Update on Privet Shrubs

[Miss Mary]

Remember, I asked advice about trimming my 9+ Privet Shrubs down in early Spring. A local newspaper article recommended taking them down to 6 inches off the ground. Since the long row on one side of my house was very tall, at least 5 foot, that seemed too drastic. The single one by my garage corner, was about 4 foot tall. So long story short: the single one I hacked down to 12 inches at the most. It's growing great - very, very full. Looks like a brand new shrub! The 9+ row of them, I took down to 2 feet off the ground. And they're growing well, but up, not out. So next year that row is getting hacked to the ground! I will not flinch, I will do it. This article claimed the shorter you go, the better for the roots. The shrub will creat new stems near the ground and not grow up, but out.

You live and learn I guess. I didn't even used to trim these shrubs! You end up with a lot of stems before they bud out, but if you want a nice hedge look, I highly recommend trimming.

[Cyclone]

Hey Mary... that exact same thing happened to me. We have this very old Azalea that was so spindly on the side of our house, must have been about 8ft high. Well my wife said "just wack the thing, and we'll dig it up". I told her that if we cut right down to the ground, next year, he'll be gorgeous! No doubt, 2 years later, it's beautiful and bushy!!

[Miss Mary]

Cy - it's hard to do that isn't it? Then your neighbors look over and you think - did I go too far? I will hack this long row of Privet's next Spring, you better believe I will. I will be hacking away....look out shrubs!!!! I just trimmed 3 Barberry bushes. Should have done it back in March but they were so out of control. So I was just trimming away. Laura walks up and says - hey didn't these used to be red? LOL - I hacked off all the new growth! I think they will be fine. They'll just look this way for a few weeks. I'm going to mark my calendar for late Feb. or early March next year. Might be a different time for your zone. Won't miss that opportunity again. Thing is after you trimmed, your shrubs do look brand new!

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PS - Cy, the Privet I hacked to the ground is on the left side of my garage in the pic I sent you. Then it was very tall, probably about 5 feet. Looks like a new shrub now!

[Cyclone]

lol! Daaang Mary!! Stay out of my Garden!! LOL!! j/k Yup, saw the pic, cool, hope it grows back better than ever, with your green thumbs, I bet it will.

Wish me luck, I'm hacking a bush that trails down the side of our drive way tomorrow. It's currently 8 ft high, gotta get that sucker down man!! I think I put a little too much Miracle grow on it this year!! lol

Have a jolly good weekend!