground. I do my main trimming after the blossoms have mostly disappeared. In the winter, cut out about 1/3 of the oldest main branches at the ground. Fertilize your hedge with a balanced fertilizer. I prefer 12-12-12. Water in times of drought or if your hedge is young.

I wouldn’t do the 1/3 winter trimming thing untill the hedge has been in place 10-15 years.

Trim the top.
This usually will force out growth.
If plant does not get enough light, nothing will grow.
References :

If you cut the top the sides grow thicker, and cut the sides they grow taller. Cut weekly and the clippings should be swept under the hedge, to rot down and feed the trees, so any shoots growing in the gaps can be snipped shorter to encourage thicker growth. This process will take some time.
Best of luck
References :
Growing a shaped hedge

To rejuvenate an old and “leggy” hedge, cut back to a few inches above the ground in the early spring and then prune like a new planting. This works best with deciduous hedges but is also possible with some evergreen hedges if you leave a few branches with leaves on the plant.

. Larger, older shrubs should not be rejuvenated in late spring or summer. Early spring is preferred for most.
new growth can be pruned back to help keep shrubs the size and shape desired. With hedges such as privet, prune them so that the lower portions are wider than the upper, so all leaves get equal light. This will help prevent the lower portions from dying out. Avoid pruning the side perpendicular to the ground or angling in toward the base. Hedges in poor shape should be rejuvenated and the new growth then pruned properly.
References :
U. Illinois Extension Office

The way to keep it thick at the bottom is to prune and shear it properly. If the bottom is shaded it will become sparse and the main cause of shaded bottom is cutting it wider at the top and thinner at the bottom.

Start pruning your hedge in a wedge shape, wider at the bottom end and it will thicken up. See the link below for more details.
References :

I have a great privet hedge that many neighbors comment on.
Make sure that you avoid the tendency to trim the top wider than the base. Your verticle lines should be 90 degrees to the ground. I do my main trimming after the blossoms have mostly disappeared. In the winter, cut out about 1/3 of the oldest main branches at the ground. Fertilize your hedge with a balanced fertilizer. I prefer 12-12-12. Water in times of drought or if your hedge is young.

I wouldn’t do the 1/3 winter trimming thing untill the hedge has been in place 10-15 years.
References :

Most of the answers about leaving the bottom thicker than the top works, this way the bottom will get more light. Next time you are in a country road observe how the Council cuts the hedgerows and you will see the way to do it.
References :
Experience.

cut some lems back to the second joint and put them in water till they get roots then plant them in the bare spots as the hedges get to the height that you need you need to cut the tops off this will make them thicker and you will not even be about to see thought them anymore it will take some time to do this but it is what you want and this is the best way that I know how to do this without having someone to come in and planting a fence role hedge in it place even that would have to grow up to block the lookers
References :
working on a hedge myself

Gardening Questions

Ornamental grasses, like these shown here, can fill in a hedge until other plants grow in. (Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Question: I planted a privet hedge about 10 years ago. It’s at the end of its life. It’s overgrown and brittle and the rabbits are having a field day. Is there an evergreen hedge that would be a good fit for Wisconsin weather that would be easy to keep up and trim? Please let me know your thoughts.

Answer: There are several options. The key to longevity and low maintenance is matching the plant to the space, desired size and growing conditions.

Consider creating a mixed screen if space allows. Use a combination of evergreens for year-round screening, deciduous shrubs for seasonal interest and ornamental grasses and other large perennials for more immediate screening and added color and beauty.

Using a variety of plants prevents problems with an insect or disease killing the whole hedge or one plant dying in the middle of a mature planting resulting in an unsightly gap.

Evaluate the space and determine if a long hedge or smaller strategically placed planting will provide desired results. The challenge is finding an evergreen that matures to the desired height yet grows fast enough to provide needed screening, is readily available and within your budget.

Using ornamental grasses, large perennials and annuals can provide more immediate screening while the evergreen and deciduous shrubs become established and grow. As the shrubs grow, you can transplant perennials and ornamental grasses as needed.

Q: I have a potted Meyer lemon growing in my house. I discovered scale on the stems. Do you have an organic way of ridding the plant of this pest?

A: Persistence is an essential part of managing scale on any indoor plant, as it usually takes multiple treatments to manage this pest. Horticulture oils, like Summit Year Round Spray oil, labeled for use on indoor plants and citrus, are considered organic and can be used to treat scale insects on citrus. The fine oil suffocates the hard-shelled as well as immature scale insects.

Carefully scrape the hard scales off the plant with an old toothbrush or your thumbnail. Then spray the plant with insecticidal soap. Repeat applications will be needed.

Protect nearby furnishings when treating the plant. And as always, read and follow label directions even when using organic and natural products.

Q: Is there any easy way to get rid of ditch lilies? I’ve tried to dig them up but it’s very difficult.

A: Ditch lilies are an orange flowered variety of the common daylily (Hemerocallis fulva). Their aggressive nature and tendency to take over gardens and escape to other areas including roadside ditches gave them this common name.

Physically removing or smothering the plants are the non-chemical control options. You must remove all the rhizomes to totally eliminate this plant. It is difficult, as you discovered, and can take several years to eliminate the plants. Be sure to dispose of these invasive daylilies to prevent introducing them into other gardens and natural spaces.

Or you can edge the planting, cut back the plants if needed and cover the area with black plastic, old carpet or any impenetrable material for at least one growing season. You will need to do some work rebuilding your soil’s health by adding organic matter once the plastic is removed.

Covering the area with clear plastic for 6 to 8 weeks during the hottest part of the summer may also be effective. If you select a total vegetation killer, be sure to read and follow all label directions. The waxy leaves of this plant can limit success of chemical control.

Written by: Irum Sarfaraz

Written on: July 14, 2020

Hemera Technologies/ Images

Laurels (Prunus spp.) are widely grown shrubs and small trees from the rose family. The evergreen plants are used for creating large screens and hedges, given their fast growth rate and dense foliage.

The plants are well adapted to growing in nearly all climatic conditions, and they thrive in areas of full to partial sun. There is often the need to get rid of an unwanted laurel hedge from the landscape. The best way to remove or kill an unwanted plant is to use a recommended herbicide.

Use products containing glyphosate for killing laurel hedges. Glyphosate is most effective when used in August and September.

• are widely grown shrubs and small trees from the rose family.
• The evergreen plants are used for creating large screens and hedges, given their fast growth rate and dense foliage.

Spray herbicide on all leaves of the hedge. This is referred to as foliar treatment and may be used on hedges that are up to 4.5 m (15 feet) tall.

Cover the plant from all sides, but do not drench the leaves to the point of runoff. Do not use the herbicide on very hot days or on plants that are severely drought stressed.

Repeat application 10 days later. Try not to use the herbicide when there is a chance of rain within six hours.

Cut and remove dead plants with an axe. Dig out small stumps entirely with roots. Grind larger stumps to 30 cm (12 inches) below ground.